Armed Forces Bill

Let me now—[Interruption.] I have two issues running at the same time here. I apologise to the Minister. I will come back to the point that he has made in a moment. One of my colleagues has just drawn to my attention paragraph 62 of the explanatory notes to the Bill, which states:"““The maximum sentence for desertion is generally two years’ imprisonment. But the maximum is life imprisonment if the offender deserts when on service, or under orders to go on service, of the types described in the second bullet above, or if his intention is to avoid such service.””" However, a stricter distinction is needed in relation to those who, as the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South said, put lives at risk in the heat of battle. That issue must be distinguished from that of those who say that the Iraq war is illegal under international law and who exercise their conscience and personal responsibility in that regard. The fact that we are having this argument shows the muddled way in which the clauses have been defined and worded and the lack of proper consideration of them; otherwise, we would not be having this dispute about what the provision means. The Government should therefore accept the amendment, so that the life sentence for the second category to which I referred is withdrawn.