My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Campbell, on succeeding in gaining a debate on this important subject. It is also a great pleasure to follow the noble and gallant Lords, Lord   Boyce and Lord Guthrie, in speaking today in my maiden speech, as I worked with them for several...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Campbell, on succeeding in gaining a debate on this important subject. It is also a great pleasure to follow the noble and gallant Lords, Lord   Boyce and Lord Guthrie, in speaking today in my maiden speech, as I worked with them for several...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Campbell of Alloway on introducing this   important debate and remind the House of my peripheral interest. It seems that nearly all the meat on this skeleton has been comprehensively shotblasted off by noble and gallant Lords and other noble Lords, who have far...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Campbell of Alloway on introducing this   important debate and remind the House of my peripheral interest. It seems that nearly all the meat on this skeleton has been comprehensively shotblasted off by noble and gallant Lords and other noble Lords, who have far...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken, in particular the noble and gallant Lords, without whose contribution the perspective could not have been put. The noble Lord, Lord Drayson, gave an inkling of an understanding, when he said that the Government had learnt a lesson. Fair enough,...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken, in particular the noble and gallant Lords, without whose contribution the perspective could not have been put. The noble Lord, Lord Drayson, gave an inkling of an understanding, when he said that the Government had learnt a lesson. Fair enough,...

Lords debate on motion to call attention to the case for upholding the integrity and legal authority of the armed forces chain of command. Motion withdrawn.

Lords debate on motion to call attention to the case for upholding the integrity and legal authority of the armed forces chain of command. Motion withdrawn.

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for introducing this   important debate. I wish to address a wider point covered by his Motion, leaving other noble Lords to concentrate on the more immediate concerns of us all. The 1998 Strategic Defence Review acknowledged that the system of...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for introducing this   important debate. I wish to address a wider point covered by his Motion, leaving other noble Lords to concentrate on the more immediate concerns of us all. The 1998 Strategic Defence Review acknowledged that the system of...

My Lords, I am extremely grateful to and thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for raising the matter and allowing me to participate in the debate. It enables me to bring to the House the case of Colonel Jorge Mendonca, who is the colonel of the Queen’s Lancashire...

My Lords, I am extremely grateful to and thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for raising the matter and allowing me to participate in the debate. It enables me to bring to the House the case of Colonel Jorge Mendonca, who is the colonel of the Queen’s Lancashire...

My Lords, can I ask the House’s permission to finish reading what is relevant to the other letter—one minute?

My Lords, can I ask the House’s permission to finish reading what is relevant to the other letter—one minute?

May I claim one minute to deal with the letter? I was given 15 minutes.

May I claim one minute to deal with the letter? I was given 15 minutes.

My Lords, like other noble Lords I thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for initiating this very important debate. It is an enormously important issue, because if the integrity and authority of the Armed Forces’ chain of command is undermined it will have serious implications on morale and...

My Lords, like other noble Lords I thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for initiating this very important debate. It is an enormously important issue, because if the integrity and authority of the Armed Forces’ chain of command is undermined it will have serious implications on morale and...

My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for initiating the debate on the interpretation of military law and its application to members of the Armed Forces, particularly in the case of those who have been committed to military operations. Let me make it...

My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for initiating the debate on the interpretation of military law and its application to members of the Armed Forces, particularly in the case of those who have been committed to military operations. Let me make it...

My Lords, I wish to speak in the context of the present debate on the duty of care as it affects the relationship between the Government—the MoD—and our Armed Forces. Sir Michael Rose once said:"““Soldiers are not merely civilians in uniform. They form the distinctive group within our society which is...

My Lords, I wish to speak in the context of the present debate on the duty of care as it affects the relationship between the Government—the MoD—and our Armed Forces. Sir Michael Rose once said:"““Soldiers are not merely civilians in uniform. They form the distinctive group within our society which is...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for initiating this debate, although I feel that none of us would prefer to be in this position of discussing an issue that, frankly, should never have arisen in the first place. I have some sympathy for my...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for initiating this debate, although I feel that none of us would prefer to be in this position of discussing an issue that, frankly, should never have arisen in the first place. I have some sympathy for my...

rose to call attention to the case for upholding the integrity and legal authority of the Armed Forces chain of command; and to move for Papers. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the object of this speech, devoid of political motivation, is to seek to   persuade the Government and the noble...

rose to call attention to the case for upholding the integrity and legal authority of the Armed Forces chain of command; and to move for Papers. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the object of this speech, devoid of political motivation, is to seek to   persuade the Government and the noble...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, on the subject of this debate. The integrity and legal authority of the chain of command is central to the effectiveness of our Armed Forces and to the fair treatment of all our people who serve so bravely in...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, on the subject of this debate. The integrity and legal authority of the chain of command is central to the effectiveness of our Armed Forces and to the fair treatment of all our people who serve so bravely in...

My Lords, with the leave of the House, having made a criticism of the Attorney-General for being absent, perhaps I may say that I accept and understand what he has just said. It just would have been helpful had we known about it in advance.

My Lords, with the leave of the House, having made a criticism of the Attorney-General for being absent, perhaps I may say that I accept and understand what he has just said. It just would have been helpful had we known about it in advance.

My Lords, I join other noble Lords in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for initiating this debate. I start by declaring an interest as a recent commanding officer of a Territorial Army regiment. During my command a larger proportion of us went abroad to operational theatres than...

My Lords, I join other noble Lords in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, for initiating this debate. I start by declaring an interest as a recent commanding officer of a Territorial Army regiment. During my command a larger proportion of us went abroad to operational theatres than...

My Lords, we all owe a debt of gratitude to my noble friend Lord Campbell of Alloway for the devastating indictment that he has put before the   House. The Armed Forces are overstretched. The Government ask too much of what is available, but they perform magnificently. Therefore, if our forces do...

My Lords, we all owe a debt of gratitude to my noble friend Lord Campbell of Alloway for the devastating indictment that he has put before the   House. The Armed Forces are overstretched. The Government ask too much of what is available, but they perform magnificently. Therefore, if our forces do...

My Lords, I believe that the route this Government are taking is towards making a soldier a civilian, instead of making a civilian a soldier. Heaping enormous extra outside responsibilities on the shoulders of a commanding officer when he is the key person in command in battle is wrong. He...

My Lords, I believe that the route this Government are taking is towards making a soldier a civilian, instead of making a civilian a soldier. Heaping enormous extra outside responsibilities on the shoulders of a commanding officer when he is the key person in command in battle is wrong. He...

My Lords, like all those who have spoken before me, I thank the noble Lord, Lord   Campbell of Alloway, for securing this important debate, in which I found myself nodding in agreement with so much of what has been said. I come at the case from the position of a former...

My Lords, like all those who have spoken before me, I thank the noble Lord, Lord   Campbell of Alloway, for securing this important debate, in which I found myself nodding in agreement with so much of what has been said. I come at the case from the position of a former...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell, for introducing the debate. I rise with trepidation and contribute in awe of the noble and gallant Lords who have all spoken on a similar theme. I fear that my comments might be misinterpreted as lack of loyalty to the...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell, for introducing the debate. I rise with trepidation and contribute in awe of the noble and gallant Lords who have all spoken on a similar theme. I fear that my comments might be misinterpreted as lack of loyalty to the...