Session 2010 - 12
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Other Bills before Parliament

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2360

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Financial support for former armed services personnel welfare groups

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Jeremy Corbyn

Mrs Linda Riordan

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

NC5

To move the following Clause:—

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

“359E

Financial Support for Former Armed Services Personnel Welfare

Groups

(1)	Financial support shall be provided for former armed services personnel

welfare groups in each financial year to provided assistance to former

armed services personnel.

(2)	Former armed services personnel welfare groups eligible for such

financial support shall be those approved by the Minister.

(3)	The criterion for such eligibility shall be published by the Minister

following an independent scoping study into the needs of former armed

services personnel and the services currently available which will

provide a baseline for future progress.

(4)	The independent scoping study shall be published not later than one year

after the Royal Assent to the Armed Forces Act 2011.

(5)	The operation of the Financial Support for Armed Services Personnel

Welfare Groups shall be reported upon in the Armed Forces Covenant

Report.”.’.

Former Armed Services Personnel Policy Forum

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Jeremy Corbyn

Mrs Linda Riordan

Hywel Williams

Jonathan Edwards

John McDonnell

NC6

To move the following Clause:—

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

“359F

Former Armed Services Personnel Policy Forum

(1)	A Former Armed Services Personnel Policy Forum shall be created to

ensure best practice in the treatment and discussion of veterans’ welfare

issues.

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

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Armed Forces Bill, continued

(2)	The Former Armed Services Personnel Policy Forum shall have

membership comprising representatives of the statutory, private and

voluntary sector.

(3)	The chair and members of the Former Armed Services Personnel Policy

forum shall be appointed by the Secretary of State following consultation

with relevant stakeholders and shall include a government representative.

(4)	The criterion for membership and responsibilities of the veterans’ policy

forum shall be determined by the Secretary of State following

consultation with relevant stakeholders.

(5)	“Relevant stakeholders” shall include Ministers in devolved legislatures

and veterans’ support agencies.

(6)	The Former Armed Services Personnel Policy Forum shall report from

time to time to the relevant authority.

(7)	“Relevant authority” means Ministers reponsible for the implementation

of policies relating to veterans’ welfare, including Ministers in devolved

administrations.

(8)	The Former Armed Services Personnel Rights’ Policy Forum shall be

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

2011.

(9)	The operation of the Former Armed Services Personnel Policy Forum

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

Voluntary discharge of under-18’s

Dr Julian Huppert

Tessa Munt

NC7

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52) is amended as follows.

(2)	In section 329 (Terms and conditions of enlistment and service), after subsection

(3) there is inserted—

“(3A)

The regulations shall make provision that any person under the age of 18

shall be entitled to end their service with a regular force by giving not less

than 14 days’ notice in writing to their commanding officer, and shall

ensure that any person enlisting under the age of 18 is informed of this

right when they enlist.”’.

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2362

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Enlistment of minors

John McDonnell

NC11

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Armed Forces Act 2006 is amended as follows.

(2)	In section 328(2)(c) (Enlistment) the words “without the consent of prescribed

persons” are omitted.’.

Armed Forces Advocates

Gemma Doyle

Mr Kevan Jones

NC13

To move the following Clause:—

‘After section 359 of AFA 2006 insert—

“359B

Armed Forces Advocates

(1)	The existing network of Armed Forces Advocates will be extended

through the nomination of supporting advocates at regional and local

level to ensure that local authorities work together to identify and resolve

issues in local policy or the delivery of services that may affect service

people.

(2)	In this section “Armed Forces Advocate” means public servant

nominated to monitor and resolve policy or legislative issues that arise

for service people.”.’.

Duties of ombudsmen and Covenant commitments

Gemma Doyle

Mr Kevan Jones

NC14

To move the following Clause:—

‘After section 359 of AFA 2006 insert—

“359C

Duties of Ombudsmen and Covenant commitments

‘The Parliamentary and Local Government Ombudsmen shall have the

duty to investigate complaints from service personnel that a public body

or local authority has failed to meet the commitments outlined in the ‘The

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2363

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Armed Forces Covenant’ and ‘The Armed Forces Covenant: Today and

Tomorrow’.”.’.

Defence statistics

Angus Robertson

NC15

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Secretary of State for Defence shall publish annual statistics on—

(a)	defence spending by each Government Office Region by—

(i)	equipment expenditure;

(ii)	non-equipment expenditure;

(iii)

service personnel costs;

(iv)	civilian personnel costs; and

(b)	defence spending in each local authority area by—

(i)	equipment expenditure;

(ii)	non-equipment expenditure;

(iii)

service personnel costs;

(iv)	civilian personnel costs.

(2)	The Secretary of State for Defence shall publish annual estimates of national and

regional employment dependent on MoD expenditure and defence exports.’.

UK Defence Base Closure and Realignment Commission

Angus Robertson

NC16

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	An independent UK Defence Base Closure and Realignment Commission shall

be established.

(2)	The Commission shall be comprised of 12 members reflecting the nations and

regions of the United Kingdom.

(3)	The Select Committee on Defence of the House of Commons shall, within a

fortnight of the conclusion of a Strategic Defence and Security Review, propose

the membership of the Commission, giving due weight to—

(a)	the nations and regions of the United Kingdom;

(b)	military and strategic expertise; and

(c)	experience in assessment of economic impacts.

(4)	The proposed membership shall be subject to approval by resolution of both

Houses of Parliament.

(5)	The Commission shall convene following the conclusion of a Strategic Defence

and Security Review to consider a draft force structure plan submitted by the

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2364

Armed Forces Bill, continued

Secretary of State for Defence, and shall arrange for its reports to be laid before

Parliament within six months of the conclusion of such a Review.

(6)	The Commission will make recommendations for base closures and realignments

following consideration of the force structure plan, the economic effects of a

closure or realignment of a military installation and the strategic military presence

across the nations and regions of the United Kingdom.

(7)	The Secretary of State shall lay a draft Order in Council to give effect to the

recommendations of the Commission which shall be brought into effect only if

approved by resolution of both Houses.

(8)	The Secretary of State shall not give effect to the draft structure plan referred to

in subsection (5) until parliamentary proceedings under subsection (7) are

concluded.’.

Duties of public bodies and Ministers

Gemma Doyle

Mr Kevan Jones

NC17

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	In preparing policy, public bodies and Ministers must have regard to those

matters to which the Secretary of State is to have regard in preparing an armed

forces covenant report, under subsection (2A) of section 359A of AFA 2006.

(2)	In preparing policy, public bodies and Ministers must consider whether the

making of special provision for service people or particular descriptions of

service people would be justified.’.

Thomas Docherty

1

Title,  line  2,  after ‘Police’, insert ‘to provide for parliamentary control of proposals to

close or realign bases for the armed forces.’.

Order of the House [10 January 2011]

That the following provisions shall apply to the Armed Forces Bill:

Select Committee

1.	The Bill shall be committed to a Select Committee.

2.	The Select Committee shall report the Bill to the House on or before 10

March 2011.

Committee of the whole House, consideration and Third Reading

3.	On report from the Select Committee the Bill shall be re-committed to a

Committee of the whole House.

4.	Proceedings in Committee of the whole House on re-committal, any

Committee of the whole House: 14 June 2011

2365

Armed Forces Bill, continued

proceedings on consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall be

completed at one day’s sitting.

5.	Proceedings in Committee of the whole House and any proceedings on

consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the day on which

those proceedings are commenced.

6.	Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion one hour after the commencement of those

proceedings or at the moment of interruption on that day, whichever is the

earlier.

7.	Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to

proceedings in Committee of the whole House and on consideration and

Third Reading.

Other proceedings

8.	Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on

consideration of Lords Amendments or on any further messages from the

Lords) may be programmed.

Armed Forces Bill (Programme) (No. 2)

That the Order of 10 January 2011 (Armed Forces Bill (Programme)) be varied as

follows—

1.	Paragraphs 4 to 6 of the Order shall be omitted.

2.	Proceedings in Committee of the whole House, any proceedings on

consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall be taken in two days

in accordance with the following provisions.

Committee of the whole House

3.	Proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall be taken on the first day

and shall be taken in the following order: new Clauses and amendments

relating to call out of reserve forces; Clauses 1 to 14; Schedule 1; Clauses 15

to 26; Schedule 2; Clauses 27 and 28; Schedule 3; Clause 29; Schedules 4 and

5; Clauses 30 to 33; remaining new Clauses; new Schedules; remaining

proceedings on the Bill.

4.	The proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

conclusion at the moment of interruption on the first day.

Consideration and Third Reading

5.	Any proceedings on Consideration and proceedings on Third Reading shall

be taken on the second day.

6.	Any proceedings on Consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded)

be brought to a conclusion two hours before the moment of interruption on

the second day.

7.	Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion two hours after the commencement of those

proceedings or at the moment of interruption on the second day, whichever is

the earlier.

© Parliamentary copyright	Revised 14 June 2011