Armed Forces Bill

The SNP fully supports the Bill. We appreciate the requirement that Parliament’s consent is given...

Currently, a commanding officer may only require a member of the armed forces, or a civilian subj...

We support clause 2. As the Minister has outlined, it brings into line the legislation that cover...

It is appropriate to enable commanding officers to require testing for drugs and/or alcohol after...

With this it will be convenient to consider clauses 4 and 5.

Clauses 3 to 5 relate to investigations and charging. They make a number of changes to provisions...

Just to clarify, we are debating clauses 3, 4 and 5 together if any Member wants to speak on them...

Thank you, Mr Bone, for clarifying the process. I have put this all together, if the Minister cou...

Because it is coming towards Christmas, we let the hon. Gentleman go back slightly to clause 2. [...

Thank you, Mr Bone. I will aim not to go backwards or forwards.

We support these common sen...

Thank you, Mr Bone, for allowing me to go back, very briefly, to clause 2.

The new powers i...

The clause increases from 12 to 24 months the maximum period for which the sentence of service de...

Again, I think these are sensible proposals that give courts martial the flexibility to award sus...

Thank you, Mr Bone.

For the convenience of the Committee, I shall discuss together clauses ...

I have one quick question for the Minister. He mentioned contacting the devolved Administrations,...

As a member of the Select Committee, let me add that when we looked into these provisions and int...

With the assurance that the Attorney General will be consulted only in very rare cases—I am not s...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman; it is anticipated that the provisions will be used only on very ...

The clause and schedule provide for the Armed Forces Act 2006, as it currently has effect in the ...

I welcome the Minister’s commitment to ensuring that the 2006 Act will come into force in the Isl...

We support clause 13 and the accompanying schedule. It makes sense to extend the Act to the overs...

Let me deal first with the question of Gibraltar. I can tell the hon. Member for Strangford that ...

With this it will be convenient to discuss clause 15 stand part.

3.45 pm

These clauses give MOD firefighters the same powers to act in emergencies as employees of civilia...

May I ask the Minister for clarification? If an MOD firefighter is on a base and sees a farm, say...

I will come to that, but protocols are in place between MOD firefighters and local fire authoriti...

The Minister referred to the legal protections that are provided. Is insurance protection provide...

We appreciate the work of MOD and other firefighters. It is important that we have in mind some o...

Again, this is a practical and sensible measure that closes a loophole that exists at present. Ag...

Simply to answer the question from the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), we will of cours...

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Clause 17 stand part.

Claus...

I am delighted to be able to speak to these amendments today. New clause 1 acknowledges the impor...

We welcome all progress in supporting our military veterans, and we are supportive of this measur...

I do not want to intervene on the substance of this debate, but since this is the last grouping o...

I commend the comments that the Minister has made on this subject. I am keen to see the full impl...

I echo the comments of the hon. Member for Henley (John Howell) about the work of the Chair of th...

The hon. Member for North Durham is right, as he so often is. I am well aware that those people a...

I beg to move, that the clause be read a Second time.

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

New clause 3—Enlistment of minors...

I rise to speak to new clauses 2 and 3, which stand in my name and those of several hon. Members ...

Has the hon. Lady visited the Army Foundation College at Harrogate? If not, may I invite her to d...

I have not visited the college, but I would be delighted to do so. My background is in further ed...

I rise to endorse the status quo. I am sorry that I cannot agree with the new clauses proposed by...

The hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Liz Saville Roberts) spoke eloquently and sincerely, but ...

The hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Liz Saville Roberts) makes her points regarding service p...

The hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Liz Saville Roberts) rightly raises recruitment to the ar...

I am delighted to be joined by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Policing, Crime and Criminal...

I thank everybody who has taken part in the debate. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion.