Aged 18 to 26 ? National Service Tries A comeback

If you're aged 18 to 26, you might want to watch out for theNational Service Bill (HC Bill 32)...its not law yet, but it could be.

A bill to -

Provide a system of national service for young persons; and for connected
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 National service system

(1) Every individual who has attained the age of 18 years, and who has not
attained the age of 26 years, shall be liable to serve one year of national service
at some point between these years unless exempt.

(2) 5Exempt individuals are those with severe mental or physical disability.

(3) National service shall be defined as participation in a full time scheme
accredited by HM Government as meeting the requirements of national service
and set out in regulations by the Secretary of State.

(4) Non-exempt individuals who do not serve one year of national service before
10the age of 26 years shall be guilty of an offence.


2 Scope of the scheme

(1) Regulations shall provide that the scheme must extend the scope of the
National Citizen Service and include the following elements—

(a) educational assistance for those participants who have yet to attain
15basic educational requirements of reading and writing in English and
mathematics;

(b) coaching and instruction to attain basic levels of physical fitness,
personal discipline, smart appearance, self respect and respect for
others;

(c) 20instruction in personal financial budgeting, household bills, nutrition,
cooking, time keeping, life skills, tolerance towards others, treating
elderly and disabled people with dignity and respect; and

(d) instruction in basic aspects of the law in relation to the most common
offences involving young people.

National Service BillPage 2

(2) Regulations shall also provide that the scheme shall include—

(a) a residential element, requiring that participants live away from home;
and

(b) an element of public service, comprising one or more of the following
5to be chosen by the individual—

(i) charitable work,

(ii) social action,

(iii) care for the elderly or disabled,

(iv) overseas development activity, or

(v) 10work connected with the National Health Service, the
emergency services or the Armed Forces.
3 Pay and tax allowance for participants

(1) Participants in national service shall be paid the national adult minimum wage
during their year of service with accommodation and travel funded by the
15Secretary of State.

(2) Regulations shall provide that a person who has successfully completed their
year of national service shall be presented with a national service certificate
which shall entitle them to a lifetime income tax rate personal allowance 10 per cent above the personal allowance that would otherwise apply.


4 20Interpretation

In this Act “national adult minimum wage” means the minimum wage as
specified under section 2 of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and
exemptions and modifications set out in section 3 of that Act shall not apply.


5 Financial provision

25There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament—

(a) any expenditure of the Secretary of State in consequence of this Act, and

(b) any increase attributable to this Act in the sums which under any other Act
are payable out of money so provided.
6 Offence

30Regulations shall provide for those guilty of an offence under section 1(4) to be
subject to a penalty.
7 Regulations

Regulations under this Act shall be made by statutory instrument and may not
be made unless a draft of the regulations have been laid before, and approved
35by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.
8 Short title, commencement and extent

(1) This Act may be cited as the National Service Act 2013.

(2) This Act comes into force one year after Royal Assent.

(3) This Act extends to England and Wales.


http://www.publications.parliament....3-2014/0032/cbill_2013-20140032_en_2.htm#l1g1

 

Heavy stuff!
Im 27 though so i guess im excluded, also i thought you were excempt if you had a history of drug abuse (urban myth?)

 

National service is a good thing IMO. At least the way it is described here (unless I'm misunderstanding) it's service to your country, not even military service. Not too much to ask that the young people give something back to their country. It will likely also be a great learning experience for them.

Also, if I'm reading that right, you get tax benefits for the rest of your life? Shit, I should be so lucky. I had to do mandatory military service where I was paid far less than minimum wage, and all I have to show for it is some experience blowing stuff up and shooting some guns...

 

This is a completely new thing. Only exemptions being those with severe mental or physical disability.

How do they define severe ? It'll probably be decided by a company like Atos - another of those poverty pimp, payment by results companies.

See here for a whistleblowers report on Atos -
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/jul/31/atos-fitness-work-test-greg-wood

 

I'm sure it will - especially as it'll no doubt be run by the burgoning poverty pimp sector - companies like G4S and Ingeus. Their records running the current Work Programme are piss-poor. Anyone who has experienced them will know what I mean.

Everyone between 18 and 26 (except those with severe mental or physical disability) will take part ? Everyone ? Really ?

So that includes, for example, old Etonians, members of the royal family, children of MPs ? Yeah, I bet. If this was made law you can bet there will be opt outs for those who have the money of influence.

There may actually aldready be one - (iv) overseas development activity.

As someone on another, more astute forum pointed out -

This one’s for those nice middle-class types who will be offered the opportunity of a sponsored “gap year” to travel to likes of Kilimanfuckingjaro to teach English and patronize the indigenous peoples of wherever (I can hear Timothy, Lucinda and Olivia printing out the sponsorship forms to hand out at the Rotary Club as we speak)

A sizeable number of people in the age group will have one or more kids - a young family that may lose both mother and father (not necesserily at the same time) for a year. Good idea ?

Single parents ? Do the kids get taken along too...or taken into care ?

How about if perhaps you're an up-&-coming footballer (or any other sport) ? 18-26 would be crucial years in your career - take a year out ? The club who have invested in your career are going to allow that ? Yeah, right !

Or for that matter, anyone who has a job, with or without a career structure ? Is your boss going to be expected to keep your job open for you ?

Your band is starting to take off, your first record is making waves, there's a tour being planned...and suddenly your guitarist gets called up. But your career on hold for a year ? Doesn't work like that, does it.

Do you think the MP who proposed this bill actually thought any of this out ? (Clue - he's a Conservative).

If this was to become law, there would be many amendments along the way. I suspect that one might be quietly excised.

In fact, if it actually did become law, I think the "everyone between 18-26" bit would become "everyone unemployed between 18-26" - and essentially a return to the work camps, run (badly) by the poverty pimp organizations. Another scheme to fiddle the statistics to appear to show falling unemployment.

 

Well, here is to hoping it doesn't become law. Keep the military a professional force.

 

It's not military service.

Also: Hollobone said: “Unfortunately, the arcane nature of parliamentary procedures surrounding private member’s bills and the lack of time they have for debate will mean that the merits and demerits of the Bill are unlikely to be debated and voted upon.”

Other 'loony' ideas:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices...rebels-alternative-queens-speech-8672008.html

 

The way it works here, at least .... And bear in mind this is military or civilian national service ...

You must go before 28, but they will summon you at 18/19.. Meaning 90%+ of the people there are 18-20, or they've just put it off while failing to provide a good reason for why they can't do it. The rules are a little different for women; but basically, if they don't have kids by the time they are 30(?), they also "have" to go.

Yes, rich people/royalty/politicians' kids still have to go..
Athletes with a view to going pro are exempt. I would assume if they are not pro athletes by the time they are 27, though, they would still have to go.
If someone is employed, the company is legally obliged to keep your position for you. Also you get paid the same as you would if you are already employed (Most 18-year olds aren't,) not sure if that's 100% from the government or the company also has to pay some part of the salary.
If you have a mortgage, all repayments, interest etc, are frozen

It works fine here at least. Indeed, I had a great time, learned a ton of stuff, had awesome experiences (the aforementioned blowing up of shit, for example) and met lots of cool people.

Oh. Just because a conservative proposed it doesn't make it a bad idea.. Change isn't always a bad thing.

I sure wish it came with lifelong tax benefits, though.

 

Oxymoron alert !

Well, its actually returning to an old idea, which was scrapped decades ago so presumably wasn't worth continuing with.

Any major difference, in the unlikely event of it becoming law, would be that it would be run by the poverty pimp companies that have started to infest Britain in the last few years... definitely NOT a change for the better.

 

Good, they should never have stopped it. If they keep wanting to be at war, which apparently they do, (they being the machine that rules over us all) then it's just what they need to do, I hope they're own children are included in that Ofcourse.
One way of reducing the population... Getting young idiots off the streets as going to work doesn't seem to be an option.. Maybe they will enjoy seeing their friends being blown up instead.

 

I don't think it matters who proposed it, it doesn't matter what we think... Although I do think it would cause a revolution... I think it's much needed. We do need to take a few steps back, slow the fuck down, take a deep breath and look at what the hell is happening in this world.. Our one chance to breath air and live and we spend it being brutal and in chains.

 

Wow...That wasn't very Stray Fairy-ish of you.

 

I wish there was no need for any of it. US star fairies get sick of wars and fighting..greed and power.

 

Yes.Upon reflection,I know how you feel.