Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Defence – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 17 October 2005.

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Photo of Sarah McCarthy-Fry Sarah McCarthy-Fry Labour, Portsmouth North 2:30, 17 October 2005

Portsmouth is, of course, the home of the Royal Navy, and I have spoken to serving naval officers and ratings who greatly appreciate the scheme. Their concern is that fewer and fewer MPs have active service experience, and they think that the scheme enables us to understand the lives of servicemen and women and what they have to do. I should like there to be even greater participation: does the Minister think that there are barriers to participation for Members, and how can we overcome them?