Session 2010 - 12
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Other Bills before Parliament

2353

House of Commons

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Committee of the whole House

Armed Forces Bill

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Note

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Armed Forces Bill

(Programme) (No. 2) Motion to be proposed by Secretary Liam Fox.

New Clauses and Amendments relating to Call Out of Reserve Forces

Call out of reserve forces

Secretary Liam Fox

NC12

To move the following Clause:—

‘In section 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 (call out for certain operations),

after subsection (1) insert—

“(1A)

Where—

(a)	work is approved in accordance with instructions issued by the

Defence Council under the Defence (Armed Forces) Regulations

1939 as being urgent work of national importance, and

(b)	the Defence Council have by order under those Regulations

authorised members of any forces to be temporarily employed in

such work,

the Secretary of State may make an order authorising the calling out of

members of a reserve force for the purposes of carrying out such work.”’.

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2354

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Secretary Liam Fox

14

Clause  31,  page  29,  line  3,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

Section [Call out of reserve forces] comes into force at the end of the period of

two months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.’.

Secretary Liam Fox

15

Title,  line  4,  after ‘Naval Medical Compassionate Fund Act 1915;’ insert ‘to make

provision about the call out of reserve forces;’.

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Jeremy Corbyn

Mrs Linda Riordan

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

2

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  5,  leave out ‘Secretary of State’ and insert ‘Minister for

Former Armed Services Personnel’.

Gemma Doyle

Mr Kevan Jones

16

Clause  2,  page  2,  leave out lines 8 to 12 and insert—

‘The armed forces covenant report shall cover the following fields as they apply

to service people—

(a)	education;

(b)	accommodation;

(c)	healthcare;

(d)	mental healthcare;

(e)	pensions and benefits;

(f)	employment and training;

(g)	support for reservists and their employers;

(h)	the running of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme;

(i)	progress on Armed Forces rehabilitation services; and

(j)	such other fields as the External Reference Group may determine.’.

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2355

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Jeremy Corbyn

Mrs Linda Riordan

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

3

Clause  2,  page  2,  leave out line 11 and insert ‘including—

(a)	the operation of section 359C (Former Armed Services Personnel Rights

Charter),

(aa)	the operation of section 359D (Former Armed Services Personnel

Support Officers),

(ab)	the operation of section 359E (Financial Support for Former Armed

Services Personnel Welfare Groups),

(ac)	the operation of section 359F (Former Armed Services Personnel Policy

Forum),

(ad)	the effect of the following issues upon service people—

(i)	welfare benefits;

(ii)

housing;

(iii)

healthcare;

(iv)	education, including educational courses and training;

(v)	employment advice;

(vi)	budgetary and life skills;

(vii)

debt management;

(viii)

alcohol and drug treatment;

(ix)	relationship skills/domestic violence courses for perpetrators and

victims; and’.

Gemma Doyle

Mr Kevan Jones

17

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  11,  after ‘housing’, insert—

‘(aa)

in the operation of inquests’.

Secretary Liam Fox

11

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(2A)

In preparing an armed forces covenant report the Secretary of State must have

regard in particular to—

(a)	the unique obligations of, and sacrifices made by, the armed forces;

(b)	the principle that it is desirable to remove disadvantages arising for

service people from membership, or former membership, of the armed

forces; and

(c)	the principle that special provision for service people may be justified by

the effects on such people of membership, or former membership, of the

armed forces.’.

Secretary Liam Fox

12

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(2B)

An armed forces covenant report must state whether, in the Secretary of State’s

opinion, any effects covered by the report are such that service people or

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2356

Armed Forces Bill, continued

particular descriptions of service people are at a disadvantage as regards the field

or fields in question, when compared with other persons or such descriptions of

other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(2C)	Where the Secretary of State’s opinion is that service people or particular

descriptions of service people are at a disadvantage as mentioned in subsection

(2B), the report must set out the Secretary of State’s response to that.’.

Secretary Liam Fox

13

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(2D)

As regards effects covered by an armed forces covenant report—

(a)	the Secretary of State must consider whether the making of special

provision for service people or particular descriptions of service people

would be justified; and

(b)	where the Secretary of State considers that such provision would be

justified, the report must contain a reference to that fact.’.

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Jeremy Corbyn

Mrs Linda Riordan

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

4

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(2A)

The report shall include expert recommendations on improving the welfare of

former armed services personnel.

(2B)	Expert recommendations shall include a timeframe in which these

recommendations should be implemented.

(2C)	If the Secretary of State will not implement any of the expert recommendations

as directed then he shall lay a report before Parliament explaining why they have

not been implemented, within 40 days of the laying of the armed forces covenant

report.’.

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2357

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Remaining New Clauses

Closure or realignment of Armed Forces bases

Thomas Docherty

Ian Mearns

Karl Turner

Tom Blenkinsop

Lindsay Roy

Gordon Banks

Tom Greatrex

John Cryer

Steve Rotheram

Grahame M. Morris

NC1

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	Prior to commencing a programme of closure or realignment of Armed Forces

bases the Secretary of State must—

(a)	prepare a base closure report;

(b)	lay a copy of the report before Parliament.

(2)	The Secretary of State may not proceed with any realignment or closure of armed

forces bases without the approval of both Houses of Parliament.

(3)	In this section a “base closure report” is the recommendation of the Ministry of

Defence for the future Armed Forces basing requirements of the United Kingdom

and British Overseas Territories including the criteria used when reaching its

recommendations and the priority given to each criterion.

(4)	In this section an “Armed Forces base” is a base or series of installations

consisting of facilities necessary for the support of the British Army, Royal Navy

or Royal Air Force including security, communications, utilities, plants and

systems, or property for which the Armed Forces have responsibility.

(5)	In this section “realignment” means any action that alters the function of a base

or any action for the purpose of transitioning the base to serve another branch of

the Armed Forces.’.

Minister for Former Armed Services Personnel

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Jeremy Corbyn

Mrs Linda Riordan

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

NC2

To move the following Clause:—

‘After section 359A of Armed Forces Act 2006, insert—

“359B

Minister for Former Armed Services Personnel

(1)	A Minister shall be appointed within the Cabinet Office who shall be

known as the Minister for Former Armed Services Personnel.

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2358

Armed Forces Bill, continued

(2)	The roles and responsibility of the Minister shall be set out by the

Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office by order and shall include—

(a)	Laying the Annual Armed Forces Covenant Report, in

conjunction with the Secretary of State for Defence.

(b)	Conducting such activities as shall be seen to be positive for the

well-being of former armed services personnel.

(c)	Conducting detailed and independently verifiable research to

establish a baseline on which future progress can be measured.

(3)	The Minister for Former Armed Services Personnel shall be appointed

within three months of Royal Assent to the Armed Forces Act 2011.”.’.

Former Armed Services Personnel Rights Charter

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Jeremy Corbyn

Mrs Linda Riordan

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

NC3

To move the following Clause:—

‘After section 359B of Armed Forces Act 2006, insert—

“359C

Former Armed Services Personnel Rights Charter

(1)	A Former Armed Services Personnel Rights Charter shall be published,

indicating the rights to assistance that former armed services personnel

shall expect.

(2)	The Former Armed Services Personnel Rights Charter shall be made by

a Minister of the Crown by order made by statutory instrument and

include—

(a)	the requirement to undergo a psychological assessment

immediately prior to leaving the armed forces,

(b)	the requirement of a resettlement assessment, conducted

approximately six months prior to the expected date of

discharge,

(c)	the requirement of access to advice from relevant voluntary

organisations, approximately three to four months prior to the

expected date of discharge, regarding the following possible

needs—

(i)

welfare;

(ii)

housing;

(iii)

educational course and training;

(iv)	employment advice;

(v)	budgetary and life skills;

(vi)	debt management;

(vii)

alcohol and drug treatment; and

(viii)

relationship skills/domestic violence courses.

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2359

Armed Forces Bill, continued

(d)	the requirement of back up support and advice, provided in

person, by telephone and other reasonable means, to all former

armed services personnel at any point within the first six months

following discharge,

(e)	the requirement of tailored support for former armed services

personnel in the criminal justice system,

(f)	any other relevant assistance considered necessary by the

Minister in pursuit of the improvements in former armed

services personnel welfare.

(3)	The Former Armed Services Personnel Rights Charter shall be published

following consultation with relevant stakeholders.

(4)	“Relevant stakeholders” includes members of veterans’ support

agencies.

(5)	The Former Armed Services Personnel Rights Charter shall be

introduced within one year of Royal Assent to the Armed Forces Act

2011.

(6)	The operation of the Former Armed Services Personnel Rights Charter

shall be reported upon in the Armed Forces Covenant Report.”.’.

Former armed services personnel support officers

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Jeremy Corbyn

Mrs Linda Riordan

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

NC4

To move the following Clause:—

‘After section 359C of Armed Forces Act 2006, insert—

“359D

Former Armed Services Personnel Support Officers

(1)	A former armed services personnel support officer post shall be

appointed in each prison and probation service in England and Wales.

(2)	The role of the former armed services personnel support officer shall be

to ensure continuation of support in the criminal justice system.

(3)	Former armed services personnel support officers shall be appointed

within one year of Royal Assent to the Armed Forces Act 2011.

(4)	The operation of the former armed services personnel support officers

shall be reported upon in the Armed Forces Covenant Report.”.’.

© Parliamentary copyright	Revised 14 June 2011