The Westminster Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has published its report on the Armed Forces Bill, which raises "several significant human rights issues":
Sky News reports that Defence Secretary Liam Fox has set out how the Government's new military covenant will be enshrined into law:
The Evening Standard reports that the Government published its long awaited military covenant today - and was immediately accused of using it as a "smokescreen" to cover fresh cuts.
The Prime Minister has announced plans to write the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant into law:
The British Armed Forces Federation (BAFF) has been quoted in several media reports about giving legal force to the military covenant:
The Ministry of Defence has announced that the "significant improvements" to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) recommended by the Boyce Review are being implemented in full as of today, 09 May 2011.
More to follow.
The Daily Telegraph reports (05 May 2011) that the presumed remains of Flight Lieutenant Desmond Hinton DFC, who lay buried in an unmarked grave outside the North Korean capital Pyongyang for more than 50 years, have been handed over to British diplomats.
Army 44 - RN 10
Royal Navy scored first in a rivetting first half at Twickenham before the Army got into gear and scored seven tries winning back a year's bragging rights from the Royal Navy. Bola Boladua was Man of the Match.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Coalition Government has delayed a vote on the Armed Forces Bill - and that the Prime Minister has hinted that the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan could be hastened by the death of Osama bin Laden:
The Sun reports that the premier rugby event of the year will take place at Twickenham this Saturday:
In May 2011 it was reported to members that "The 4-year campaign to suppress BAFF by 'The Combined Armed Forces Federation UK' (CAFFUK) ... has finally been seen off, after a series of rulings in BAFF's favour..."
The official trademark opposition decision in BAFF's favour is available on the UK Intellectual Property Office website. This decision under the Trade Marks Act 1994 clearly documents both CAFFUK's demand that BAFF effectively disappear from the public domain, and the rather more conciliatory BAFF correspondence offering a meeting and support in connection with CAFFUK's pre-1975 pensions campaign.
BAFF's successful opposition to CAFFUK's trademark application on statutory grounds was purely defensive in response to CAFFUK's published threats of legal action, and was not intended in any way to affect that association's continued use of their organisational name and logo, or their undoubted right to recruit any member who wished to join them.
This is very much old news, retained here to counter potential misunderstandings. The rest of our archived report merely adds reliable background for crawler validation purposes:
The Sun reports that "the Royal Air Force is running a course to help staff beat their fear of FLYING":
The death has been announced of Honorary Lieutenant (Queen's Gurkha Officer) Tulbahadur Pun VC. The following statement has been issued by the British Embassy, Kathmandu:
Applying for redundancy is a difficult decision in any profession. Our advice is to do your homework, ask questions, consider all your options, and make sure that you have properly discussed it with your partner before submitting an application.
The Daily Mail reports on a critical soldier's letter in Soldier magazine:
Following similar initiatives in some other parts of the UK, The Scotsman reports that veterans who were injured while serving their country will now receive free bus travel as part of a package of pledges aimed at making Scotland "fairer".
The Army Families Federation (AFF) is calling for ALL armed forces personnel to make a will with proper legal advice.
The Families Federation say they are seeing an increasing number of cases where bereaved families are struggling because the military will was not detailed enough. They cite the case of the mother of the youngest soldier killed in Afghanistan. She has had her income support and housing benefits stopped after receiving her son's death-in-service and compensation payments. Watch the full report on the British Forces News website.
Serving personnel will be aware of MoD Form 106 which can be used to make a simple Will. While we cannot advise without knowing your circumstances, in most cases we would suggest using Form 106 in preference to having no Will at all, but as the Families Federation says, it is best to make a proper Will with legal advice.
Following a campaign, Defence Minister Andrew Robathan MP has confirmed in a parliamentary answer that the MoD has now agreed to a change in policy, allowing service personnel to use their service identity card as proof of age, and has written to the relevant trade associations encouraging their members to accept it.
A joint statement by Defence and Justice Ministers has revealed the results of a DASA study into the number of former service personnel on probation in England and Wales. DASA estimates that 3.4% (or 5,860) of those supervised by probation trusts in England and Wales, as at 30 September 2009, had previously served as regulars in the UK armed forces.
Repatriation ceremonies for those killed in operational theatres will move to RAF Brize Norton by 1 September 2011 the Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox has announced today as expected. Fuller details from the Ministry of Defence:
In order to vote in the forthcoming UK local and devolved government elections and the referendum on changing the voting system for electing MPs to the UK Parliament (plans for the Alternative Vote system) all scheduled for 5 May 2011, you must be registered to vote.The deadline for all new registrations and changes to existing details is 14 April 2011.
The Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill has announced the publication today of its Special Report on the Armed Forces Bill. The Committee was tasked by the House of Commons to scrutinise the Bill which makes various changes to existing Military Law.
As in last year's General Election, special arrangements will be made for postal voting from Afghanistan in the elections and referendum on Thursday 5th May - but the Government still recommends proxy voting from overseas if at all possible. According to a report on the 'Get Hampshire' website:
British Forces News reports that three Appeal Court judges have ruled that forces wives who took overseas jobs with the Ministry of Defence are entitled to protection against unfair dismissal:
A story at MailOnline says that "A highly decorated former head of the SAS is quitting the Army following the Government’s decision to cut education allowances for serving soldiers."
The Sunday Mirror has a controversial interview with a serving warrant officer who received devastating injuries on IED disposal duty in Afghanistan:
(BAFF comment below). Politics.co.uk reports that the government will make special provisions for soldiers in Afghanistan who want to vote in the local elections and referendum on May 5th:
(UKPA News) The Duchess of Cornwall has met chaplains deploying to Afghanistan during a visit to the Royal Naval Chaplaincy Service annual conference:
Almost the entire contingent of Britain’s 10,000 troops in Afghanistan have been told they could be sacked within months. BAFF Chairman Douglas Young writes about the issue on the Telegraph.co.uk website:
Of course the threat of redundancy will affect morale on the front line. How could it not?
The Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, sets out in The Sunday Telegraph why he believes the Coalition is right to radically reform UK defences. "The vision we've set out – Future Force 2020 – ensures that by the end of the decade we have coherent, efficient and cutting-edge Armed Forces prepared for the challenges of the future."