Member

I thank the noble Lord, Lord De Mauley, and the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Stirrup, for their views and for highlighting the important role that lords-lieutenant have long played within the reserve forces and cadets associations. Again, I absolutely respect that; I understand that the wife of the noble Lord, Lord Dannatt, is the lord-lieutenant in Norfolk, so we have Norfolk and Buckinghamshire represented here today. We can all be proud of and respect that. We value their vital link between His Majesty the King and the communities they serve, while championing reserves and cadets and strengthening links. I remind all noble Lords, as if we needed reminding—which we do not, really—that the lords-lieutenant are appointed by His Majesty, which is also important. It maintains the point that I think the noble Earl, Lord Howe, made—it may have been the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Stirrup—about the link between the Crown and the lords-lieutenant across the whole of the UK, which is important.