New clause 5 - Report to Parliament (No.1)
Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Bill
4:00 pm
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West, Conservative)
I am not sure that we have had the right debate. The Minister argues that we should not move to a funded scheme and gave plausible reasons to support that. My purpose in tabling the new clause was merely to ask him to consider the feasibility of providing such a scheme. He mentioned the work by the Government Actuary. That suggests that part of the work that the new clause would require of him has been done and, therefore, that it would not be the huge undertaking that it might otherwise have been.
It is undeniable that the issue is important. The Government's total liabilities are a like a time bomb ticking away, and the willingness of the taxpayer to continue to fund them in future cannot be taken for granted. The requirement to meet those liabilities will inevitably mean that expenditure will not be available to maintain the capability of many of the services in the way in which we have before. The Government have recognised that problem and, consequently, have set themselves a target. I am asking them to consider whether the armed forces are an appropriate mechanism with which to reach their target, and to consider the issues that the Minister and other hon. Members have drawn attention to—principally, the question of risk. Those important issues are part of the
current debate and we will probably have to return to them. However, I tabled the new clause to probe the matter and I do not see any value in pressing it now. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion.
Motion and clause, by leave, withdrawn.