The Public Bill Committee for the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill concluded on 22 October 2020. Despite a significant number of tabled amendments to Parts 1 and 2 of the Bill, no changes were made. The Bill is not without controversy and MPs are expected to return to some of its more contentious provisions when it comes back to the Floor of the House. Report Stage is scheduled for 3 November 2020.
Has anything changed in the Overseas Operations Bill?: Committee Stage Report (130 KB , PDF)
The main purpose of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill is to provide greater legal protections to Armed Forces personnel and veterans serving on military operations overseas.
The Public Bill Committee took place between 6 and 22 October 2020. The Committee took evidence from a number of leading stakeholders and conducted line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill.
A significant number of amendments were tabled to Parts 1 and 2 of the Bill but no changes were made. The Bill therefore remains as introduced (Bill 117).
It is expected that several issues will be returned to on Report. Specifically, the application of the presumption against prosecution provisions in this Bill to torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity; and the proposed six-year time limit for bringing civil claims in relation to overseas operations. Critics have argued that this limit erodes the rights of Service personnel and veterans and potentially breaches the Armed Forces Covenant.
This paper should be read in conjunction with Library Briefing, CBP8983, Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill 2019-2021, which was produced prior to the Bill’s Second Reading. Section 5 of that paper looks at the arguments surrounding the Bill’s provisions.
Report Stage has been scheduled for 3 November 2020.
Has anything changed in the Overseas Operations Bill?: Committee Stage Report (130 KB , PDF)
A Westminster Hall debate on the 'Impact on Anglo-Chinese relations following the AUKUS pact' has been scheduled for Wednesday 20 October 2021 from 9.30-11:00am. The debate has been initiated by Daniel Kawczynski MP.
For the first time since 2013, the UK will not meet the UN target of spending 0.7 percent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA). This briefing sets out how UK aid spending compares to previous years, the Government’s objectives for UK aid, and what is known about the spending reduction’s impact on specific aid and humanitarian programmes and on countries.
A Westminster Hall debate on Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action has been scheduled for Tuesday 19 October 2021 from 2.30-4:00pm. The debate has been initiated by Stephen Crabb MP.
