Member

Many hon. and right hon. Members today have talked about the service justice parts of the Bill, and in many ways those are among the most important elements of it. It is worthwhile saying that, certainly during my time as a Minister, there was difficulty populating court martial boards. The Minister gave a slightly different impression and, if the position has improved, that is a good thing, but broadening the base certainly makes it much more administratively straightforward to ensure that people are available on the days concerned and that the courts martial do not have to be interrupted. There is nothing worse for victims than finding that, for whatever reason, a court martial board that they thought was going to be held on a particular day cannot be constituted. I very much welcome the extension of eligibility to OR-7 staff sergeants and chief petty officers; that seems to make complete sense, and in any event I hope it will encourage people’s sense of confidence in the system.