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Armed Forces (Parliamentary Approval for Participation in Armed Conflict) Bill

I very much agree with the hon. Gentleman. I have read in the press—I do not know about it personally—that a decorated soldier, having read the leaked legal opinion, is refusing to serve and is being court-martialled. We should not be putting our troops in such situations; it is appalling that any serving officer should feel so worried that he has to refuse to go back to Iraq and therefore be court-martialled. It is our duty to put in place arrangements that ensure that the decision to go to war is more thoroughly considered. The requirement for parliamentary approval for the deployment of the armed forces in conflict would improve our democracy and the quality of our decision making. In conclusion, it is notable that the latest state of the nation poll carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust in 2004 says that 83 per cent. of the people of this country agreed that"““the Prime Minister should be bound by law to seek approval from parliament before committing Britain to war or other military action””" and that just 16 per cent. thought that"““as now the Prime Minister should retain the power to decide whether or not to commit Britain to war or other military action.””"