Member

The amendment proposed by the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, seeks to replace the government amendment protections with another amendment. It would create a two-tier or two-class system for how individuals who approach the commissioner will be treated. The Bill was designed to carry out the manifesto commitment to give a voice and point of contact for anyone subject to service law and their families, so that any matters affecting welfare in the Armed Forces, and the lives of the families of the Armed Forces, could be investigated by an independent and trustworthy figure. The noble Baroness’s amendment would splinter this ambition, creating a further group of persons from among those already able to approach the commissioner, who are defined in the amendment as whistleblowers.