Speeches by Sandher-Jones.

“indicated assent.”

“It is a very interesting point. I understand the reference, and I would be interested to know about further standard operating procedures. I am sure that, as the right hon. Member will understand, it is quite a rare occurrence to have that many senior people on the same airframe in the course of business, but I cannot …”

“Yes, that is the information I have been given. The Department has made a number of important changes to its air safety and incident review processes since 1994. As we heard from the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Sir Julian Lewis), the change to the board of inquiry process so that negligence is not attributed…”

“I will get the hon. Member the information. I understand that they are sealed until 2094. Carrying on the point I was making, there is some material, from various sources, that puts forward theories relating to the crash, but those theories have been publicly aired in previous investigations, and I reiterate that the r…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I thank the hon. Member for North Down (Alex Easton) for securing this important debate and speaking with such passion on behalf of the bereaved families who were impacted by this tragic accident 31 years ago. As he will know, I am a veteran myself. I know tha…”

“I will come to that point in a moment. To reiterate, the MOD veterans welfare service supports veterans and their dependants with increasing needs around disability, housing and subsistence, and the war pension scheme is available for service-related injuries and conditions. When I served, I wanted to know that I would…”

“Today we have honoured generations of servicemen and women who have put their lives on the line for their country. I am grateful to Members on both sides of the House who have spoken with such passion and feeling about a subject that I know they value so highly. On Remembrance Sunday, millions of people come together—o…”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Walton (Dan Carden) for securing this important debate and for raising the case of his constituent. It is rather apt that we are holding this debate on Armistice Day and so soon after Remembrance Sunday, when people the length and breadth of the UK came together to commem…”

“I thank the right hon. Member for his intervention. In relation specifically to blood transfusions aboard SS Uganda during the Falklands war, the MOD has made extensive inquiries and concluded that it does not hold information in relation to these. I reiterate that I am speaking about MOD files rather than other forms …”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the particular struggles faced by female service leavers, and I would like to assure her that, through Operation Restore, there are specific pathways for veterans, including those who need musculoskeletal support.”

“It was clear to see how much that event meant to the LGBT+ veterans, many of whom had suffered terribly under the ban. Many said to me that they never thought this day would come. I hope that the event itself and the memorial will serve as a lasting reminder of our responsibilities going forward.”

“We have significant processes in place before exit to ensure a smooth transition, particularly to manage personnel who are wounded, injured or sick, and the Valour initiative should help us take steps to better co-ordinate support for veterans. I can assure my hon. Friend that improving how service personnel leave the …”

“It was without doubt a huge honour and privilege last week to attend the unveiling of the Etherton memorial, commemorating the life and legacy of the late Lord Etherton. We have now paid £20 million in total to veterans under the LGBT financial recognition scheme, and I can assure my hon. Friend that, to me, the monume…”

“As the hon. Member will be aware, the Ministry of Defence accepted 33 of the Committee’s recommendations, partially accepted a further four recommendations and noted 13 points that were conclusions rather than recommendations. There are three recommendations that we are not implementing, but it must be stressed that we…”

“My hon. Friend raises an important case, and I am sure that everybody who read the report into Jaysley-Louise Beck’s death would agree that it was a hugely tragic and deeply saddening case. There is a duty on me—one which I feel very deeply—to make sure that we do everything we can to address the behaviours my hon. Fri…”

“The hon. Member makes a good point, and as someone who had to wear the body armour, I am fully on board. Progress is under way to address the very points she mentions.”

“As an Army veteran, and indeed a female Army veteran, this mission is deeply personal to me. More work must be done to improve service life for women in our armed forces. The two remaining recommendations from the Committee’s report—the launch of the veterans strategy and the publication of the tri-service sexual haras…”

“In addition to the measures I have outlined to speed up recruitment, we are looking at expanding novel ways of entry into the armed forces, such as direct entry in the cyber stream. We are hugely focused on retention, and this is a very personal mission for me, having left the forces in 2020 and knowing what measures m…”

“I urge the right hon. Gentleman to remember the really serious issues that are at stake here. The priorities of this Government, as we have shown repeatedly, are to do right by the families of more than 200 British service personnel who were murdered in Northern Ireland and to ensure that we have protections and approp…”

“It is in Hansard, absolutely—I urge the right hon. Gentleman to reread it to see the full quote. This Government are committed to protecting those who serve. Our first and foremost priority is to protect and ensure the welfare of those who have served, just as we have done for many people who have served in our armed f…”