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3

 

House of Commons

 
 

Tuesday 15 February 2011

 

Select Committee Proceedings

 

Armed Forces Bill


 

[eighth and Ninth Sittings]


 

Gemma Doyle

 

Negatived on division  3

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  leave out lines 11 and 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)    

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

 

Mark Lancaster

 

Not called  1

 

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

 

‘(2A)    

The armed forces covenant report must also include analysis of the effects of

 

membership, or former membership, of the reserve forces in such fields as the

 

Secretary of State may determine.’.

 

Gemma Doyle

 

Negatived on division  4

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  42,  leave out ‘Secretary of State’ and insert ‘External

 

Reference Group’.

 

Gemma Doyle

 

Not called  5

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  44,  at end add—

 

‘(7)    

In this section “External Reference Group” shall mean an independently chaired

 

body of interested parties, appointed by the Cabinet Office, who represent the

 

armed forces, families, veterans and reservists community, to monitor progress

 

and hold departments to account in the delivery of government obligations arising


 
 

Select Committee Proceedings: 15 February 2011            

4

 

Armed Forces Bill, continued

 
 

from the Armed Forces Covenant. The External Reference Group will continue

 

to produce a publicly available Annual Report on the Military Covenant.’.

 

Mr Kevan Jones

 

Gemma Doyle

 

Negatived on division  6

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  44,  at end add—

 

‘(7)    

The Secretary of State must by Order through Statutory Instrument establish a

 

written Military Covenant (henceforth referred to as “the Covenant”) which sets

 

out the definition of the word “covenant”, used in Clause 2, line 6 of the Armed

 

Forces Bill. The definition would set out the principles against which the annual

 

armed forces covenant report would be judged. No Order establishing the

 

definition of the term “covenant” shall be made unless a draft of the Order,

 

prepared after public consultation, has been laid before and approved by a

 

resolution of both Houses of Parliament. An Order to review the definition of the

 

term “covenant” would be made every five years and would not be passed unless

 

a draft of the Order, prepared after public consultation, has been laid before and

 

approved by a resolution of both Houses of Parliament.

 

(8)    

In this section “public bodies” means—

 

(a)    

United Kingdom government departments;

 

(b)    

local authorities; and

 

(c)    

National Health Service trusts.’.

 

Mr Kevan Jones

 

Gemma Doyle

 

Negatived on division  7

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  44,  at end add—

 

‘(7)    

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.

 

(8)    

In this section “Armed Forces Advocate” means a civil servant nominated to

 

resolve policy or legislative issues that may affect service people.’.

 

Mr Kevan Jones

 

Gemma Doyle

 

Negatived on division  8

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  44,  at end add—

 

‘(7)    

The Parliamentary and Local Government Ombudsman 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 Covenant.’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 

Clauses 3 to 23 Agreed to.

 



 
 

Select Committee Proceedings: 15 February 2011            

5

 

Armed Forces Bill, continued

 
 

Bob Russell

 

By leave withdrawn  9

 

Clause  24,  page  27,  line  18,  at end insert—

 

‘(c)    

consult with stakeholders responsible for the enforcement of such bye-

 

laws, including the Ministry of Defence Police.’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 

Clauses 25 to 33 Agreed to.

 

Schedules 1 to 5 Agreed to.

 

[Adjourned until Thursday at 10.00 am


 
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