Clause 1 - Pension and compensation schemes: armed and reserve forces
Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Bill
2:45 pm
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot, Conservative)
The Minister makes an entirely fair point, which I freely confess I did not make in my winding-up speech in the House on Second Reading. Of course the Opposition are not suggesting that every nuance should be subject to primary legislation, because clearly that would be unworkable. However, the Government have offered no alternative but have simply suggested that we give them the power to make whatever changes they want. The Bill contains no constraint on the Government once we have agreed it, so we seek to introduce the Government's own document to reflect outside concerns. It is not a document of our creation, although we have made some relatively modest changes to it. If we had not done so, the Government would have had carte blanche. I believe and I hope that my hon. Friends and the hon. Member for South-East Cornwall will also agree that it is incumbent on the Government to explain why they need these sweeping powers.
The Government would be entirely right to say that the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act was passed in one day in the House on 1 June 1865 without any debate whatever. However, I have never seen the Minister in a Palmerstonian light.