Clonoe Inquest

Lord Robathan Excerpts

Wednesday 12th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness O'Loan (CB)]

My Lords—

[Lord Robathan (Con)]

I think we have just had one of them.

The current situation is that soldiers will not be willing to serve. Does the Minister understand that? We must get protection from the Government for soldiers—who are sent out by this place, this Parliament, to detect what is going on—unless they have done something appallingly wrong, which they have not on this occasion.

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My Lords, we are very clear about the retention and recruitment challenges that the Armed Forces have had. We saw that during the previous Administration, and the noble Lord and I have sat in many debates discussing it. Our Armed Forces run towards bombs. That is what they did in the Troubles: they put themselves between terrorists and civilians and we will be forever grateful for their service. We will work with veterans’ communities to ensure that the primary legislation, when we bring it forward, reflects their needs as well as those of every other part of the community.