Lord Craig of Radley writes for ePolitix.com ahead of his oral question on discrimination against members of the armed forces.
The commendable practice of local communities welcoming armed forces' units on their return from operational service in Afghanistan is now well established. It helps to show that the courage and commitment of our service men and women is recognised and appreciated by those who greet them on their return to this country, or cheer them as they parade through the local town.
Operations can be highly dangerous and stressful; some close colleagues get killed. Injuries, such as the loss of arms or legs, or mental illness brought on by the horrors of warfare, can totally change the future for other friends for the rest of their lives.
The government rightly encourages the public to show support for our armed forces, and today servicemen and women are allowed by the Ministry of Defence to wear their uniforms in public.
Regrettably, through ignorance or spite, there are some who do not give our service people the backing that they merit. The media have reported instances of an individual not being allowed to make a purchase in a supermarket or book a hotel room for the night because they were wearing their service uniforms. Discrimination on such grounds is infuriating and surely totally unacceptable.
The purpose of my oral question is to establish whether other instances of such discrimination have been reported to the Ministry of Defence up the command chain, and what steps Her Majesty's Government has taken, or considers may be necessary, to deal with this issue if it is ongoing.
In opposition the Conservative party spoke about putting the Military Covenant on a statutory footing. Might this be a suitable vehicle for protecting our fine service personnel from such unacceptable behaviour? For those on operations it is most important for their morale that they know that their efforts, and the daily risks that they run, are appreciated by all at home.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.