Backbench Business — [3rd Allotted Day] — UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan
Privilege
1:14 pm
Peter Bone (Wellingborough, Conservative)
I beg to move,
That this House
supports the continued deployment of UK armed forces in Afghanistan.
It is a great honour to move the motion, which was tabled by Natascha Engel, my hon. Friend Mr Hollobone, Mr Anderson and me. It was selected by the Backbench Business Committee for its first full-day debate.
The Committee chose Afghanistan as the subject of this historic debate for two reasons. First, when the country is at war, there can be no issue of greater importance. The putting at risk of the lives of our brave service men and women in a foreign land needs to be the concern of Parliament, and that alone would have been reason enough to select the subject of Afghanistan. As I have said, however, there is a second reason. Parliament has not previously had a chance to debate the war in Afghanistan on a substantive motion, and the Committee felt that there should be a debate in which the views of Parliament could be heard and the House could, if it wished, divide. It is encouraging that so many Members wish to speak, and that three amendments have been tabled by Back- Bench Members of four political parties.