Armed Forces Bill

I shall not detain the House. I, too, welcome the fact that the amendment has been agreed in the other place and comes before us. It is right that the commanding officer should be in the loop, as the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth) put it. The amendment is better than the original form of the Bill and better than the status quo. It is essential for public confidence that the commanding officer ought not to have a veto on a prosecution, but it is entirely right that he should be involved and kept in the loop, so the amendment is welcome. I agree with the hon. Gentleman about the benefits of having people with a great deal of experience in the second Chamber of this Parliament, although nothing would prevent such people from standing for election if we moved to an elected Chamber.