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Army, Air Force and Naval Discipline Acts (Continuation) Order 2006

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for explaining this order. Noble Lords may be aware that when the present Armed Forces Bill was introduced in the other place some months ago, it left out the provision for annual parliamentary renewal that had been a feature of the preceding legislation, dating back as far as the Bill of Rights 1689, which the new Bill was drafted to replace. That omission attracted serious objections, not only from constitutionalists and traditionalists, but also from all in Parliament and the Armed Forces who are concerned about the central tenet of civil-military relations; namely, that the Armed Forces are not autonomous but are ultimately subject to civil authority and parliamentary control. This annual order entrenches that concept, and it is important that we should hold this brief debate tonight to welcome the fact that the Government have repented the omission and have restored this provision to its proper fundamental place in the Bill.