MP close to graduating from Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

13th October 2011
MP close to graduating from Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

Local MP, Gordon Henderson, is close to graduating from the first phase of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme of which he is a member.

The Scheme is open to all parliamentarians and in order to graduate members are required to spend 22 days in any one year on active service with units in one of the branches of the Armed Forces.

Mr Henderson chose to join the Army and has used his holiday time to clock up 19 days service visiting a number of army units, including the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS), which is sited on a 2700 km training area in Canada.

Most recently Mr Henderson spent four days with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment at their camp in Tidworth, Hampshire.

During his visit he was able to talk informally with men and women across a range of ranks. He also took part in a range of activities including:-

• Driving across Salisbury Plain in a Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle and a Challenger 2 battle tank.
• Joining soldiers and their families for a “Big Brew” in aid of SSAFA.
• Touring the REME repair facilities.
• Touring the training establishment.
• Attending a briefing on the Royal Artillery Ordinance department.
• Visiting living accommodation for both single and married soldiers.
• Joining a squad of troopers on Adventure Training in Snowdonia.
• Attending a briefing and inspection of a range of armoured vehicles.

Mr Henderson explained his involvement in the AFPS:

“I think it is very important being a member of the AFPS and I wish that more of my colleagues would sign up.

“As members of Parliament we have the responsibility of deciding when to send Armed Forces personnel off to war and I think it is very important that we understand exactly how our men and women are treated.

“Being in the AFPS allows me to talk to service personnel to find out exactly how they feel, how they are trained and what they think of the equipment they are expected to use.

“On my most recent visit to the Second Royal Tank Regiment I was able to talk to men and women of all ranks and learn what is worrying them. It is quite obvious that many of them are concerned about the possibility of redundancy, the impact the austerity measures is having on their pensions and what will happen to them when they leave the services.

“One big issue is housing and I have drafted a couple of parliamentary questions as a first step towards trying to get the Government to improve its help for those members of the Armed Forces who want to get on the property ladder.”