Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 4:45 pm on 22 January 2004.

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Photo of Mike Gapes Mike Gapes Labour/Co-operative, Ilford South 4:45, 22 January 2004

I apologise because I was not here at the beginning of the debate. I have been involved in matters concerning the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. I also have to leave to take an urgent telephone call at 5 pm. Unfortunately, I shall be absent for a short period, so I apologise to the House.

I was a member of the Select Committee on Defence from 1999 to 2001, and I am now again a member of the Committee, and I want to say something about what I have seen as a member of it. Although I welcome many of the Bill's provisions, I want to explain my reservations. I agree with the case that was eloquently put by my hon. Friend Rachel Squire, a fellow Select Committee member.

I saw in Sierra Leone the conditions in which British service personnel lived. I saw the appalling conditions that our people in Kuwait had to experience, and I have seen in operations in Kosovo and elsewhere the professionalism and excellence of our servicemen and women. When we introduce such a change, it is important that we ensure that it does not have adverse effects on the morale and expectations of the men and women in our services. I hope that the Minister will be able to assure me that everything will be done over the coming weeks and months to explain what is happening and to deal in Committee with issues that Members on both sides have raised in the debate.

The Bill is not perfect, and it is necessary to consider the points raised by members of the armed services, by the Forces Pension Society and in the Select Committee's report. Problems are clearly associated with any change to any pension system. If changes are made, there will be losers as well as winners. If one adopts a process that is based on cost neutrality, improvements for some people will inevitably be made at the expense of others. The Select Committee had to point out that fact of life.

As the Select Committee pointed out, the proposals involve some welcome improvements. It says:

"For personnel who die or who are injured in the service of their country, for personnel who choose not to marry, but have a registered unmarried partnership, and for personnel whose actual salaries are greater than the representative salaries for their rank, there are undoubted advantages to the new schemes over those currently in operation."

There are also advantages for dependants, as is pointed out in paragraph 138 of the Select Committee report. It is important that those points are made because, from some of the comments made today, one would think that the Ministry of Defence's whole intention was to penalise, and take away from, people serving in our forces.

Like my colleagues, I dissociate myself from the outrageous remarks of Mr. Wilkinson, who is not in his place. In the 21st century—perhaps even in the 20th and 19th centuries—such remarks are not and were not in tune with the thinking of a large proportion of the population. It is time for right hon. and hon. Members in all parts of the House to recognise that homosexuals have served in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force throughout history. Some lost their lives doing so, while others led our armed forces into combat and on to great victories. That is true of the Napoleonic wars, the second world war and more recent conflicts. Their contribution should be recognised equally with that of all those who have been prepared to put their lives at risk for our country.