Lords Amendments to the Armed Forces Bill

Session 2010 - 12
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Lords Amendments to the Armed Forces Bill

LORDS amendments to the
Armed Forces Bill
[The page and line references are to HL Bill 76, the bill as first printed for the Lords.]
Clause 2
1
Page 2, line 3, leave out from “section” to “Armed” in line 4 and insert “343 of AFA

2006 insert—

“Part 16A

Armed forces covenant report

343A"

2
Page 2, line 11, after “housing;” insert—

“( )
in the operation of inquests;”
3
Page 2, line 22, at end insert—

“(3A)
For the purposes of preparing an armed forces covenant report, the

Secretary of State must obtain the views of any relevant government

department, and seek the views of any relevant devolved administration,

in relation to the effects to be covered by the report.

(3B)
An armed forces covenant report must—

(a)
set out in full or summarise the views of a relevant government

department or relevant devolved administration obtained pursuant

to subsection (3A); and

(b)
where the views of a relevant devolved administration have been

sought but not obtained, state that fact.

(3C)
The Secretary of State may not include in an armed forces covenant report

a summary under subsection (3B)(a) unless the relevant government

department or relevant devolved administration has approved the

summary.”

Bill 232 55/1

2
4
Page 2, line 40, leave out subsections (7) to (9)
5
Page 3, line 26, at end insert—

“343B
Interpretation of Part

(1)
In section 343A “service people” means—

(a)
members of the regular forces and the reserve forces;

(b)
members of British overseas territory forces who are subject to

service law;

(c)
former members of any of Her Majesty’s forces who are ordinarily

resident in the United Kingdom; and

(d)
relevant family members.

(2)
In section 343A “relevant government department”, in relation to an effect

to be covered by an armed forces covenant report, means a department of

the Government of the United Kingdom (apart from the Ministry of

Defence) which the Secretary of State considers has functions relevant to

that effect.

(3)
In section 343A “relevant devolved administration”, in relation to an effect

to be covered by an armed forces covenant report, means whichever of the

following the Secretary of State considers to have functions relevant to that

effect—

(a)
the Scottish Executive;

(b)
the Northern Ireland departments;

(c)
the Welsh Assembly Government.

(4)
In this Part—

“British overseas territory force” means any of Her Majesty’s forces

that is raised under the law of a British overseas territory;

“membership or former membership” of a force, in relation to a

person, includes any service in that force that that person is

undertaking, undertook or may be expected to be called on to

undertake;

“relevant family members” means such descriptions of persons

connected with service members, or with persons who were service

members, as the Secretary of State considers should be covered by

a report or part of a report;

“service member” means a person who falls within any of paragraphs

(a) to (c) of subsection (1).

(5)
Any reference in this Part to membership or former membership of the

armed forces is to be read, in relation to a person who is—

(a)
a service member, or

(b)
a relevant family member by reason of connection with a person

who is or was a service member,


as a reference to the service member’s membership or former membership

of a force mentioned in subsection (1).”
After Clause 23
6
Insert the following new Clause—

3

“Commonwealth medals

After section 339 of AFA 2006 insert—

“339A
Commonwealth medals

Medals awarded by Commonwealth governments, including the

Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal, to present or former members of Her

Majesty’s armed forces and other Crown servants may be worn

without restriction.””

4