New clause 27 - Extension of benefits to members of
Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Bill
11:30 am
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot, Conservative)
I am grateful to you, Mr. Griffiths, and I was proposing to do precisely that. I merely wanted to encompass what has happened in the past few weeks, and to report on what we on the Conservative Benches feel about the progress made. I should also like to thank Government Members for their contributions. I should like, finally, to say to the Minister and the rest of the Committee, that there is still huge doubt—it was expressed by hon. Members of all parties—about transitional arrangements. The Minister has a huge amount of work to do on that.
If you will allow me, Mr. Griffiths, I should like to quote from an email that I received from somebody in the Royal Navy who read the report of our proceedings on 22 January. He said that
''the Hansard report . . . fills me with even more horror. Apart from the fact that it confirms my worst fears I am finding it impossible to get a satisfactory explanation (at the moment) from any corner of the Navy.''
The Minister gave us today that helpful document, and we look forward to reading and judging it in due course.
These have been useful proceedings, and I hope that they will spark a wider public debate, will draw attention to the changes made by the Government, and will be noted by the other place when the Bill proceeds there. Thank you, Mr. Griffiths, for chairing our proceedings so well.
Question put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, to be reported.
Committee rose at twenty-nine minutes to Twelve o'clock.