Al Carns

Al Carns

Labour — Birmingham Selly Oak

Speaking in the House of Commons on 5 January 2026

Debate

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Armed Forces Recruitment and Retention

Contribution

I thank the right hon. Member for his question. Of the 300,000 veterans who served in Northern Ireland, among whom I include myself, this will affect a small number, but we must not allow that to be an excuse not to put in place the most well-thought-through and legislatively sound protections. One of those protections is a legal duty to consider veterans’ welfare, so that individuals who are suffering from physical or mental issues because of their service in Northern Ireland do not get dragged back through the system. That is linked to the measures on giving evidence from home, which will ensure that no one needs to return to an area where they may have had distressing or psychologically impactful moments.

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