Armed Forces Bill
01 Jun 2026 · Commons Chamber · 595 speeches · Official record
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Speaker
“(e) in subsection (4), the reference to subsection (1) were to subsections (1) and (2).”- ( Al Carns.) Full speech
The right hon. Member makes a powerful point, and I agree with him entirely. That is why it is so important we make sure that the armed forces covenant works. The covenant will have to do a lot of work and heavy lifting, just as it will in relation to the amendment tabled by the hon. Member for Huntingdon, but we will have the legal power and we will have recourse to those Departments. We hope to hear from Ministers today that they will press home the legal advantage they now have in that regard... Full speech
I thank the hon. and gallant Gentleman for that intervention. The Defence Committee had the good fortune to view some of those counter-drone measures during one of our visits, and I fully concur with his views. The measures on service justice are focused on better supporting victims of serious offences. As the Minister knows, this subject comes up time and again in the Defence Committee’s regular sessions on women in the armed forces, and I am pleased that it is a focus of the Bill. It is only r... Full speech
No, I will make some progress. The advocacy of my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr Bailey) and his support for the armed forces has been remarkable. The Minister for Veterans and People has met Ministers from the Department for Education and the Home Office to discuss both the points that my hon. Friend raised. His support for the covenant, and for ensuring that other Government Departments abide with it, is essential. I assure my hon. Friend the Member for Truro and Falmouth (... Full speech
Speaker
This amendment clarifies the effect of a consequential modification of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Full speech
I remind Members that in Committee, Members should not address the Chair as “Deputy Speaker”. Please use our names when addressing the Chair. “Madam Chair”, “Chair” or “Madam Chairman” are also acceptable. Clause 1 Duration of Armed Forces Act 2006 Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 37. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. This amendment is also consequential on Amendment 30. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 54. Full speech
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(c) in relation to Northern Ireland, has the same meaning as in Part 12 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/1220 (N.I. 11)); Full speech
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(a) section 3 and Schedule 1, so far as they insert Part 5 of Schedule 11A to AFA 2006; Full speech
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“civilian subject to service discipline” (see section 370 of that Act); Full speech
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(10) Paragraph 11(3) applies as if ‘in the prescribed form’ were omitted. Full speech
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(a) the information to be given so as to explain the similarities and differences between- Full speech
There is much in the Bill that deserves support. It renews the statutory basis for our armed forces, extends the armed forces covenant duty, introduces a defence housing service and reforms certain aspects of the service justice system. Those are genuine steps forward, and we acknowledge them as such. However, good intentions are not the same as good outcomes, and our amendments seek to close the gap between the two. Let me begin with the question of people-specifically, how we recruit them, ret... Full speech
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(2) In section 101 (The standard of MOD accommodation), after “service family accommodation”, in each place it occurs, insert “and single living accommodation”. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 57. Full speech
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This amendment removes an unnecessary entry from the list of “relevant offences” for the purposes of the new powers relating to drones etc under clause 4 of the Bill. Full speech
Having addressed our amendments towards the opening of the debate, I will now speak to the new clauses. New clause 3 would create a veterans’ commissioner for England. My hon. Friend the Member for South Northamptonshire (Sarah Bool) made a good case for doing so during the Select Committee on the Bill, and did so again this afternoon. She received cross-party support-certainly in principle-from the hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur), who made an extremely thoughtful contribution. ... Full speech
I agree that we must work together on these important issues. We cannot hope to strengthen our recruitment, retention and national readiness if the accommodation is unacceptable. The Bill delivers a landmark programme of investment to build, renew and repair military homes and put forces families first. The Tory privatisation of military housing cost taxpayers billions, while leaving many service personnel and their families in accommodation that simply was not good enough. I also welcome amendm... Full speech
As a matter of fact, that is not how I interpret what the NAO said-not at all. Full speech
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(a) it appears to be of a person who was the subject of the request to which the offence relates (whether or not it is what was requested), and Full speech
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(3) The Court Martial or the Service Civilian Court- Full speech
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This amendment reflects amendments of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 made by the Crime and Policing Act 2026. Full speech
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(c) data stored by any means which is capable of conversion into a photograph, film or image within paragraph (a).” Full speech
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“(1) After section 232G of AFA 2006 insert- Full speech
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(a) in the case of a physical item, it is destroyed; Full speech
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“(1) The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 is amended as follows.” Full speech
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(a) the council which proposes to acquire land otherwise than by agreement, and Full speech
It is extremely sad that the hon. Gentleman is seeking to conflate two completely different issues, and I suspect that anyone who actually served on Operation Telic would understand that. Having made that point, let me turn to the Opposition’s new clause 2, which would require the Secretary of State for Defence to lay a defence investment plan before Parliament within a month of the passage of this Act, if it had still not been published by then, which, for reasons I will come to in a minute, is... Full speech
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“civilian subject to service discipline” (see section 370 of that Act); Full speech
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(d) section 66B (sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film); Full speech
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“(A1) In section 50 of AFA 2006 (jurisdiction of the Court Martial), in subsection (2), after paragraph (b) insert- Full speech
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“the defendant is subject to service law or a civilian subject to service discipline and”. Full speech
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(5) After Article 7A of the Protection from Harassment (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/1180 (N.I. 9)) insert- Full speech
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This amendment clarifies that the Defence Housing Service will be treated in the same way as a Crown body in respect of its holding of any property that is to be treated as Crown property. Full speech
I do not disagree. I recognise the point that the hon. and gallant Gentleman is making and his passion for delivering what he describes. I am a member of said all-party parliamentary group, and I am happy to push in order to try and get this across the line. I also recognise the politics of this. Although I am not sure his party will welcome him apparently somewhat throwing the Home Office under the bus in this instance, I recognise that there are complexities around the ability to deliver from ... Full speech
It is a privilege to speak in support of the Bill and the Government amendments tabled today, which improve housing, strengthen protections for serving personnel and their families, and ensure that our armed forces are prepared for the challenges of an increasingly uncertain world. Much of this debate rightly focuses on structures, powers and processes, but the strength of our armed forces ultimately comes down to the brave men and women who choose to serve our country, and the families who supp... Full speech
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“civilian subject to service discipline” (see section 370 of that Act); Full speech
It was an honour to serve on the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill and to help deliver on our general election promise to extend the armed forces covenant to every area of Government, to better support armed forces personnel and veterans. I was delighted to be joined on the Committee by so many veterans with experience, particularly the Minister for the Armed Forces, the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), my hon. Friends the Members for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) ... Full speech
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This amendment leaves out an unnecessary consequential amendment of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Full speech
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(b) section 198 (use and development of land for open spaces); Full speech
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“(4A) Property held by the Defence Housing Service for defence purposes (as defined by section 343E(8)) is to be treated as if it were property of the Crown.” Full speech
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(b) in sub-paragraph (2), for the words from ‘clerk’ to ‘directs,’ there were substituted ‘Secretary of State as correct, and publish’. Full speech
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(c) section 66AE (creating a copy of intimate photograph or film shared temporarily); Full speech
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(b) in relation to Scotland, have the same meanings as in the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (see section 277(1) of that Act); Full speech
One area that will blight the lives of many of my right hon. Friend’s constituents as it does mine is, of course, primary care dentistry. People can move from one end of the country to another into a dental desert-Wiltshire is one of those. Does he think that there is a case for putting a duty on integrated care boards to translate people’s position with an NHS dentist-where they are lucky enough to find one-to their new area? I am thinking particularly of Wiltshire and the shortage of places, e... Full speech
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(3) Paragraph 5(2) does not apply in relation to the taking of administrative action in connection with an alternative to prosecution that has become spent or any ancillary circumstances. Full speech
Thank you, Mrs Cummins, for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. As an MP who represents the west coast of Scotland-a large part of my seat is on the River Clyde-I felt it was important to contribute to this debate. In my constituency, there are quite a number of serving and retired servicemembers, and we have many families who settled in the constituency to work in the war effort during the second world war. It is a constituency with strong connections to the armed forces, and the veter... Full speech
As we are talking about services and access, figures show that fewer than 31% of female serving personnel register as veterans, which makes it much more difficult for them to access services, particularly if they have faced problems such as violence or bullying in the armed forces. Does the hon. Member think that more needs to be done to encourage female veterans to come forward? Full speech
As the hon. Member will know, there is a multitude of different reserves in the system, with different liabilities, different pay and different pensions. Indeed, I have often described it as a spaghetti junction of different policies that have been layered on top of each other over the last 60 years. This is the first move to simplify that, as well as the funding mechanisms and recall processes for it. By removing the 18-year liability, we simplify it at 65 years, which creates our ability to zi... Full speech
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(a) section 3 and Schedule 1, so far as they insert Parts 6 and 7 of Schedule 11A to AFA 2006; Full speech
I understand exactly what the right hon. and gallant Member is saying, but failures in the civilian justice system-which, as he rightly observes, has a big backlog of cases-should not be a reason for reducing people’s confidence about coming forward with complaints. We know from the continuous attitude survey, to which he has referred, that the main reasons given by personnel for not making a written, formal complaint continue to be not believing that anything will be done with the complaint, an... Full speech
We will provide an update on progress once we have spoken to the Home Office and when the Bill comes back to the House. My hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi), who makes fantastic efforts with the Defence Committee, highlighted the binding commitment across Whitehall Departments that the covenant will be expanded from three to 12 different policy areas. That is a fantastic move for the armed forces community, and it places a duty of care on Government to consider the armed forces in alm... Full speech
I rise to speak to amendments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and new clauses 1, 2, 3 and 6, which appear in my name and those of my hon. Friends. I will say a little about each amendment and new clause in turn. I will also refer to new clause 5, which appears in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty), and say at least a little about the multiplicity of Government amendments that have just been tabled, in particular Government amendment 54 on the proposed Crown immunity for ... Full speech
Absolutely. The suicide rate among young men in this country is already high, and the numbers relating to people discharged from the armed forces are deeply troubling. We have passed motions, published strategies and made commitments, but we have not created proper, sustained oversight. As my hon. Friend mentions, a veterans’ mental health oversight officer with a statutory remit to monitor provision, assess compliance with covenant duties and report annually to Parliament would begin that chang... Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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(ii) the reference to the court which made the order were to any sheriff court. Full speech
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(i) ‘in the prescribed form and manner’ were omitted; Full speech
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(a) “superior officer” has the same meaning as in the Armed Forces Act 2006 (see section 374 of that Act, read together with section 377(3) of that Act); Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendments 38 and 39. Full speech
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(b) in a case falling within section 234A(1)(b) or (c), if the service restraining order was made on acquittal of the person for an offence. Full speech
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This amendment requires the Secretary of State to consult the Lord Advocate, as head of the systems of criminal prosecution and investigation of deaths in Scotland, before issuing guidance about the information to be given to victims of alleged offences triable in either a service court or a civilian court. Full speech
I apologise for interrupting the flow of my hon. Friend’s speech. Linked to her point about the armed forces covenant, she may be aware that one way in which the United States supports its military personnel is through encouraging membership of the world’s biggest credit union, Navy Federal. As she will know, we have military credit unions here in the UK, but more could be done to raise awareness among military personnel of the benefits of helping recruits to manage their finances both during mi... Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendments 38 and 39. Full speech
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(6) Paragraph 6(2) applies as if, for the words from ‘fund out of which’ to the end, there were substituted ‘funds of the Defence Housing Service (in this Schedule “the compensation fund”) and discharged by payments made by the Defence Housing Service’. Full speech
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(b) a copy of a photograph, film or image within paragraph (a), and Full speech
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44 The enactments for the time being in force relating to the assessment of compensation in respect of land vested in a district council by an order made under Schedule 6 to the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 apply, subject to any necessary modifications, in relation to land vested in the Defence Housing Service by an order under section 343H(1A) of this Act. Full speech
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(2) “Photograph” includes the negative as well as the positive version. Full speech
On that point, will the Minister give way? Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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Bill, not amended in the Select Committee, c onsidered in Committee Full speech
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[Relevant documents: First special report of the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill of Session 2024-26, Armed Forces Bill 2026, HC 1712, and the Government response, Session 2026-27, HCWS41 .] Full speech
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I will move on to reserves. Amendments 38 and 39 will remove the 18-year recall liability for other ranks to simplify and unify the liability for all service at 65 years. This change is significant as it aligns us with our NATO partners: Germany and Finland both have similar liabilities, while France has just announced a similar increase to age 70. Aligning policy with NATO partners ensures effective co-operation, strengthens our collective defence and improves joint response to shared threats. Full speech
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Further simplifying the reserve liability is fundamental. It enables us to create a clear and modern framework that is easier to administer and explain, and it will enable the Ministry of Defence to plan more effectively for workforce requirements and defence readiness. The amendments will also ensure greater compatibility with a new workforce model-zig-zag careers, as we are calling it-provided for by clause 31. We want to encourage a much more flexible working approach that mirrors civilian so... Full speech
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Specifically, if this amendment is to grant Crown immunity to the defence housing service, which is what the wording implies, how would that affect the ability of armed forces families to raise complaints about the standards of their accommodation? The Minister will recall that we spent a lot of time in Committee debating the future operation of the defence housing service, and he stressed on several occasions his wish to raise standards. We took him at his word, so perhaps he could reassure the... Full speech
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I shall turn now to our own amendments. Amendment 1 relates to those people who might be eligible to be called up as reserves but who also perform work that is vital to defence in their civilian employment. During the second world war, people in such a situation were generally referred to as working in reserved occupations. The essence of this amendment is that the Secretary of State should be able to define, via regulations, certain categories of civilian work that would be classed as reserved ... Full speech
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Our amendments 2 and 3 refer to service personnel with children who have special educational needs, and to the related matter of service personnel who wish to foster or adopt children. Both amendments are based on one of the two key principles of the armed forces covenant-namely, that those in the armed forces and their families should suffer no disadvantage as a result of their decision to serve their country, relative to those in the civilian community. Full speech
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As hon. Members across the House will no doubt know from their own constituency casework, it is sometimes quite difficult for parents of children with special educational needs to achieve an education, health and care plan. The length of time taken to complete the process can vary considerably between different local authority areas, but times of between one and two years are by no means unusual. Let us take as an example some service parents who were based in Tidworth and who had managed to ach... Full speech
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Anecdotally, some service parents have left the armed forces in order to protect the EHCP for their child rather than risk the delay that might be incurred by having to go round the loop all over again if they were transferred for operational or other reasons. In short, they put their children before their service, and I think anyone can understand why, morally, they might make that choice. Full speech
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The essence of amendment 6 is to speed up the potential mobilisation of group A reserves from readiness level R9, which is 180 days, to readiness level R8, which is 90 days. Again, we debated this in the Select Committee, where I was keen to point out to the Minister that this suggestion came from the shop floor, as it were, having been put to me by a number of serving reserve officers-no names and no pack drill, in order to prevent any career damage. They were very clear that they would like th... Full speech
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I recall the Minister giving an undertaking to the Select Committee that he would take the suggestion away and look at it in more detail, in consultation with officials in his Department. We were therefore cautiously optimistic that that might lead to some change in the Government’s position. I heard what the Minister just said, but we have re-tabled this amendment to give him an opportunity to report back to the House on the fruit of those discussions. Given the strong hint that he dropped in C... Full speech
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I thank the Committee for its indulgence; I will sit down now to facilitate other contributions, not least on education, health and care plans. By your leave, Madam Chairman, I might want to speak again towards the end, when we have heard the debate, particularly on the new clauses. For the moment, though, I will rest there. Full speech
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Let me turn to veterans’ support. The move from military to civilian life is a difficult passage for some, and it should not be made harder by administrative failure. New clause 11 would ensure that personnel leaving service receive a complete copy of their medical records within one month of discharge, with the option for direct transfer to civilian health providers. That reflects a basic duty of care, and it really should not be complex. For someone leaving with physical injuries, trauma or a ... Full speech
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New clause 12 would address something that we have discussed in this House for many years without sufficient action: veterans’ mental health. Full speech
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There are 8,000 personnel from Commonwealth and overseas nations serving in the UK armed forces-more than one in 20 of all trained regulars-and 1,008 veterans in England and Wales were born outside the UK, including me, yet the immigration system that servicepeople face remains stressful, costly and unfair. I will continue to press for a more comprehensive approach, including automatic enrolment for those who have served in our armed forces. That would remove not only the financial cost but the ... Full speech
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Even with the proposed removal of fees for dependants, the current Home Office approach to non-UK personnel remains inconsistent with the principles of the armed forces covenant, which is why I do not support new clause 5. It is the covenant that should do that work. The reality of military life makes navigating a complex and bureaucratic application process especially difficult. From the work of the APPG on the armed forces community, it is clear that there is cross-party support for the automa... Full speech
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Again, I welcome the Home Office’s meaningful engagement with the APPG on this issue. This is first and foremost a Home Office responsibility, and it must consider how best to implement the covenant, which extends to its work. Although the policy that new clause 5 seeks to address needs to be changed as soon as possible, the new clause is premature. However, I hope that the Ministry of Defence will continue to press the Home Office to move further and faster. Full speech
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I turn briefly to new clause 2, which is about the laying of the defence investment plan. Full speech
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Clause 30 deals with the Armed Forces Commissioner. It is worthwhile remembering why we have one: there was pressure to have some sort of representation of serving people, which was wisely resisted by the Government, and the Armed Forces Commissioner was a sort of compromise. The commissioner is there to recognise the fact that the men and women of our armed forces do not have trade union representation. That is its purpose. Although the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is very close to my heart-my grandfa... Full speech
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What about other organisations, including civilian organisations, that work very closely with our armed forces and can deploy with them, such as the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes? An argument could be made for them to be covered as well. It would be interesting to hear whether the Minister has any plans for that-maybe not in this measure, but in future-because that is the logic of that particular extension of the role of the Armed Forces Commissioner. Full speech
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I thoroughly approve of removing the artificial barrier between the reserves and the regulars-I speak as a reservist and as somebody who perhaps in the past might have had a greater interest in that than I do now. The Haythornthwaite review of armed forces incentivisation is made flesh by the some of the measures in the Bill, in particular zig-zag careers and the ability to move from one part of defence to another and back again. It is complete madness that people have to leave, going through th... Full speech
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In the Bill, there is a clear distinction between commissioned and non-commissioned. I sometimes think we get too wrapped up in all that, when simplicity is usually the best course of action. It would be good to hear from the Minister why he feels that separate arrangements are needed for officers. I understand that they will not be included in the initial tranche of people going through the system, but will be dealt with at some future date, if my reading of the Bill is correct. If it is not, I... Full speech
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My only concern about recall for service-it is certainly not at all a philosophical one-is that it makes service more onerous. At a time when we want volunteers in our system to join the armed forces with either the regulars or the reserves, extending their recall liability from six to 18 years and from 55 to 65 years of age might not be a particularly attractive proposition for many who do not necessarily want to commit to that kind of thing, notwithstanding the fact that many of our allies hav... Full speech
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On the subject of our allies, it would be useful in encouraging a strategic reserve-at the moment I am afraid it is more hypothetical than actual-to emulate perhaps the Nordics, who insist that their reservists come back for a day or two a year in order to have a kit muster, a bit of a briefing and a bit of bonding. In that way they seem to hold people in, in a way that we simply do not. In this country, we still have the assumption that people will do their time as a regular, and then they will... Full speech
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Many hon. and right hon. Members today have talked about the service justice parts of the Bill, and in many ways those are among the most important elements of it. It is worthwhile saying that, certainly during my time as a Minister, there was difficulty populating court martial boards. The Minister gave a slightly different impression and, if the position has improved, that is a good thing, but broadening the base certainly makes it much more administratively straightforward to ensure that peop... Full speech
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I have problems with the Liberal Democrats’ amendment 90, which implies that civilian structures are better than service ones. That simply is not the case. The service justice system is much quicker. There is nothing worse for victims than having to hang on for months, or potentially years, to have their day in court. Justice delayed is indeed justice denied, which is why it is perfectly reasonable to have the court martial option open, particularly for victims, but in any event as a matter to b... Full speech
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Clauses 38 and 39 hark back to 1688 and Parliament’s desire to control the size of the British Army. Of course, in those days there was not really a navy to speak of-certainly not in the way we would think of it today-and there most certainly was not an air force, so having to split the numbers down by service was not an issue then. It was simply a question of the number of men we had under arms. While I understand the purpose of the changes that the Minister is proposing in clauses 38 and 39-th... Full speech
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I am not clear that there will be much cost involved in providing us with the much more granular data on numbers of reservists, regulars and other members of the three armed forces that we have at the moment. I want to preserve that, while at the same time understanding that what really matters overall is the total size of our armed forces, which we all want to ensure is brought up to spec. Full speech
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I commend this Bill; overall, it does things that we all want to see and, as is the tradition with Bills of this sort, there is no great controversy between the two sides of the House. I wish it well. Full speech
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In addition, this role would be able to assist with the armed forces covenant extension. One of the most critiqued aspects of the armed forces covenant is that it is poorly signposted and inconsistently enforced, and that compliance significantly varies from region to region. Speaking to serving personnel, the issue is that many are not aware of what it offers and do not feel genuine value from it. Enforcement is therefore a key issue. Full speech
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Indeed, that very point was made last year in the Defence Committee report that stated that the issue was not about how the covenant was legislated for or the nature of the services provided, but about how it was enforced and provided for. Given that the Government seem content to expand the extent of the covenant, we should welcome the role of a veterans commissioner, because it would play a crucial role in accountability and in monitoring the implementation and impact of that extended covenant... Full speech
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Equally, the veterans commissioner could play an important role in implementing the veterans strategy, with its three core themes to celebrate, contribute and support. They could also play an important role in co-ordinating responses of the veterans advisory and pensions committees across England to provide local outreach and independent co-ordination. The veterans advisory and pensions committees are an under-utilised resource and co-ordination by the veterans commissioner could support efforts... Full speech
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It is the Royal British Legion’s recommendation that the UK Government should introduce a veterans commissioner for England, ensuring that veterans and their families know who to turn to for advocacy and providing someone to campaign for and champion their needs at the heart of Government. I strongly urge the Government to listen. Full speech
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I have not served in the armed forces, but like many other Members I have had the privilege of being part of the armed forces parliamentary scheme, through which we get to visit bases around the country, as I did with the RAF last year. The personnel we met are proud-they are proud not just of their service, but of their families-but they want homes for those families as well, and the homes that they have vary massively. We have seen some great examples of what can be done, but we have also seen... Full speech
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The creation of the defence housing service is a decisive break with the past. It puts forces families first, and it gives the Government the tools to act and to start the job of properly rebuilding the estate. Members of this House, and indeed the wider British public, are rightly proud of our armed forces and our veterans, but we need to demonstrate that pride in meaningful action. That is what the Bill will do. Full speech
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Service restraining orders: enforcement etc by civilian courts Full speech
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Entry for purposes of obtaining evidence etc Full speech
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Power to impose post-charge conditions on persons not in service detention Full speech
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Guidance on exercise of criminal jurisdiction Full speech
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Exceptions for spent cautions when taking administrative action Full speech
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Governance and administration of Ministry of Defence Police Full speech
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Extent in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and British overseas territories Full speech
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The right hon. Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison), with his extensive experience, highlighted that the Bill increases the recall age of reserves to 65 years. Although it should not be a surprise, I remind him that there is an opt-in for those who have already left the armed forces and an opt-out for those who are serving. The option is definitely there, but he is right that we need to put in place mechanisms for tracking and involving reserves, and to change the culture around how we ... Full speech
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I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Johanna Baxter) for highlighting the barbaric invasion of Ukraine by Russia, in particular the continual bombardment of Kyiv, and for championing the defence housing strategy, through which nine out of 10 houses will get modernisation-that is 40,000 houses across the entire estate. We have also put in a place a consumer standard and are going to refurbish a minimum of 10,000 houses across the estate. Full speech
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The hon. Member for Eastbourne (Josh Babarinde) set out his valiant and impressive support for Pauline, who was a fantastic example of the veterans community; we will continue to take his argument forward in Government. Full speech
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My hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Luke Akehurst) supported delivering the DIP before the NATO summit. We will move forward with that. Full speech
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The hon. Member for South Northamptonshire (Sarah Bool) highlighted the utility of an English veterans commissioner and how that could connect into Valour. As she said, the role of veterans commissioner is not a statutory office, so legislation is not required but could provide utility in the future; I think this point is about how the role docks into Valour overall. Full speech
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My hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur) was correct to talk about the importance of getting the relationship between Valour and the English veterans commissioner right. Full speech
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My hon. Friend the Member for Stevenage (Kevin Bonavia) was right to highlight the postcode lottery of the covenant. We have now extended the covenant to over 12 areas of policy to ensure that people can be held to account. Equally, although the covenant can be accepted, in some cases it will indeed be applied differently. Full speech
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My hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Alison Taylor) was right to champion veterans across the entire country, from Scotland to Northern Ireland, Wales and England, and to set out the support they give back to the country once they have left the armed forces. Full speech
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My hon. Friend the Member for South East Cornwall (Anna Gelderd) mentioned Cameron and Lexi. I congratulate Cameron on proposing after completing initial training-I can tell the House that after I completed my initial training, I was in no fit state to propose to anyone! Full speech
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The right hon. Members for Rayleigh and Wickford and for South West Wiltshire asked whether it is right to include veteran officers on boards to increase the depth and wealth of experience on courts martial. Since 2021, we have increased the potential pool of board members and OR-7s-the equivalent of Royal Marine colour sergeants, staff sergeants, chief petty officers and flight sergeants-are now able to sit on boards. We have mixed service boards to ensure that there are women and men on every ... Full speech
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This Bill is a great step forward for the armed forces. It renews our armed forces at a time of heightened geopolitical tension. It delivers a defence housing service-a once-in-a-generation chance to deal with the acute problem, and with the systemic failure of the last 14 years. The covenant expands from three to 12 policy areas, and it is the heart of our country’s commitment to our armed forces communities and to our veterans, and it allows us to hold other Government Departments to account t... Full speech
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The service justice system will provide better protections and better services to all who serve with our armed forces. The amendments to reserves will simplify the system and enhance our strategic reserve, should we need it at a time of crisis. There are also smaller amendments, such as freedoms to counter drones and protect our wrecks across our oceans. Full speech
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I will finish where I started: by thanking everyone across the entire House, the Committee, the Clerks and the staff for pulling the Bill together and making it a success. Full speech
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Clause 1 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendments made: 8, page 3, line 35, after “borough council,” insert- Full speech
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Amendment 9, page 3, line 36, at end insert- Full speech
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Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendments made: 10, page 10, line 9, leave out “or Wales” and insert “, Wales or Scotland”. Full speech
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Amendment 11, page 10, line 10, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 12, page 10, line 11, leave out “power under subsection (1)” and insert- Full speech
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Amendment 13, page 10, line 14, leave out Full speech
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Amendment 14, page 10, line 18, after “subsection (1)” insert “or (1A)”. Full speech
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Amendment 15, page 10, line 22, leave out Full speech
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Amendment 16, page 10, line 26, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 17, page 10, line 30, after “space or” insert- Full speech
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Amendment 18, page 10, line 34, leave out Full speech
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Amendment 19, page 10, line 36, at end insert “is made by- Full speech
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Amendment 20, page 11, line 1, leave out lines 1 to 7 and insert- Full speech
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Amendment 21, page 11, line 9, leave out “or Wales” and insert “, Wales or Scotland”. Full speech
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Amendment 22, page 11, line 11, leave out Full speech
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Amendment 23, page 11, line 12, leave out “Part 4” and insert “Parts 4 and 5”. Full speech
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Amendment 24, page 11, line 16, at end insert- Full speech
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Clause 3, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendment made: 25, page 17, line 21, leave out from “under” to end of line 25 and insert- Full speech
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Clause 4 , as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clauses 5 and 6 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendments made: 26, page 19, line 1, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 27, page 19, leave out line 17. Full speech
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Amendment 28, page 19, line 20, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 29, page 19, line 23, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 30, page 20, line 39, at end insert- Full speech
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Clause 7 , as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clause s 8 to 12 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendment made: 31, page 29, line 12, at end insert- Full speech
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Clause 1 3, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clause s 14 to 20 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendment made: 32, page 34, line 32, at end insert- Full speech
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Clause 21, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clause 22 to 24 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendments made: 33, page 43, line 23, leave out subsection (3) and insert- Full speech
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Amendment 34, page 44, line 3, at end insert- Full speech
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Clause 25, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clause s 26 to 28 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendments made: 35, page 49, line 9, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 36, page 49, line 10, leave out Full speech
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Amendment 37, page 50, line 2, at end insert- Full speech
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Clause 29, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clauses 30 to 32 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendments made: 38, page 51, line 39, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 39, page 52, leave out lines 2 to 13 and insert- Full speech
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Amendment 40, page 52, leave out lines 14 to 18 and insert- Full speech
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Amendment 41, page 52, line 19, leave out from “for” to end of line 20 and insert Full speech
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Clause 33, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clauses 34 to 41 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendment made: 42, page 59, line 17, after “proceedings)” insert Full speech
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Clause 42, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clauses 43 to 51 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendments made: 43, page 62, line 33, leave out Full speech
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Amendment 44, page 62, line 35, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 45, page 63, leave out line 4 and insert- Full speech
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Amendment 46, page 63, leave out line 5 and insert- Full speech
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Clause 52, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendment made: 47, page 63, line 18, leave out “Part 4” and insert “Parts 4 to 7”.- (Al Carns.) Full speech
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Clause 53, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Amendment made: 48, page 64, line 16, at end insert- Full speech
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Clause 54, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Clause 55 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Full speech
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Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill. Full speech
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Question put, That the clause be read a Second time. Full speech
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“powers under subsections (1) and (1A) include”. Full speech
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“powers under subsections (1) and (1A) include”. Full speech
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“, within the meaning given by section 343E(8)”. Full speech
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“section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals);”.- ( Al Carns .) Full speech
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“(and subsection (2A) is to be read accordingly)”. Full speech
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“(and subsection (2A) is to be read accordingly)”. Full speech
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Overseas operations and the European Convention on Human Rights Full speech
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Compulsory purchase by Defence Housing Service or Secretary of State: Scotland Full speech
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Compulsory purchase by Defence Housing Service: Northern Ireland Full speech
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Compulsory purchase by Secretary of State: Northern Ireland Full speech
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Proceedings interrupted (Programme Order, this day). Full speech
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The Chair put forthwith the Questions necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded at that time (Standing Order No. 83D). Full speech
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Question put, That the clause be added to the Bill. Full speech
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Question put, That the clause be read a Second time. Full speech
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Amendments made: 49, page 65, line 15, leave out “sub-paragraph (3)” and insert “sub-paragraphs (3) and (8)”. Full speech
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Amendment 50, page 65, line 29, after “sub-paragraphs” insert “(4A),”. Full speech
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Amendment 51, page 65, line 31, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 52, page 66, line 2, at end insert Full speech
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Amendment 53, page 66, line 4, leave out “for defence purposes”. Full speech
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Amendment 54, page 66, line 12, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 55, page 73, line 6, leave out “for Defence Housing and other purposes: supplementary provision” and insert Full speech
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Amendment 56, page 80, line 39, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendments made: 57, page 88, line 34, leave out “falling within subsection (2)” and insert “aged 18 or over”. Full speech
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Amendment 58, page 88, leave out line 39. Full speech
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Amendment 59, page 89, line 1, leave out from beginning to “and” on line 2 and insert Full speech
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Amendment 60, page 89, line 35, leave out “236C(3)” and insert “236C(1)(b)”. Full speech
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Amendment 61, page 92, line 2, leave out from “may” to “necessary” on line 3 and insert Full speech
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Amendment 62, page 92, line 16, leave out “and (6)” and insert “to (8)”. Full speech
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Amendment 63, page 92, line 34, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 64, page 92, line 35, leave out from beginning to end of line 25 on page 93 Full speech
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Amendment 65, page 94, line 29, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 66, page 97, line 37, leave out from “person” to “(the” in line 1 on page 98. Full speech
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Amendment 67, page 98, line 22, after “if” insert Full speech
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Amendment 68, page 98, line 32, after “satisfied” insert Full speech
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Amendment 69, page 99, line 17, after “satisfied” insert Full speech
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Amendment 70, page 100, line 13, after “satisfied” insert Full speech
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Amendment 71, page 106, line 35, leave out “a person”. Full speech
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Amendment 72, page 107, leave out line 16. Full speech
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Amendment 73, page 107, line 22, leave out “to (4) and (6) (and references to those provisions)” and insert “(3) and (4)”. Full speech
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Amendment 74, page 107, leave out lines 27 and 28. Full speech
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Amendment 75, page 107, leave out line 30. Full speech
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Amendment 76, page 108, line 15, leave out “a person”. Full speech
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Amendment 77, page 109, line 21, after “applies” insert “, subject to subsection (7A),”. Full speech
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Amendment 78, page 109, line 23, leave out “a person”. Full speech
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Amendment 79, page 109, line 27, leave out “a person”. Full speech
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Amendment 80, page 109, line 29, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendment 81, page 110, leave out lines 1 to 3. Full speech
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Amendment 82, page 110, line 17, leave out “a person”. Full speech
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Amendment 83, page 110, line 31, leave out “a person”. Full speech
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Amendment 84, page 111, line 6, at end insert- Full speech
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Amendments made: 85, page 121, line 25, leave out “subsections (1)(c), (2A) and (3A)” and insert “subsection (1)(c)”. Full speech
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Amendment 86, page 121, leave out lines 28 to 31 and insert- Full speech
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Amendment 87, page 121, line 37, at end insert- Full speech
I fully acknowledge the hon. Gentleman’s point about education being a devolved matter, which makes the SEN issue more complicated. He is quite correct about that, but does he acknowledge that amendment 2 allows for that and specifically refers to it? Secondly, there is no cross-border issue in England. If I agree with him that this would best be done via an education Bill, will he agree with me that in England there is no impediment whatsoever to making the transfer of EHCPs for service childre... Full speech
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(a) in relation to England or Wales, has the same meaning as in section 16 of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981; Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 38. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
As I am sure the hon. Member is aware, this was a recommendation of the Atherton report, and there was good reason for it. That inquiry took a lot of evidence on this subject, and the view was that this change would increase confidence. Serving personnel bringing complaints against senior officers may feel pressure to keep their complaint within the service, and so may not receive the justice they need. We have looked at the findings of the Atherton report and agree with them, so we have include... Full speech
The question is surely whether victims are given a choice. At the moment, they are. The prosecutors’ protocol usually means that these cases are tried through the civilian criminal justice system. That is fine, but does the hon. Gentleman acknowledge that justice delayed is justice denied? Through the service justice system, these cases are brought to a conclusion far more rapidly than they currently are in our civilian criminal justice system. Full speech
I commend my hon. Friend’s intervention and join her in extending my best wishes. It is welcome that the Government have published draft guidance on the legal duty, and I am pleased that it includes an explanation of what it means to pay “due regard” to the covenant, because witnesses to our inquiry told us that that phrase can sometimes seem ambiguous. I hope the Minister will consult widely with those affected by the legal duty to ensure that the guidance meets their needs. Our Committee will ... Full speech
The measures on the armed forces covenant are one of the most impressive things about this Bill, not just UK-wide, but for the 115,000 veterans in Wales and their families who will now benefit from the legal duty on public services to take into consideration their specific circumstances. Will my hon. Friend join me in wishing a very happy Armed Forces Day to Prestatyn Royal British Legion branch, as I will when I celebrate and commemorate this special day with them later this month? Full speech
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“fuel or field garden allotment” has the same meaning as in section 19 of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981; Full speech
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(g) section 67A(2B) (recording a person breast-feeding child). Full speech
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(a) section 11(9) applies as if the words from “on the main” to the end of that subsection were omitted; Full speech
We need to move this legislation forward in the right manner and as fast as possible. I recommend that the hon. Member continues to push this case. My hon. Friend the Minister for Veterans and People and I have heard him loud and clear, we have heard the armed forces community loud and clear, and we are committed to delivering this in line with the intent. Full speech
I have continued to engage with the devolved Administrations on this matter. I strongly recommend that district councils buy into the covenant and abide by it, though there will be nuances in some cases on how the covenant is practised in Northern Ireland, as regards security arrangements relating to armed forces personnel and charities. Government amendments 10 and 11 focus on defence housing. They extend the powers in clause 3 of the Bill, so that the Secretary of State and the defence housing... Full speech
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“subject to service law” (see section 374 of that Act).” Full speech
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(b) on summary conviction in Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both); Full speech
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(c) on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both). Full speech
I speak in support of amendment 88, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire). It would require the Secretary of State to review the way that former service personnel are communicated with about their pension entitlements, and I support that wholeheartedly. I want to use this opportunity to raise again in this Chamber an injustice that goes far deeper than communication; it goes to the heart of what this country owes its veterans. I want to share with the House, for... Full speech
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(a) is made in respect of an offender for an offence, Full speech
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(b) in a way that takes into account the particular circumstances of the offence and the needs of the victim. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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(e) section 66E (creating a purported intimate image of adult); Full speech
Given Northern Ireland’s disproportionate contribution to the armed forces over many decades, the Minister’s answer to the question from my hon. and learned Friend the Member for North Antrim (Jim Allister)-on the armed forces covenant being made compulsory within councils in Northern Ireland- does not really cut it. Sadly, in Northern Ireland we still have political parties that completely oppose the armed forces covenant and its implementation there, so does the hon. Lady agree that the Govern... Full speech
So that I can understand, could the hon. Gentleman explain slightly more carefully why he is proposing to remove the choice that the victim has? They can say which of the two systems-the service justice system or the civilian justice system-they have more confidence in. Why would it be better for the victim if that choice were removed, and they had to go down the civilian justice system route? Full speech
The right hon. Gentleman mentioned the Gurkha community. I want to pay tribute to the Queen’s Gurkha Regiment and the 30th Signal Regiment, based just outside my constituency. The Gurkhas who served are an essential and integral part of our community; they offer great value, and integrate into the community. I thank him for mentioning them, and for giving me the opportunity to pay tribute to those Gurkhas who live in or around my constituency. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 37. Full speech
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(4) References to a photograph or film also include- Full speech
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(b) in relation to Scotland, is to be construed in accordance with Part 12 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997; Full speech
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(b) in relation to Scotland, has the same meaning as in the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (see section 214 of that Act); Full speech
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This amendment and related Government amendments to clause 3, clause 52 and Schedule 1 enable the compulsory acquisition of land in Scotland (as well as in England and Wales) by the Defence Housing Service, for purposes connected with its functions, or by the Secretary of State for other defence purposes. See Amendment 11 for corresponding powers in relation to Northern Ireland. Full speech
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“(ba) an offence under section 109A (breach of requirement relating to attendance at hearing);”.”- ( Al Carns .) Full speech
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(a) something is “deleted” if it is irrecoverable; Full speech
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(7) A service image deletion order is not available if the offence was committed before the day on which section (Service image deletion orders) of the Armed Forces Act 2026 comes into force. Full speech
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(a) a person is subject to an order made by the Court Martial or the Service Civilian Court under section 229 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (a “service restraining order”), and Full speech
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(b) in sub-paragraph (1)(b), both references to the powers conferred by the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 were to the power conferred by section 343I(4) of this Act; Full speech
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“(1) The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is amended as follows. Full speech
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Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 Full speech
I thank everybody involved in bringing the Bill to this point today, particularly Ministers and members of the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill. It has been a serious amount of work, because this is not a typical Armed Forces Bill through which we are performing our constitutional duty in this House to renew our armed forces; it goes much further than that. It pushes forward our armed forces covenant and makes it real across the country, it finally gives our armed forces the housing and... Full speech
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(c) requires the offender to take steps specified in the order to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the photograph or film is put beyond use. Full speech
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“An application under subsection (1)(b) may be made only in respect of a person who”. Full speech
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(f) section 66F (requesting the creation of purported intimate image of adult); Full speech
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“After section 14 of the Human Rights Act 1998 insert- Full speech
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(c) in sub-paragraph (2), ‘the council and’ and ‘or refusing’ were omitted. Full speech
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232I Service Image deletion orders: availability Full speech
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(b) section 66D(5) to (9) (meaning of “showing, or appearing to show, another person in an intimate state”); Full speech
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(1) Where the Secretary of State considers that any overseas operation is, or is likely to be, significant, the Secretary of State must consider whether it is appropriate for the United Kingdom to make a derogation under Article 15(1) of the Convention. Full speech
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(a) in sub-paragraph (1)(b), for the words in brackets there were substituted ‘(if it appears to the Secretary of State necessary to do so)’; Full speech
I thank the right hon. Member for his intervention. One thing that came up very strongly in the APPG’s discussions with the Department-we had military families from all three services, and representatives of all the service organisations-was that this problem is faced by all people; it is just that service families and service children manifest the issue most specifically. The problem has to be fixed for all people in the United Kingdom, which is why the changes were taken on board as part of th... Full speech
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(2) Subject as follows, the service restraining order is to be treated as a non-harassment order made against the person by a sheriff court- Full speech
It was a pleasure to serve on the Select Committee, and I thank the Clerks and all those who made it run so smoothly. Today I will focus on one area. “I certainly think it is bizarre that there is not an English commissioner. That is 85% of the veteran population, while the other 15% have three commissioners to represent them. I would certainly support that.” Those are not my words, but those of retired Lieutenant Commander Susie Hamilton, the Veterans Commissioner for Scotland, in response to a... Full speech
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Call out and Recall for Service: Transitional Classes Full speech
I wish to speak to new clause 5, which I tabled. I start by thanking all Opposition Members-both in my party and across four other parties-who have supported this amendment. Let the record show that not one person on the Labour Benches supported it. We often speak in this House about veterans, our shared respect for those who have served and how best to support veterans in their post-military life, be it with careers, housing, mental health or simply the frailty of growing old. With that shared ... Full speech
I welcome the introduction of the strategic reserve in the Bill, but I would like clarity on how it will be paid for. Will it be via separate funding or will it come from the money already allocated to pay for the active reserve in the MOD budget? Full speech
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(ii) their views on whether they would prefer an offence to be tried in a service court or a civilian court. Full speech
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(2) Where the order requires the offender to take a step in relation to a photograph or film that would result in the offender being unable to recover the photograph or film- Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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(5) Paragraph 5(1)(b) applies as if both references to the powers conferred by the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 were to the powers conferred by section 343H(1A) of this Act. Full speech
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(b) A is informed at the time the question is asked that, by virtue of this paragraph, alternatives to prosecution that have become spent and ancillary circumstances are to be disclosed. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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42 (1) The provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 specified in sub-paragraph (2) apply in relation to land acquired compulsorily by the Defence Housing Service under section 343H as they apply in relation to land acquired compulsorily by statutory undertakers. Full speech
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(i) proceedings in a service court and in a civilian court, and Full speech
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“(1A) Where the Defence Housing Service proposes to acquire land in Northern Ireland otherwise than by agreement- Full speech
Order. Obviously interventions are taken by those who wish to take them, but we need to make sure that interventions and speeches stay within the scope of the debate. Full speech
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(1) This section applies for the purposes of sections 232H to 232K. Full speech
Order. May I reiterate the comments made by the Chairman of Ways and Means earlier? The point that the hon. Lady and others have raised is not in the scope of this Bill, so perhaps it is best if we move on. Full speech
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(3B) Guidance under this section may include guidance about any other matters that the Secretary of State considers appropriate for furthering the purpose mentioned in subsection (2).” Full speech
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“subject to service law” (see section 374 of that Act).’” - (Al Carns.) Full speech
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(7) Paragraph 4 applies as if the words from ‘and may provide’ to the end were omitted. Full speech
With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Government amendments 8 and 9. Amendment 2, in clause 2, page 6, line 37, at end insert- “343AZC Continuity of plans for special educational needs (1) Within six months of the passage of the Armed Forces Act 2026, the Secretary of State must make regulations to make provision for a plan for special educational needs awarded to a person who - (a) is a child of or dependent upon a person serving in the Armed Forces, and (b) becomes ordinari... Full speech
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(c) in the case of content on an internet service, it is removed from the service or permanently hidden. Full speech
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This amendment and Amendment 59 ensure that a service domestic abuse protection order may be made against a person who is before a service court in respect of an offence, even if they have left the armed forces. Full speech
I am grateful to my fellow member of the Defence Committee for giving way. If he supports new clause 5, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty), will he vote for it? Full speech
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“Amendment of Protection from Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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41 The Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 applies to the compulsory acquisition of land by the Defence Housing Service under section 343H as if- Full speech
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(a) in an objective and impartial manner, and Full speech
You will be pleased to hear, Chair, that I will be relatively short. I am proud to welcome this Armed Forces Bill. It represents a vital step towards renewing our contract with those who keep us safe. As an MP with Redford barracks, Dreghorn barracks and RAF Kirknewton in my constituency, this Bill is of immense pride to me, but it is also of urgent necessity. I will focus on new clauses 3 and 5, but I start by welcoming the increased investment that underpins this renewal. Our new £9 billion de... Full speech
The other day I had the opportunity to meet the Ministry of Defence Police and their chief constable at RAF Wyton in my constituency. I was impressed by the counter-drone capability that they are now equipped with; it is vastly in excess of what Home Office policing teams now have, and it is a simple solution to provide the counter-drone capability that we should have at all our bases. I urge the hon. Gentleman to put pressure on the Minister to roll out those new CPM-Wilson and CPM-Watson count... Full speech
Like my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour, I have many serving folks in my patch. We have a particular issue in Plymouth related to South West Water, which I know she also deals with. Unlike their neighbours, when there are outages, people in service accommodation cannot immediately access compensation pay. While their neighbours who are not in service accommodation pay South West Water directly, those in service accommodation go through a kind of third-party service and therefore do not ge... Full speech
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This amendment provides for a person to be subject to notification requirements in Northern Ireland in relation to a service stalking protection order or an interim service stalking protection order. Full speech
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Schedule 6 to the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 Full speech
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(b) relates to a photograph or film which is in the offender’s possession or under their control, and Full speech
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232K Offence of failing to comply with a service image deletion order Full speech
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(b) “administrative action” means action (other than service disciplinary proceedings) that- Full speech
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This amendment ensures that types of premises which can be searched without a warrant for electronically tracked stolen goods (under provisions of the Armed Forces Act 2006 inserted by the Crime and Policing Act 2026) are the same as those for which search warrants can be issued. Full speech
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This amendment reflects amendments of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 made by the Crime and Policing Act 2026. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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This new clause makes provision for image deletion orders in the service justice system of a similar kind as introduced into the civilian justice system by Chapter 4A of Part 7 of the Sentencing Code (which was inserted by section 102 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026). Full speech
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(3) In subsection (2) the “relevant appeal period” is- Full speech
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This amendment and Amendment 39 omit exemptions from recall liability under Part 7 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 based on the amount of time which has passed since a person’s discharge from service or transfer to the reserves. Full speech
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(3) In subsection (10), at the appropriate place insert- Full speech
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This amendment is to more closely reflect the wording of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Full speech
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‘14A Duty to consider derogation in relation to overseas operations Full speech
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(a) the question is asked in connection with the taking of administrative action in relation to A, and Full speech
There has been a leak: the hon. Gentleman has clearly had access to my speech. He has put a lot of work into this issue, so perhaps I can meet him halfway with what I am about to say. In fairness, there are already DFE guidelines that can facilitate the portability of an EHCP from one local education authority to another. The crucial point, however, is that that is by voluntary agreement, and there is no guarantee that if service personnel are transferred at the behest of their commanders, the L... Full speech
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This amendment provides that any property that is held by the Defence Housing Service for defence purposes is to be regarded as Crown property. Full speech
Veterans’ mental health challenges can be significant, for obvious reasons-trauma, stress, spending a long time away from friends and family, and so on. As I am sure my hon. Friend knows, devastatingly, veterans under the age of 24 have a suicide rate that is two to four times higher than that for the civilian population of the same age. Given that mental health problems are so significant and less visible than physical health needs, does my hon. Friend agree that establishing the role of a vete... Full speech
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(b) “content”, in relation to an internet service, has the meaning given by section 236(1) of the Online Safety Act 2023; Full speech
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“(aa) the Lord Advocate;”.- ( Al Carns .) Full speech
I thank the hon. and gallant Gentleman for giving way. He is making a powerful speech, the majority of which I agree with. Does he recognise, however, that the armed forces covenant places a legal responsibility on all Departments to remove those barriers and impediments to service life? As a service member, I engaged with the Royal British Legion and Cobseo from about 2017 to try to address those barriers and impediments and failed to do so numerous times under the previous Government because o... Full speech
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(a) an image, whether made or altered by computer graphics or in any other way, which appears to be a photograph or film, Full speech
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(a) section 66AA(2) (meaning of “semen-defaced image”); Full speech
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(1) This section applies where a person commits an offence under section 42 as respects which the corresponding offence under the law of England and Wales is an offence under any of the following provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003- Full speech
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232L Service image deletion orders: interpretation Full speech
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This amendment is to ensure that a service restraining order may be made by a service court when convicting or acquitting a person of an offence, even if the person has left the armed forces by the time of the conviction or acquittal. Full speech
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“(3) Guidance under this section must include guidance about- Full speech
I absolutely agree. I am a full patriot, and I support patriotism, but I make sure that I practise it. By not being here today, Reform Members are demonstrating that some individuals do not necessarily live up to those standards. Government amendments 8 and 9 bring the Greater London Authority, combined authorities and combined county authorities within scope of the covenant duty, alongside the local authorities already listed in the Bill. These bodies exercise functions in policy areas covered ... Full speech
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(i) in subsections (1) and (7), references to the date on which the order comes into force were to the date on which the person first resides in Northern Ireland after ceasing to be subject to service law or a civilian subject to service discipline; Full speech
Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that on Labour’s arrival in government, the National Audit Office stated that the previous Government and the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) had left an equipment plan with a £7 billion to £28 billion gap? Is that correct? Full speech
It was a pleasure to be a member of the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill, and it is an honour to speak on the Armed Forces Bill for a second time. It is to the Government’s credit that the responds to a number of the key challenges that our armed forces face in the 2020s. However, today I want to argue the case for new clause 13, which addresses the need to give every member of our armed forces a safe, decent home whatever their family circumstances. That is something the Liberal Democr... Full speech
I am concerned by the hon. Gentleman’s remarks. We have the continuous attitude survey, which does its work every year and delivers to Ministers a clear account of what is keeping people in and what is driving them away. Is he seriously proposing another set of reviews, which would add very little to what we already know? Full speech
I agree that it is a broader topic than simply covering Commonwealth veterans and their family members from those same Commonwealth countries. There are a number of personnel living here are UK personnel but have spouses and children who may be from overseas, and the same rules apply to them. I do not disagree with the hon. Member; I think we are very much on the same page on a number of issues-it is literally just the technicality of politics that is getting in the way. We are squeamish when it... Full speech
As an ex-Marine, I have never been known for flying, but I would love to visit East Sussex Veterans’ Hub. When I am going around the country, be it to Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales or England, it always amazes me to find these little examples of pure community spirit that help our veterans out. Importantly, while the flight simulator may be fun, it also helps people to learn critical skills and get them back into work. I thank Bernard in particular for all his hard work. If I can come and vi... Full speech
I thank the right hon. Member for that really useful observation. First, I support the work going on in his constituency; Alabaré is doing an amazing job. I think it might have recently received some Valour funding for that-a programme through which we are really trying to change the initiative that we take in looking after veterans. On his second point, I am a firm believer that when people join the military, they contribute to the most important function of government, which is to protect our ... Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 51. Full speech
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‘(b) in the case of a person who was discharged or transferred to the reserve from the regular army or the Royal Air Force, after the end of the period of 18 years beginning with the day on which he was so discharged or transferred; or’”. Full speech
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“(7) A service domestic abuse protection order may require the defendant to participate in an assessment to determine whether the defendant should be required to participate in a programme of activities. Full speech
It is a pleasure to speak in Committee of the whole House on the Armed Forces Bill. I start by placing on the record my thanks to the members of the Select Committee on the Bill for their thorough and constructive consideration of the Bill, and their extensive special report. There are a considerable number of amendments and new clauses before the Committee. I will speak first to the amendments in my name, and then I will focus principally on other amendments. I will endeavour to address as many... Full speech
Rather than the shadow Minister extending his speech, I urge Members concerned with this area to perhaps listen to what I will explain, which is the work that we have been doing with the DFE. We have had members from the armed forces community from across the country liaising directly with the Department for Education and the Minister for Veterans and People. I will try to put that across in my speech. Full speech
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(4) Subsections (3) to (10) of section 343H apply in relation to (or to matters connected with) the compulsory acquisition of land by the Secretary of State by means of an order under subsection (3) as they apply in relation to (or to matters connected with) the compulsory acquisition of land by the Defence Housing Service. Full speech
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232J Period for complying with requirements Full speech
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(b) Part 5 of that Schedule, in relation to Scotland; Full speech
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(c) in sub-paragraph (1)(d), ‘in the prescribed form’ were omitted; Full speech
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This amendment reflects amendments of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 made by the Crime and Policing Act 2026. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 11. Full speech
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Protection from Domestic Abuse and Stalking Full speech
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(b) on an application under paragraph (a), the Secretary of State may make such an order. Full speech
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“overseas operations” means operations of Her Majesty’s forces outside the British Islands in the course of which members of those forces may come under attack or face the threat of attack or violent resistance; Full speech
I thank the hon. Member for that intervention. I think she may have been here just a few months ago when we had a debate about the history of the Gurkhas in British service. I echo everything she said about the bravest of the brave. I therefore look forward to her supporting the new clause in the Division Lobby this evening. The Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland have campaigned on this matter for a number of years. I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon for taking up the cudgels... Full speech
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(a) in a case falling within section 234A(1)(a), if the service restraining order was made on conviction of the person for an offence; Full speech
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(2) Sections 10 and 13 to 16 of this Act apply to the service stalking protection order as they apply to a stalking protection order under this Act, with the following modifications- Full speech
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“(if it would not otherwise be so treated by virtue of sub-paragraph (4A)”. Full speech
I call Ben Obese-Jecty to move new clause 5 formally. Full speech
Have the Minister and the Veterans Minister now seen the defence investment plan? Full speech
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This amendment provides that provisions requiring the disclosure of spent cautions in connection with the taking of administrative action, as set out in clause 29 of the Bill, will also apply in relation to Scotland in respect of alternatives to prosecution that have become spent. Full speech
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(b) this paragraph had been in force immediately before the commencement of that Act. Full speech
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(a) it may apply to the Secretary of State for an order vesting the land in the Defence Housing Service, and Full speech
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(i) is taken by a superior officer acting under their powers of command in accordance with King’s Regulations, and Full speech
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(6) In relation to an offence under section 42 as respects which the corresponding offence under the law of England and Wales is an offence under section 66F of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, a photograph or film is a photograph or film to which the offence relates for the purposes of this section if- Full speech
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“(3) After section 234AZA of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 insert- Full speech
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(3) Sections 11(7) to (9) and 13 to 16 of this Act apply to the interim service stalking protection order as they apply to an interim stalking protection order under this Act, with the following modifications- Full speech
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8A After section 16 of the Protection from Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 insert- Full speech
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(12) Paragraph 14(1) applies as if ‘in the prescribed form’ were omitted. Full speech
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(ii) an order made under section 236R of that Act (an “interim service stalking protection order”); Full speech
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving way; he is being very indulgent. I agree with him and-with respect-not with the Minister, because my recollection from being the Minister at the time was that there was a shortage of officers to populate court martial boards. When in office, we ensured that the process was service agnostic, which gave a bigger pool from which to draw. Would it be a compromise to allow retired officers of a certain seniority or length of time out of service, since ... Full speech
Has my right hon. Friend had a chance to look at the report published by techUK, which represents a lot of small and medium-sized companies in the defence tech sector, and seen what it has to say, objectively, about the number of jobs that are being lost in the sector, the lack of investment in the sector, the pressure that its members are coming under and the sector’s lack of viability given this continued, unbearable delay? It needs certainty. When are we going to have it? Full speech
Ukraine has derogated from the ECHR. Does that put it in the same bracket as Belarus and Russia? Full speech
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(4) In this section, the following terms have the same meanings as in the Armed Forces Act 2006- Full speech
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43 (1) Schedule 6 to the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 (c. 9 (N.I.)) applies to the compulsory acquisition of land by the Defence Housing Service by means of an order under section 343H(1A) of this Act as it applies to the acquisition of land by means of an order under section 97 of that Act, subject as follows. Full speech
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(c) the keeping of records in relation to- Full speech
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(b) the person is no longer subject to service law or a civilian subject to service discipline, and Full speech
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(b) in the case of data stored by any means by or on behalf of the offender, it is deleted; Full speech
We discussed in the Select Committee that some people simply did not consider themselves veterans for certain reasons, including those she gave or because they had not served for long. An awareness campaign is important so that people can understand that they are entitled to all these things; on leaving the military, a lot of people do not think about it again and they have no idea that these options are open to them. I certainly agree with the hon. Member. We have talked a bit about SEND provis... Full speech
In my constituency, nearly 1,000 homes have been brought back into public ownership with the creation of the defence housing service. Does my hon. Friend agree that new clause 13, which addresses the question of single living accommodation, threatens to undermine the new defence housing service before it has got off the ground? Although single living accommodation needs attention, that attention should be given within the armed forces umbrella. Full speech
I just want to amplify what this means for our service people, as I know there is a slight conflation of issues here. As our service people approach the end of their time in service, if they are not a UK passport holder-the majority of those people may be Americans and not Commonwealth personnel-they will not have access to work and to credit during the final six months of their service. This impediment has been in place for decades; as I said, I fought to change it through Cobseo when I was in ... Full speech
I thank my hon. Friend for his continued championing of veterans, cadets and all in his constituency. Recently, £12 million has gone into reducing the number of homeless veterans, and the Op Fortitude programme continues to run; it tries to get as many veterans into housing as possible. Government amendments 51 and 54 ensure that Crown status is retained for defence housing and other critical property assets, in the event that they are built or bought by the defence housing service. This will en... Full speech
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“(8) Where property held by the Defence Housing Service is to be treated as property of, or held on behalf of, the Crown by virtue of this paragraph, the Defence Housing Service has the same immunities, privileges and exemptions in respect of its holding of that property as would apply if it were property held by or on behalf of the Crown.” Full speech
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7A “(1) Paragraph 4 does not apply in relation to any question asked by or on behalf of a person, in the course of their duties as a superior officer in relation to a member of His Majesty’s forces (“A”), where- Full speech
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Enactments relating to the assessment of compensation Full speech
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(a) the Defence Housing Service were a local authority within the meaning of that Act, and Full speech
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(4) In section 109 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 (offences relating to protective orders made outwith Scotland), in subsection (4) (relevant UK orders)- Full speech
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“Within one month of the passage of this Act, the Secretary of State must lay a Defence Investment Plan before both Houses of Parliament.”- (Mr Francois.) Full speech
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“(3) The following provisions extend to Scotland only- Full speech
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(viii) a combined county authority established under section 9(1) of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.”- (Al Carns.) Full speech
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(a) may make a service image deletion order in respect of a photograph or film to which the offence relates, and Full speech
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(2) References to that Schedule are to be read as references to that Schedule as modified by this paragraph. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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(8) A service domestic abuse protection order may provide that if, following an assessment required under subsection (7), the person carrying out the assessment determines that the defendant should participate in a programme of activities, then the defendant is required to participate in that programme of activities.” Full speech
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(b) section 13 applies with the modification specified in subsection (2)(a) above; Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendments 38 and 39. Full speech
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(4) In this section, the following terms have the same meanings as in the Armed Forces Act 2006- Full speech
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(a) the order must not require the step to be taken before the end of the relevant appeal period in relation to the conviction or order, and Full speech
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“(4) The following provisions extend to Northern Ireland only- Full speech
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(3) A person who is no longer subject to service law, or a civilian who is no longer subject to service discipline, who commits an offence under this section is, if guilty of the offence, liable- Full speech
I should like to quote a few words from the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty), speaking just a couple of months ago in this Chamber: “This month marks 20 years since I returned from serving on Operation Telic 7 in Iraq. While I was there, we patrolled Basra in Snatch Land Rovers, and 34 British soldiers died in Snatch Land Rovers. They were called “mobile coffins” and “suicide wagons” for a reason. In 2006, it was highlighted to the Government that those vehicles were unsuitable, and ... Full speech
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(b) section 66AB (taking or recording intimate photograph or film); Full speech
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(c) the person resides in Northern Ireland. Full speech
My right hon. Friend is of course a former MOD Minister himself and represents a large number of service personnel. It is obvious from his intervention that he understands the issue very well. What he has just asked me is wholly in line with the spirit of our amendment. My hon. Friend the Member for Solihull West and Shirley unfortunately has a competing commitment this afternoon with the Justice Committee and the report on jury trial, which I hope the House accepts is a very important matter. H... Full speech
I thank all Members who have spoken today for their contributions and for upholding cross-party support for our armed forces. The Bill takes significant steps to improve the conditions of service life, and renews the contract between our nation and those who serve. It delivers on a manifesto promise to extend the armed forces covenant to every area of Government-from three to 12 policy areas. We will go further, backed by a £9 billion defence housing strategy, to build, renew and repair tens of ... Full speech
My hon. Friend is bearing out the point that there are real-world examples of this issue coming into play, and he has done the Committee a service by reiterating that. The Minister for Veterans and People kindly met me and my hon. Friend the Member for Solihull West and Shirley (Dr Shastri-Hurst) last month to discuss whether the Government might be able to do more on this subject, and in fact the Minister for the Armed Forces referred to that meeting in his remarks a few minutes ago. During the... Full speech
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(4) The court may make a service image deletion order in relation to any other photograph or film- Full speech
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(ii) for the words from ‘, having given notice’ to the end there were substituted ‘has given notice to the Secretary of State of the person’s objection to the making of the vesting order’; Full speech
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“(d) sections 93ZB(1)(a), 93ZC(1) and 93ZD(4).”- ( Al Carns .) Full speech
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(c) Part 6 of that Schedule, in relation to Northern Ireland.” Full speech
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(3) References to the council which proposes to acquire land otherwise than by agreement are to be read as references to the Defence Housing Service. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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“(aa) section 3 and Schedule 1;”.- (Al Carns.) Full speech
I thank my hon. Friend for her valuable intervention and for sharing her experience, with so many military families living in her constituency, and I agree with her. New clause 13 focuses on single living accommodation, which is often of a relatively temporary nature. Our focus really needs to be on the catastrophic situation in family homes up and down the country, which we both saw on a visit down south. Service families deserve high-quality housing that meets military operational requirements... Full speech
The continuous attitude survey is a survey of service personnel, but a review is quite different, as I am sure the right hon. Gentleman appreciates. We are talking about an independent review, which is not the same thing. On housing, I want to be specific. The Government’s commitment to improving service family accommodation is welcome, but new clause 13 exists because single living accommodation has for too long been treated as a secondary concern. For a significant proportion of serving person... Full speech
I hope to provide the detail on why new clause 5, tabled by the hon. Member for Huntingdon, is not appropriate in this Bill. The Home Office must take on this work and responsibility, which is why the armed forces covenant has been put in place. We must make sure that all Departments take their responsibilities seriously, but this Bill is not the mechanism for doing so. Full speech
I call the Chair of the Defence Committee. Full speech
I place on record my thanks to the shadow Minister, the APPG and others for their work on this matter. I have constituents-I am very proud to represent Weeton barracks-who have had to make that choice because of the postcode lottery to which my right hon. Friend refers. Whether an LEA accepts the transfer is down to its discretion. That is such an important point, and I thank him for making it. Full speech
I thank the hon. Lady for giving way, and apologise for interrupting her flow. The point about consistency across the UK is important, and I support the creation of a veterans commissioner for England. In Scotland, the role is particularly important, because the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans in the Scottish Government is not a veteran, but a career politician. I think he moved from working for the party to working for an MSP, so that is the difference. The commissioner is a re... Full speech
Mr Martin, are you hoping to contribute today, or do we just have the pleasure of your company? Full speech
They told us as a Committee-I am looking round the House for nods of assent from others who were on the visit, and I am getting them-that it was a problem, and it was cramping the ability to hold court martials. All we were trying to do was justify the cost of the train ticket to the taxpayer and prove that we had listened to what we were told on the visit, so I do not quite take the Minister’s sanguine approach that there are plenty of officers to go round. I will not hammer the nail any furthe... Full speech
That is one of the reasons for these amendments and other provisions in the Bill. In the past, personnel had to leave the regular forces to join the reserves and leave the reserves to join the regular forces. We want to create a seamless transition, which will reduce the 60 pages of administrative burden that my hon. Friend had to fill in to a much more seamless transition between regular and reserve services, mirroring other nations across the world that do it quite well. We need a system that ... Full speech
This weekend, just over two years after leaving the military, I received my recall notification. I managed to update the details within it. At the same time, I was presented with nearly 60 pages-worth of forms to complete just to take on a reserve service commitment. Does my hon. and gallant Friend agree that there is still some way to go and that the amendments should perhaps speak of movement between reserve forces and regular forces, rather than the other way round? Full speech
I entirely agree with my right hon. Friend. We would all like to know when we are going to have it, but the reason we do not have it is simple. It is not that the staff work has not been completed-it has. It is not that the programmes have not been costed-they have. The fundamental problem is that while Ministers say they are working flat out and knocking themselves out on it, and are reduced to euphemisms about how hard they are working, it was actually done months ago. The problem is that the ... Full speech
The Bill makes great strides in Ministry of Defence housing standards, and the enshrinement of the covenant is to be lauded. However, I cannot help but feel that there is a sense of strategic lethargy, with a lack of serious worked-through policies to tackle the crisis in recruitment and retention. For example, from what I can see, there is no mention of incentives or bonuses. Is that an oversight or a deliberate decision to put those issues on the back burner? To put it another way, are the Gov... Full speech
The amendment to bring the Greater London Authority within scope of the covenant duty focuses my mind on the fact that this Bill applies the covenant to all local authorities in all parts of the United Kingdom, except the district councils in Northern Ireland. Why is it that the only councils excluded from the ambit of the covenant are in Northern Ireland? Why has the Minister not tabled an amendment-I have previously raised this with him-to include those councils? Full speech
I will make some progress. New clause 2 would require the Secretary of State to lay a defence investment plan before both Houses of Parliament. The Prime Minister has been very clear that the defence investment plan will be published before the NATO summit, and we are working hard to finalise it. I recommend that the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) reads the NAO report which says that when we came into government, we were left a huge deficit and 47 out of 49 major progr... Full speech
I welcome the many amendments tabled to this Bill, the first of which is the Government’s amendment to include the Greater London Authority among bodies that must apply the covenant duty. As a London MP and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on the armed forces community, which has supported the campaign to ensure that military compensation is not treated as income for the purposes of welfare means-testing by local councils, I strongly welcome this step to ensure that the covenant applie... Full speech
It has been a pleasure to serve on the Select Committee set up to scrutinise this important legislation, which, as Members will know, renews our mandate for a standing Army and takes important strides on the covenant, service housing and service justice. The thrust of my speech will be against new clause 2, which is an attempt by the Opposition to play a political game with the timing of the publication of the crucial defence investment plan. First, I pay tribute to the armed forces community ac... Full speech
I am proud to be a Labour and Co-operative MP for a Cornish constituency with a strong military heritage. More than 30,000 Cornish residents have served or are serving in the armed forces. That is more than 6% of the population-nearly double the national average. I am also proud to have sat on the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill. The Committee heard evidence from a number of witnesses, who informed our report, and I am pleased that the majority of the recommendations have been taken fo... Full speech
I do not want to pre-empt what will no doubt be an erudite speech, but the key point is that there is a mechanism for doing this-we are halfway there. If service parents get a transfer order a few months in advance, then unless they can be certain that the receiving LEA will accept their EHCP, which they may have gone through a bureaucratic minefield to achieve-I am sure we all have individual examples from our constituencies-are they going to risk it? Will they stick or twist? Or will they leav... Full speech
I commend the hon. Gentleman on his speech. The Minister knows this, because he has practical experience and knowledge of Northern Ireland, but we want to see the covenant in its totality there. The hon. Member for Stevenage (Kevin Bonavia) is right that want it to be the same, whether in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Portadown-or Newtownards in my constituency. There are anomalies in Northern Ireland. For instance, a veteran who has served in and has now left the forces should be getting priori... Full speech
All experience of military life is valuable, but speaking as someone without military experience, I still think that something can be brought to the table by those who do not have such experience. However, I take the hon. Gentleman’s point, and I am sure the Scottish Government will have heard it put on record. The Royal British Legion launched a campaign to create the role of veterans commissioner for England back in 2023. The last Conservative Government accepted that request, and in 2024, the... Full speech
I am privileged to be called in this debate. I start by declaring my interests as a reservist and as the author of a book called “Tommy This an’ Tommy That: The military covenant”-which is sadly no longer in print, but is available, I am told, from good charity shops. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois). said, the covenant is not about advantaging the men and women of our armed forces, but about not disadvantaging them. It is important to make that clear. S... Full speech
Again, my right hon. Friend makes a very important point: allowing tri-service boards increases the potential pool, even of senior officers, who can serve. When we made that visit, the Minister was not able to be with us. That is no criticism; he is an MOD Minister, and he has a lot to think about-he has a great deal to think about at the moment-but he was not able to be there on that visit, so he did not hear it from the horse’s mouth. This issue was raised with us by practitioners in the servi... Full speech
My hon. and gallant Friend is making an excellent speech. I apologise for intervening so early on, but I want to put on record my thanks to him for the work that he has done to support housing for veterans. I worked for a homeless charity in Harlow, where we had a number of veterans who needed this support. Does he recognise that as well as the massive upgrade that this Government are making to veterans’ housing, it is really important that we support veterans with their mental health, particula... Full speech
On new clause 5, we do not yet have the date for the second day on this Bill for Report and Third Reading, but it seems likely that it will be before the summer recess on 16 July. Taking the Minister at his word, and knowing where his heart lies on this issue, will he give the House an assurance that when we get that second day-whenever it is-and we table a similar amendment on Report, he will be able to come back to us with some progress, including with the Home Office? Full speech
I recognise that the Minister wants to deliver this manifesto commitment as much as I do. However, after two years we have made little progress, mostly due to the machinery of government within the Home Office. This new clause was tabled some time ago, and the Government have had ample opportunity to refine the detail of it in order to make it acceptable to be voted on this evening and passed by the Government. Why have the Government taken no steps to work with me to get this measure across the... Full speech
My hon. Friend raises questions for the Minister to answer in closing the debate, but recruitment and retention are key concerns and have been a sort of crisis in the armed forces for many years. In the context of authorising the maximum numbers of service personnel, it is reasonable that Parliament should be told how the Government plan to treat those people in service. New clause 9 would require publication of a retention strategy alongside the authorisation. It is a modest proposal, and the c... Full speech
I thank the Minister and his team at the Ministry of Defence for their engagement with the Defence Committee on this legislation, including the helpful briefing they gave us ahead of Second Reading. I also thank the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill, chaired by my good friend the Member for Eltham and Chislehurst (Clive Efford). He and the other Select Committee members have done incredible work. I place on record my thanks to my Defence Committee colleagues, the hon. and gallant Members... Full speech
As ever, the hon. Member speaks up not just for his constituents, but for the welfare of the armed forces community in Northern Ireland, and I am sure this Government will treat them with the respect they deserve. In my area, Stevenage borough council has signed the armed forces covenant. However, this is not just about a piece of paper; it is about working to turn that commitment into something real. We are working with the armed forces community, including with initiatives such as the Muster P... Full speech
On that point, will the right hon. Gentleman give way? Full speech
The difference is that, while people in civilian life sometimes have to move jobs at the behest of their employer, service personnel are ordered to go. They really have no choice: once they have been posted, they have to go. Therefore, in ordering them to go, the state should have a moral obligation to deal with the consequences for special needs children. Does the hon. Member accept that that is a difference between service and civilian life, and that under the principle of “no disadvantage” in... Full speech
As a fellow Co-operative Member, I agree that credit unions can do so much and are very important. I certainly agree that if members of the armed forces could be signposted towards them, that would be beneficial to them. Full speech
I am sure the Minister will like to pay tribute to Alabaré, which does great work for service veterans in and around my constituency. However, will he ensure that we do not give the false impression that all veterans are homeless and have mental health problems? Nothing could be further from the truth. Happily, the great majority of people leaving our armed forces are well sorted in their life, and in robust mental health. That is important, since we need to attract people to join our armed forc... Full speech
No, the hon. Gentleman has had his go. The Committee may remember that we were promised that the DIP would be published in the autumn; then, we were faithfully promised it by Christmas; and then we were absolutely, definitely going to get it in the new year. But here we are in June-and, incredibly, still no DIP. Full speech
I apologise for interrupting so early, but before the Minister gets into his stride, I would like to place firmly on the record that we are debating legislation of material importance, relating to the care of our armed forces, and yet again, there is no Reform Member of Parliament present. Does the Minister agree that there is a massive irony here? These plastic patriots love to wrap themselves in the flag, but they cannot be bothered to turn up in Parliament to debate the fate of those who serv... Full speech
I agree. To support that, I would say that the MOD is updating and strengthening the statutory guidance-as far as possible, it should cover all parts of the United Kingdom-to include that clear and prominent explanation of what having due regard to the covenant principles means. The guidance should explain how service-related disadvantage may arise in practice and how special provision can be applied within relevant policy areas. Full speech
I reiterate the fact that there are no Members here from the party led by the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), in particular because so many of the local authorities responsible for implementing the armed forces covenant are led by that particular party. It is grossly incompetent that they are not here to listen and learn. Full speech
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson. Full speech
The right hon. Member is making a powerful point, and it is something I hope that I can expand on as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on the armed forces community. We have worked extensively with the Department for Education on this matter, and I hope to be able to address the right hon. Member’s concerns in my speech later. Does he recognise that special educational needs and disability policy should fall under the Department for Education, and that the point of the armed forces ... Full speech
My hon. and gallant Friend is talking about the support that the Government are giving to veterans, and about improving their housing situation. In my constituency, the East Sussex Veterans’ Hub, which provides really valuable support for local veterans, has just received a grant of half a million pounds to scale up its work, and convert disused office block accommodation in Hastings town centre into supported accommodation for over 14 veterans, which is amazing. Will he join me in paying tribut... Full speech
Thank you, Ms Nokes. I will not cut across your ruling, but I do nevertheless say that I wholly agree with the hon. Member for North Warwickshire and Bedworth (Rachel Taylor). During the process of the Bill so far, we in His Majesty’s Opposition have sought to act as critical friends, agreeing with the Government when we think they have done the right thing and probing them when we think they could perhaps have done better. The Government have now tabled some 81 new clauses and amendments in tot... Full speech
I will move it, Ma’am! New Clause 5 Waived fees for indefinite leave to remain for spouses or dependants of serving or discharged member of the armed forces “(1) The Immigration Act 2014 is amended as follows. (2) In section 68, after subsection (11) insert- “11A Fees may not be charged No fees may be charged in respect of a serving or previously serving member of the armed forces or their family members applying for indefinite leave to remain under the Immigration Rules Appendix HM Armed Forces... Full speech
In a moment. The plan allowed industry to make rational decisions about where to invest, helped to improve the morale of our armed forces by letting them know about the new equipment they could expect to come into service, and had an important deterrent effect on our potential adversaries by laying out exactly what we intended to buy for the defence of the realm. All those things have now been put at risk by a year of the Government’s endless prevarication and inaction. Full speech
I commend that fantastic question. Yes, I have seen the defence investment plan. Importantly, we are primarily focused on learning the lessons from Ukraine and acting upon them-something that the last Government failed to do at the right scale, hence why I left the military. New clauses 1 and 6 seek to exempt members of the reserve forces deployed on operations from the ECHR, and would require any future Secretary of State to consider whether to make a derogation under article 15. The UK has bin... Full speech
On Second Reading, I spoke about the armed forces covenant and the importance of translating our gratitude to those who serve into practical support. Today, I am proud to speak in support of the Government’s housing measures in clause 3 and the associated amendments, which address perhaps the most tangible test of whether we are keeping our side of the bargain with our armed forces community: the homes they live in. As the Member for Aldershot, the home of the British Army, I represent around 1,... Full speech
I remind Conservative Members that clause 12 of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, introduced by the previous Government, would have required any future Secretary of State to consider whether to make a derogation under article 15 in relation to significant overseas operations. The previous Government removed elements of clause 12 during the Bill’s final stages, because concerns were raised that the provision risked damaging the UK’s reputation for upholding the rule o... Full speech
I begin by offering my deepest thoughts and prayers to the family, friends and colleagues of the British soldier who tragically died in Iraq on Sunday. The world we live in today is more perilous, volatile and unpredictable than at any point in our living memory. We saw that last night, when Russia fired more than 650 drones and 73 missiles into Ukraine, killing 13 people and injuring more than 100, including a little girl aged only 11. In this fragmented world, a strong, modern, highly capable ... Full speech
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This new clause would require the Secretary of State to lay a Defence Investment Plan before both Houses of Parliament within a month of the passage of this Act. Full speech
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This amendment reflects amendments of the Stalking Protection Act 2019 made by the Crime and Policing Act 2026. Full speech
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“land” , in relation to Northern Ireland, has the meaning given by section 45(1)(a) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (c. 33 (N.I.)); Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. This amendment is also consequential on Amendment 30. Full speech
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This amendment reflects amendments of the Stalking Protection Act 2019 made by the Crime and Policing Act 2026. Full speech
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(a) in the heading, after “disciplinary” insert “and other”;”.- (Al Carns.) Full speech
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(b) where an appeal against the conviction or order is brought or an application for leave to bring such an appeal is made, the offender is not required to take the step until the appeal is finally determined or withdrawn or the application for leave is refused. Full speech
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(b) must give reasons if there is an image to which the offence relates in respect of which it does not make a service image deletion order. Full speech
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(7) Paragraph 12(2) applies as if, for ‘the clerk of the council’, there were substituted ‘such person as the Defence Housing Service may designate for the purposes of this Schedule’. Full speech
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(a) in sub-paragraph (1), ‘such’ and ‘as may be prescribed’ were omitted; Full speech
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(c) after sub-paragraph (c), there were inserted ‘and each notice published or served under this paragraph must specify the period within which objections to the proposal may be made to the Secretary of State’. Full speech
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(b) the person is no longer subject to service law or a civilian subject to service discipline. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 84. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 8. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 11. Full speech
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“(ai) in the words before paragraph (a), after “(1)(b)” insert “or (c)”;”. Full speech
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(b) it was in the offender’s possession, or under the offender’s control, as a result of that request. Full speech
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(c) references to the taking of administrative action include the making of any decision as to whether to take such action.””- (Al Carns.) Full speech
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(b) the reference in paragraph (4) to the court which made the order is to be read as a reference to the Crown Court. Full speech
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(4) Paragraphs 1, 19 and 20(2) are to be treated as omitted. Full speech
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(ii) the conduct of investigations in connection with the bringing of such proceedings; Full speech
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“subject to service law” (see section 374 of that Act).””- ( Al Carns .) Full speech
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“(ca) an offence under section 232K (failure to comply with a service image deletion order) committed by a person within subsection (2) of that section;”.”- (Al Carns.) Full speech
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(2) References to that Schedule are to be read as references to that Schedule as modified by this paragraph. Full speech
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“to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974”. Full speech
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This amendment ensures that a person subject to notification requirements in Northern Ireland in relation to a service stalking protection order (under changes to Northern Ireland legislation made by Amendment 84) is not also subject to notification requirements in England and Wales. Full speech
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(2) A person subject to service law, or a civilian subject to service discipline, who commits an offence under this section is, if guilty of the offence, liable to any punishment mentioned in the Table in section 164, but a sentence of imprisonment imposed in respect of the offence must not exceed five years. Full speech
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(a) section 197 (provisions as to churches and burial grounds); Full speech
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This new clause amends the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 to ensure defence housing standards apply to single living accommodation . Full speech
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(b) which is a semen-defaced image of the subject of the photograph or film to which the offence relates, or Full speech
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are to be read as references to the Secretary of State. Full speech
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(1B) References in this section to the acquisition of land or rights over land include the vesting of the land or rights under an order made under subsection (1A).” Full speech
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““subsections (1) and (2)” substitute “subsection (1)”.”- (Al Carns.) Full speech
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This new clause reinstates a duty, removed during passage of the Overseas Operations Act 2021, requiring the Secretary of State to consider derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights during significant overseas operations. Full speech
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This amendment provides for service restraining orders to be enforceable as equivalent orders in Scotland and Northern Ireland in certain circumstances. The Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 is also amended to avoid overlapping enforcement regimes. Full speech
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(a) in relation to an appeal from a decision of the Court Martial, the period within which an application for leave to appeal must be lodged (but ignoring any power for that period to be extended); Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendments 38 and 39. Full speech
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(a) in paragraph (b), at the end insert “but not an order treated as having been made under that section by virtue of section 5B of that Act (service restraining orders)”; Full speech
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(6) In this section “defence purposes” has the meaning given by section 343E(8).”- ( Al Carns. ) Full speech
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(c) “internet service” has the meaning given by section 228 of that Act (and section 204(1) of that Act applies). Full speech
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(3) In this Article, the following terms have the same meanings as in the Armed Forces Act 2006- Full speech
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(d) in sub-paragraph (2), for ‘as may be prescribed’ there were substituted ‘as the Secretary of State considers appropriate’. Full speech
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(b) the person is no longer subject to service law or a civilian subject to service discipline. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 51. Full speech
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(1) A service image deletion order must specify, in respect of each step the order requires the offender to take, the date by which the step must be taken (and different dates may be specified in respect of different steps). Full speech
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(ii) is taken for the purpose of rehabilitating, censoring or sanctioning another member of His Majesty’s forces of inferior rank in order to safeguard or restore the operational effectiveness and efficiency of those forces; Full speech
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(a) for the words before sub-paragraph (a) there were substituted ‘Where the Secretary of State proposes to acquire land otherwise than by agreement, the Secretary of State’s notice of intention to do so-’; Full speech
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(b) the manner in which information is to be given; Full speech
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(b) in paragraph (e), at the end insert “but not an order treated as having been made under that section by virtue of section 363A of that Act (service restraining orders)”. Full speech
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“by Defence Housing Service or Secretary of State: England and Wales”. Full speech
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(b) in relation to an appeal from a decision of the Service Civilian Court, the initial period for bringing an appeal mentioned in section 285(3)(b) (28 days from date of sentence). Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 11. Full speech
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(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), a photograph or film is put beyond use if- Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 63. Full speech
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45 (1) Schedule 6 to the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 (c. 9 (N.I.)) applies to the compulsory acquisition of land by the Secretary of State by means of an order under section 343I(4) of this Act as it applies to the acquisition of land by means of an order under section 97 of that Act, subject as follows. Full speech
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(a) section 66AA (sharing semen-defaced images); Full speech
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This amendment reflects amendments of the Stalking Protection Act 2019 made by the Crime and Policing Act 2026. Full speech
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“(3) In Schedule 3 (protection for spent alternatives to prosecution: Scotland), after paragraph 7 insert- Full speech
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(c) sections 224 to 227 (extinguishment of rights of way, and rights as to apparatus, of statutory undertakers). Full speech
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(b) proposes to acquire the land otherwise than by agreement, Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendments 38 and 39. Full speech
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(2) In consequence of the amendment made by subsection (1), in section 50 of AFA 2006 (jurisdiction of the Court Martial), in subsection (2), after paragraph (c) insert- Full speech
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This amendment and Amendment 9 specify further local authorities in England which must have regard to the matters which comprise the armed forces covenant when exercising certain functions. Full speech
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(c) section 67A(3A) and (3B) (meaning of references to a person breast-feeding a child) ignoring, for these purposes, references to the intention of the person who recorded the photograph or film. Full speech
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(a) requires land in Northern Ireland for defence purposes, and Full speech
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(a) a person is subject to an order made by the Court Martial or the Service Civilian Court under section 229 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (a “service restraining order”), and Full speech
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(i) an order made under section 236N of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (a “service stalking protection order”), other than one made on conviction of the person for an offence, or Full speech
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(ii) in subsection (6)(b), the reference to the time the order is made were to the date on which the person first resides in Northern Ireland after ceasing to be subject to service law or a civilian subject to service discipline. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 66. Full speech
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“(A1) In section 229(1) of AFA 2006, omit paragraph (b) and the “and” before it.” Full speech
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(a) in relation to England or Wales, have the same meanings as in section 19 of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981; Full speech
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This amendment and Amendment 67 ensure that a service stalking protection order may be made against a person who is before a service court in respect of an offence, even if they have left the armed forces. Full speech
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(b) in head (ii) of that sub-paragraph, for ‘refuse’ there were substituted ‘decide not’; Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 80. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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(13) Paragraph 15(1) applies as if for ‘the prescribed form’ there were substituted ‘such form as the Secretary of State may direct’.”- ( Al Carns.) Full speech
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(2) Paragraphs (3A) to (7) of Article 7 apply to the service restraining order as they apply to an order under that Article, with the following modifications- Full speech
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“(vii) a combined authority established under section 103 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, or Full speech
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““single living accommodation”” means any building or part of a building which is provided for the use of a person subject to service law or a civilian subject to service discipline as living accommodation, but which is not service family accommodation;”.” - (James MacCleary.) Full speech
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(b) in sub-paragraph (c), for ‘as may be prescribed’ there were substituted ‘as the Secretary of State considers appropriate’; Full speech
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Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 Full speech
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“(7A) Section 9 does not apply in relation to a service stalking protection order or interim service stalking protection order to which a person is subject if section 14 of the Protection from Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 applies in relation to that order by virtue of section 16A of that Act.” Full speech
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(4) References to the Ministry concerned are to be read as references to the Secretary of State. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement to Amendment 28. Full speech
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(2) This section also applies where a person’s attempt, agreement or encouragement or assistance, or a person’s aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring, in relation to an offence specified in any of paragraphs (a) to (g) of subsection (1) is an offence under section 42 by reason of section 43, 45, 46 or 47. Full speech
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“by a service domestic abuse protection order impose any requirements that the court considers”. Full speech
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(c) which shows the subject of the photograph or film to which the offence relates breast-feeding a child. Full speech
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(a) the reference in paragraph (3A) to the prosecution, and the reference in paragraph (4) to the prosecutor, are to be read as references to the Chief Constable; Full speech
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the Secretary of State may make an order vesting the land in the Secretary of State. Full speech
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This is a clarifying amendment to the heading of section 4 of the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987. Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 Full speech
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See the explanatory statement for Amendment 10. Full speech
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This amendment provides further clarification as to what guidance given under new section 320D of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (inserted by clause 25) should contain. Full speech
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(a) section 13 applies as if, in subsection (5), the words “the clerk of petty sessions or” were omitted; Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 30. Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on the offence created by the amendments made by clause 21 (power to impose post-charge conditions on persons not in service detention), so as to ensure the Court Martial will have jurisdiction in relation to the offence. Full speech
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(1) It is an offence for a person in respect of whom a service image deletion order made under section 232I is in force to fail without reasonable excuse to comply with any requirement included in the order. Full speech
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(2) Paragraph 5(1) does not apply in relation to any obligation to disclose an alternative to prosecution that has become spent, or any ancillary circumstances, imposed for purposes related to the taking of administrative action. Full speech
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This amendment provides for clause 3 and Schedule 1, which establish the Defence Housing Service, to come into force on Royal Assent. Full speech
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(c) in relation to Northern Ireland, has the same meaning as in the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (c.11 (N.I.)).” Full speech
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(a) in relation to England or Wales, has the same meaning as in Part 13 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (see section 293 of that Act); Full speech
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(1) A service image deletion order is an order which- Full speech
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(a) which shows, or appears to show, the subject of the photograph or film to which the offence relates in an intimate state, Full speech
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(9) Paragraph 6(2) applies as if, for the words from ‘fund out of which’ to the end, there were substituted ‘Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom (in this Schedule “the compensation fund”), and discharged by the Secretary of State’. Full speech
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“Her Majesty’s forces” has the same meaning as in the Armed Forces Act 2006 (see section 374 of that Act).’” - (Mr Francois.) Full speech
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(5) Part 7 of Schedule 11A makes further provision in relation to the compulsory acquisition of land by the Secretary of State by means of an order under subsection (3). Full speech
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(a) on summary conviction in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates’ court, or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both); Full speech
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(4) Sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) do not apply in relation to an alternative to prosecution given to a person at a time when they were not a member of His Majesty’s forces. Full speech
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(a) Part 4 of Schedule 11A, in relation to England and Wales; Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 11. Full speech
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(5) The following provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 apply for the purposes of this section- Full speech
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(i) the reference to the prosecutor at whose instance the order is made were to the procurator fiscal; Full speech
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This amendment is consequential on Amendment 51. Full speech
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(c) section 14 applies with the modifications specified in subsection (2)(b) above. Full speech
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“(c) after paragraph (a) of subsection (2) there were inserted- Full speech
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(3A) Guidance of the kind mentioned in subsection (3)(b) must in particular address the need to ensure that information is given- Full speech