Session 2010 - 12
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Notices of Amendments: 10 June 2011

2345

Armed Forces Bill, continued

(11)	The Military Covenant Panel shall have the duty of—

(a)	publishing an annual report (the “Military Covenant Panel Report”) on

the way which the Secretary of State has implemented the Military

Convenant; and

(b)	the duties or functions conferred upon it by other provisions of this Act

or any other enactment.

(12)	The Military Covenant Panel may, in the performance of its duties, seek

information from or give advice to any body or person.

(13)	The Secretary of State shall lay the Military Covenant Panel Report before

Parliament annually.

(14)	The Military Covenant Panel Report shall be published separately from the

Military Covenant Report to be reported by the Secretary of State under the duty

under subsection (8) (“Military Covenant Report”) of this Act.

(15)	The Secretary of State has a duty to issue guidance (“the Principles of the Military

Covenant and the Government’s ambitions”) outlining and reviewing detailed

principles of the Military Covenant and the aspirations of Her Majesty’s

Government relating to the Military Covenant at least once every five years.

(16)	The first “Principles of the Military Covenant and the Government’s ambitions”

guidance should be published by 1 November 2011.’.

Mr Philip Hollobone

Mr Alan Meale

Mr Peter Bone

Gordon Henderson

Mr David Nuttall

Mr Douglas Carswell

Mark Reckless

Martin Vickers

Mr Brian Binley

Michael Connarty

Tracey Crouch

Philip Davies

NS1

To move the following Schedule:—

‘The Military Covenant

1	The United Kingdom’s commitment to its Armed Forces is made in

recognition that a career in the Armed Forces differs from all others. The

Military Covenant recognised that Service personnel agree to sacrifice certain

civil liberties and to follow orders, including orders to place themselves in

harm’s way in the defence of others. In return, the United Kingdom shall help,

support and reward people who serve in the Armed Forces.

2	No member of the Armed Forces shall suffer inequalities of outcome arising

from their Service when accessing public services.

3	Members of the Armed Forces should have continuity of access to public

services during their service.’.

Notices of Amendments: 10 June 2011

2346

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Mr Philip Hollobone

Mr Alan Meale

Mr Peter Bone

Gordon Henderson

Mr David Nuttall

Mr Douglas Carswell

Mark Reckless

Martin Vickers

Mr Brian Binley

Michael Connarty

Tracey Crouch

Philip Davies

9

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  7,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

When preparing the report, the Secretary of State shall consult—

(i)	any guidance issued by the Secretary of State on the detailed

principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and Her Majesty’s

Government’s aspirations relating to the Armed Forces

Covenant;

(ii)	representatives of the armed forces;

(iii)

the Royal British Legion;

(iv)	representatives from armed forces charities;

(v)	the Armed Forces Covenant Panel;

(vi)	other interested parties.

(1B)	The first report to be laid under this section shall be laid before both Houses of

Parliament by 1 November 2011.’.

Mr Philip Hollobone

Mr Alan Meale

Mr Peter Bone

Gordon Henderson

Mr David Nuttall

Mr Douglas Carswell

Mark Reckless

Martin Vickers

Mr Brian Binley

Michael Connarty

Tracey Crouch

Philip Davies

10

Clause  2,  page  2,  leave out lines 11 and 12 and insert ‘of the operation of the duties

imposed on public authorities by section 359B (Armed Forces Covenant: duties and

guidance)’.

Mr Philip Hollobone

Mr Alan Meale

Mr Peter Bone

Gordon Henderson

Mr David Nuttall

Mr Douglas Carswell

Mark Reckless

Martin Vickers

Mr Brian Binley

Michael Connarty

Tracey Crouch

Philip Davies

8

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  40,  leave out subsection (6).

Notices of Amendments: 10 June 2011

2347

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Armed Forces Covenant: duties and guidance

Mr Philip Hollobone

Mr Alan Meale

Mr Peter Bone

Gordon Henderson

Mr David Nuttall

Mr Douglas Carswell

Mark Reckless

Martin Vickers

Mr Brian Binley

Michael Connarty

Tracey Crouch

Philip Davies

NC8

To move the following Clause:—

‘After section 359 of AFA 2006 insert—

“359B

Armed Forces Covenant: duties and guidance

(1)	In this Act, the ‘Armed Forces Covenant’ shall have the meaning in

Schedule 15A (The Armed Forces Covenant).

(2)	An authority to which this section applies shall, when making a decision

of a strategic nature about how to exercise its functions, have due regard

to the Armed Forces Covenant.

(3)    

(a)	In deciding how to fulfil a duty to which it is subject under

subsection (2), an authority must take into account any guidance

issued by the Secretary of State.

(b)	In producing any such guidance, the Secretary of State shall

consult such bodies or persons as the Secretary of State considers

appropriate.

(4)	The authorities to which this section applies are—

(a)	a Minister of the Crown;

(b)	a government department;

(c)	a county, metropolitan, city or district council;

(d)	the Greater London Authority;

(e)	a London borough council;

(f)	the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a

local authority;

(g)	the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

(h)	a Strategic Health Authority established under section 13 of the

National Health Service Act 2006, or continued in existence by

virtue of that section;

(i)	a Primary Care Trust established under section 18 of that Act, or

continued in existence by virtue of that section;

(j)	a regional development agency established by the Regional

Development Agencies Act 1998.

(5)	The Secretary of State may by regulation amend subsection (4) so as to—

(a)	add a public authority to the authorities that are subject to the

duty under subsection (2);

(b)	remove an authority from those that are subject to that duty;

(c)	make the duty apply, in the case of a particular authority, only in

relation to certain functions that it has;

Notices of Amendments: 10 June 2011

2348

Armed Forces Bill, continued

(d)	in the case of an authority to which the application of the duty is

already restricted to certain functions, remove or alter the

restriction.

(6)	In subsection (5) ‘public authority’ means an authority that has functions

of a public nature.

(7)	A failure in respect of a performance of a duty under subsection (2) does

not confer a cause of action at private law.

(8)	The Secretary of State has a duty to issue guidance to be known as ‘the

Principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and the Government’s

ambitions’, outlining and reviewing detailed principles of the Armed

Forces Covenant and the aspirations of Her Majesty’s Government

relating to the Armed Forces Covenant at least once every five years.

(9)	The first guidance under subsection (8) shall be published by 1

November 2011.”’.

The Armed Forces Covenant

Mr Philip Hollobone

Mr Alan Meale

Mr Peter Bone

Gordon Henderson

Mr David Nuttall

Mr Douglas Carswell

Mark Reckless

Martin Vickers

Mr Brian Binley

Michael Connarty

Tracey Crouch

Philip Davies

NC9

To move the following Clause:—

‘After Schedule 15 to AFA 2006 insert—

“15A The Armed Forces Covenant

1	The United Kingdom’s commitment to its Armed Forces is made in

recognition that a career in the Armed Forces differs from all others.

The Armed Forces Covenant recognises that service personnel agree

to sacrifice certain civil liberties and to follow orders, including orders

to place themselves in harm’s way in the defence of others. In return,

the United Kingdom shall help, support and reward people who serve

in the Armed Forces.

2	No member of the Armed Forces shall suffer inequalities of outcome

arising from their service when accessing public services.

3	Members of the Armed Forces should have continuity of access to

public services during their service.”.’.

Notices of Amendments: 10 June 2011

2349

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Armed Forces Covenant Panel

Mr Philip Hollobone

Mr Alan Meale

Mr Peter Bone

Gordon Henderson

Mr David Nuttall

Mr Douglas Carswell

Mark Reckless

Martin Vickers

Mr Brian Binley

Michael Connarty

Tracey Crouch

Philip Davies

NC10

To move the following Clause:—

‘After section 359 of AFA 2006 insert—

“359C

Armed Forces Covenant Panel

(1)	The Secretary of State shall appoint persons to form a panel known as the

Armed Forces Covenant Panel.

(2)	In appointing persons to the Armed Forces Covenant Panel, the Secretary

of State shall have regard to the requirement of securing that the Armed

Forces Covenant Panel includes persons who are members or former

members of—

(a)	the armed forces;

(b)	charities representing the armed forces;

(c)	charities assisting the armed forces;

(d)	the body known or formerly known as the External Reference

Group; and

(e)	other interested parties.

(3)	The Armed Forces Covenant Panel shall have—

(a)	the duty of publishing an annual report (the “Armed Forces

Covenant Panel Report”) on the way which the Secretary of State

has implemented the Armed Forces Covenant; and

(b)	the duties or functions conferred upon it by other provisions of

this Act or any other enactment.

(4)	The Armed Forces Covenant Panel may, in the performance of its duties,

seek information from or give advice to any body or person.

(5)	The Secretary of State shall lay the Armed Forces Covenant Panel Report

before Parliament annually.

(6)	The Armed Forces Covenant Panel Report shall be published separately

from the Armed Forces Covenant Report to be prepared by the Secretary

of State under section 359A.”.’.

© Parliamentary copyright	Revised 13 June 2011