MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Military experience in Falklands for British Parliament members
The Falkland Islands Government Councillors' Office announced this week that four Conservative members of the British Parliament and a senior civil servant will visit the Falkland Islands from 21st August to 26th August under the auspices of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme
The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS) is a scheme by which members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords volunteer to spend a fixed number of days during one year on detachment with a branch of the Armed Forces: the Royal Navy, the Army, the Royal Air Force or the Royal Marines.
The aim of the scheme is to give MPs and Peers, the vast majority of whom have no experience of the services, an insight into the life of Britain's armed forces that would not otherwise be available to them. It is then hoped that they will be able to make a more informed and useful contribution to defence debates in the House of Commons.
The release from the Falkland Islands Government states, "The AFPS has proved itself to be a very valuable tool in raising Parliamentary awareness and understanding of the Armed Forces, and it has enjoyed many positive comments within the House. The scheme is extremely well regarded by Ministers, and its support at the highest levels of Government and the Armed Forces is important to its continued success. The scheme also continues to receive the full support of the Chiefs of Staff."
Of the group, which includes MPs, Nigel Evans, Ed Vaizey, David Wilshire and Tobias Ellwood, only the latter has previous military experience, having spent five years as an officer in the prestigious infantry regiment, The Royal Green Jackets.
The lone civil servant in the group, Jason Bradbury, works as Head of Branch in the British Ministry of Defence's Analytical Services Agency.
John Fowler (MercoPress) Stanley
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