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Armed Forces Bill

Of course the hon. Gentleman is right about operational capabilities, but it does give confidence when things go wrong. My final question relates to clause 343, which is headed ““Exemption from tolls and charges””. It is an extraordinary provision. I speak as a former Minister who was responsible for roads. The clause exempts from tolls and charges bridges, congestion charges, toll roads, road pricing and so on a vehicle that"““belongs to any of Her Majesty’s Forces””." Does that mean that Corporal Jones, going into Amesbury for a pint on Saturday night, will be exempt from paying a charge—not that there is a charge between Bullford barracks and Amesbury? If there were, what would be the position? I do not know because the provision is so broad. Neither the explanatory notes nor the terms of the clause help very much. We are told that no charge"““is payable in respect of a vehicle””" that is"““in use for the purposes of any of those forces.””" There are many loopholes there. We are talking about the best armed forces in the world. We are talking about a force that is brave and disciplined, based on hundreds of years of tradition and hundreds of years of keeping faith with the people of our islands and the peoples of the Commonwealth and beyond. It is all a matter of trust, and therefore it is a matter of justice. These things work both ways and that is what the Bill is all about. I warmly support it.