And following on from Min(AF)'s statement that retired officers play no part whatsoever in formulating Defence policy;
Defence Committee Select Committee Announcement 12 December 2014 For Immediate Release: DECISION MAKING IN DEFENCE P0LICY Tuesday 16 December 2014 Committee Room 15, House of Commons Witnesses: At 10.00 am * Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, former HM Ambassador to Kabul, and former Special Representative to the Foreign Secretary for Afghanistan and Pakistan At 10.45 am * Brigadier (Retired) Ed Butler At 11.30 am * Lieutenant General (Retired) Sir Robert Fry * Mr Desmond Bowen, former Director General of Policy, Ministry of Defence