Lord De Mauley (Con)

I support Amendment 61 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, requiring an independent review of Armed Forces recruitment and retention. At this late hour, I will just say that, at a time when

I suggest, in answer to that point from the Minister, that what it does is call into question their independence from their MoD masters.

My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 48, 50, 51 and 52 in my name. Amendment 48 is about payment to the new non-executive board members. The members of the RFCAs and all their forebear organisations,

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken in support of these amendments. I thank the Minister for his response and for offering to meet and discuss these matters, to which of course I am open

My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 46, 47 and 49 in my name. To understand the importance of these amendments, one needs to appreciate the significance of the nationwide membership of the RFCAs. The

My Lords, I support my noble friend Lord Harlech’s Amendments 40, 41 and 45, to which I have put my name. In an era when the Secretary-General of NATO tells us that we could be at war within three to