Contributions
1,811 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Third sitting)I am aware that there are other people in the room who table questions to us. I will choose some adjectives carefully in due course. The point that my hon. Friend the Member for…12 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Third sitting)The hon. Member asks a fair question. We will not put forward anyone who does not pass security vetting; it is important that we place that on the record. This is a significant…12 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Third sitting)I thank the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell for her amendment 5. As with amendment 7, it is good to be able to place on the record our intention for how this process should work.…12 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Third sitting)For Ajax?12 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Third sitting)Last year, service morale fell to its lowest level on record, with only four in 10 of our armed forces personnel reporting being satisfied with service life. They reported that…12 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Third sitting)I thank the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell for moving her amendment. This legislation is a priority for the Government. We want to do this prominently, to provide a clear signal…12 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Fourth sitting)Clause 4 inserts proposed new sections 340IA, 340IB and 340LA into the Armed Forces Act 2006. Taken in order, these new sections enable the commissioner to investigate a general…12 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Fourth sitting)I neglected to respond to the point made by the hon. Member for Spelthorne. If a member of the armed services dies, they are no longer able to access the commissioner because of…12 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you all for all the work that you and your organisations do. One of the bits about this Bill that is a development of where we are currently is the ability for the…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you both for giving evidence. Can I take you back to independence and trust? Legislating for independence is one thing, but building trust in a system is quite different.…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you for that. Secondly, in relation to the ability of armed forces personnel to raise issues, people in civilian roles have greater access to do that. Can you talk us…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (First sitting)Q Good. My final question is about the powers in the Bill about dismissing a commissioner in the event of their being incapacitated or unable to fulfil their job. Could you talk…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (First sitting)Q That is helpful, thank you. Related to the role’s independence is the approach you take to national security. A challenge of a Bill like this is that its powers are deliberately…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you, Mariette, for all the work that you and your team have been doing. As the shadow Minister mentioned, the transition in what SCOAF has been delivering has been quite…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you all for coming to provide us with evidence today. As Devonport’s MP I get lots of copies of Homeport from the Naval Families Federation for my constituency office, so…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (Second sitting)Q I suspect I am about to be interrupted by the Division bell. However, thank you for joining us today. I understand that your organisation works not only with service personnel…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you for allowing me to interrupt, Sir Edward. Wearing the hats from your previous roles, can I ask you to think about the unannounced visits power in the Bill? One of the…10 Dec 2024HANSARDArmed Forces Commissioner Bill (First sitting)Q Brilliant. Secondly, one of the key parts of the legislation is something that we cannot actually legislate for: Parliament picking up the issues when the commissioner reports…10 Dec 2024HANSARDChagos Islands: UK-US Defence RelationshipWe will follow the normal process for treaty ratification, which is that after signature, the treaty will come before this House, with details given to colleagues and with the…02 Dec 2024HANSARDChagos Islands: UK-US Defence RelationshipMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. The continuing operation of Diego Garcia is in the interests of UK and US national security, and this deal secures that operation. I…02 Dec 2024