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HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillI thank the noble Earl, Lord Minto, for his remarks and the points that he made. I also thank other noble Lords. Again, let me say something about the general point around the…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillI apologise if I did not make this clear. The fundamental principle of the Bill is that the people who are in scope are those who are subject to service law, and their families.…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillIt is very tempting to say what I think about this, but I am not going to. I think the Committee will share my view that the noble Lord, Lord Lancaster, has raised a very…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillAll I can say is that our belief, understanding and intention is for it to be an open and transparent process, subject to the scrutiny of the House of Commons Select Committee,…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillAll I can say in response to the concerns raised by the noble Lord is that we believe that the appropriate way for Parliament to be involved is through the Defence Select…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillWithout saying whether that is a good or a bad idea, what I have said is that—although this is not actually in the Bill, as my noble friend said—clearly, our view is that going…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillI think my noble friend knows the answer to his own question, which is: no, it is not in the Bill—that is what he wants me to say. From his own experience, he knows that the…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillIt is absolutely correct that the Defence Committee can make a recommendation but the Secretary of State does not have to follow it. I suggest to the Committee that, if the…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillAs that was a direct question, I put it on the record that I do not know the answer. We will find it out, and if I do not write before the end of Committee, I will make sure that…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillAn individual can become commissioner if they have been a member of the Armed Forces, but not if they are a serving member.19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillLet me correct something before we move on. I said that the Armed Forces Bill will come into force in early 2026. That is not correct; I misspoke, of course. The Armed Forces…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillThe noble and gallant Lord makes a good point. Let us reflect on that and see where we get to. But I could not agree more with him about the nervousness that you would expect from…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillOne would expect the complexity of modern family life to be reflected in the regulations. In the end, one would hope that the commissioner would exercise some professionalism and…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillI am advised that Regulation 2(3)(a), “a person whose relationship with A is akin to a relationship between spouses or civil partners” includes engaged people. If that is wrong, I…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillI know it will change in September, but engagement is covered. Trying to overly constrain this definition may risk suggesting that family is more of a traditional nuclear family,…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Smith. Although I do not agree with her on Amendment 2, let me just say that I think the fact that she spoke to both that amendment and…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillThat is a really helpful comment from my noble friend. These are draft regulations; we are not going to legislate them now. The Bill will give us the power to create secondary…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillMy Lords, I again thank my noble friend Lord Beamish for bringing his experience and knowledge of many years. As he says, we have known each other for a long time, and I…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillI agree with that. Let us be clear that the service complaints system remains in place; it is the Service Complaints Ombudsman’s responsibilities that are being transferred into…19 Mar 2025HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner BillPerhaps I may start by welcoming everybody to the Committee, and I look forward to the consideration of the Bill. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, for the way in which she…19 Mar 2025