Speeches by Maguire.

“I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. I apologise for not being here at the start of the sitting; I was in the Etherton review debate in the main Chamber, contributing on important LGBTQ+ issues. I see that my amendments fell in my absence, and I hope that nothing detrimental was said about my absence, …”

“On amendment 3, we feel that the financial and practical assistance of the commissioner must be absolutely appropriate. It is crucial that there is this resource, and that the commissioner can carry out the dual role of both promoting the welfare of service personnel and their families and improving public awareness of…”

“I thank the Minister for providing the reassurances that I think the Committee needs in order to ensure that there is absolute scrutiny. It is good to hear that there will be pre-appointment scrutiny by the Defence Committee. We hope that that will ensure that the commissioner who is appointed is truly independent. I b…”

“I beg to move amendment 5, in schedule 1, page 8, leave out lines 15 and 16 and insert— “3 A relevant Parliamentary select committee will hold a pre-appointment hearing with the Secretary of State’s preferred candidate for Commissioner. 3A The select committee may hold a confirmatory vote on the Secretary of State’s pr…”

“I thank the Minister for his reassurances. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.”

“I beg to move amendment 6, in clause 1, page 2, line 10, at end insert— “(5) The Secretary of State will, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, publish an intended timeframe for— (a) the appointment of the Commissioner; (b) the abolishing of the office of the Service Complaints Ombudsman; (c) the commencement of …”

“I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”

“I beg to move amendment 7, in clause 1, page 2, line 2, at end insert— “(5A) The Commissioner must— (a) uphold and give due regard to the principles and commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant when carrying out their functions; (b) monitor and report on compliance with the principles and commitments of the Armed Force…”

“My apologies, Madam Deputy Speaker. Michael joined the Royal Air Force at just 16 years old, filled with pride and ambition, and served with distinction for five years before his life was shattered in 1992. After innocently sharing details about attending London clubs, Michael became the target of a covert investigatio…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for the explosive ordnance disposal community. I am delighted to have secured my first Westminster Hall debate. It is an honour to speak under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd, and I welcome the Minister to his place. The United Kingdom’s capacity in explosive …”

“I thank you, Mr Dowd, for your excellent chairmanship of this debate and I thank the Minister for his reassuring responses. I really look forward to working with him on these issues. I thank all hon. Members for their valuable contributions during the debate. It was really helpful that the hon. Member for Strangford (J…”

“T3. One in four people of working age in the UK has a criminal record, for a variety of reasons. Most of these people no longer pose a threat to society, but are still tied to their past by their criminal record and face a lifetime of barriers with employers. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that the crimina…”

“Q One final question, if I may. The chain of command has been raised quite a few times by different individuals and in questioning. How do you see the commissioner interacting with the chain of command in practice, to ensure that it is successful?”

“Q We would all like the Bill’s provisions to be accessible to all service personnel. How can the Secretary of State ensure that it will be accessible to everyone, including reservists, female personnel, the LGBTQ+ community, and non-UK, black and minority ethnic personnel? Luke Pollard: The hon. Lady is a relatively ne…”

“Q We would all like to see a strong and independent commissioner—a real champion for the armed forces. What certainty can we gain that the Secretary of State’s powers, as set out in the Bill, will not undermine the commissioner’s independence? Luke Pollard: We have deliberately drawn the powers to be quite limited. The…”

“Q Maria, the same question to you. You understand the difficulties and challenges that RAF families face. How can the commissioner help support that? Maria Lyle: I will not replay what my colleagues have said. Collette articulated a lot of the challenges that RAF families would also face in terms of their mobility. We …”

“Q Sarah, a very similar question, because I know that you mentioned enabling families to thrive in communities of their choice. How do you feel the commissioner could work to support families to achieve that? Sarah Clewes: It is about just being mindful that not all naval families live around the base port areas. You w…”

“Q Let me ask Air Commodore Harper the same question about the RAF. Do you see any particular challenges not seen in the other services? Air Commodore Simon Harper: I would make two points. There is a community and a family around a particular RAF station, of which there are 24 or 26 in the UK and others elsewhere, but …”

“Q Mandy, are there any particular challenges you see that naval communities face in contrast with the other services? Mandy Harding: It is difficult to know how distinct our challenges are, because I do not know the challenges that the communities of my colleagues face. Somebody told me that the Army tend to work withi…”

“Q I have a few questions. Colonel Doherty, you have travelled throughout the world during your career. You have been to Yemen, Kuwait, Afghanistan and various other places. How do you see the commissioner reaching military personnel serving in other parts of the world? Col. Darren Doherty: The legislation is clear wher…”