Found: Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill Oral evidence: Armed Forces Bill 2026, HC 1712 Wednesday 25

Found: Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill Oral evidence: Armed Forces Bill 2026, HC 1712 Tuesday 24

Found: who have 140 See, for example, Votes and Proceedings, 3 March 2021 (Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill

Found: provisions required to create the RFCA Non -Departmental Public Body have been included with the Armed Forces Bill

Found: That requires some of the responses that you will see in the Armed Forces Bill that had its Second

Found: Letter from the Chair to the Minister for the Armed Forces dated 21 January regarding the Armed Forces Bill

Found: Memorandum from the Ministry of Defence on the Armed Forces Bill Correspondence

Found: recommendations. 1.3 The department is planning to introduce legislative measures in the next Armed Forces Bill

Found: recommendations. 1.3 The department is planning to introduce legislative measures in the next Armed Forces Bill

Found: recommendations. 1.3 The department is planning to introduce legislative measures in the next Armed Forces Bill

Found: recommendations. 1.3 The department is planning to introduce legislative measures in the next Armed Forces Bill

Found: recommendations. 1.3 The department is planning to introduce legislative measures in the next Armed Forces Bill

Found: recommendations. 1.3 The department is planning to introduce legislative measures in the next Armed Forces Bill

Found: Act 2006 must be renewed by primary legislation every five years, with the next five-yearly Armed Forces Bill

Found: Switchboard) 4.4.2.14 10th October 2025 Dear Tan, The Committee will be aware that the Armed Forces Bill

Submit Evidence (by 2 Mar 2026)

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Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to help improve the living accommodation for Armed Forces personnel located at Clive Baracks, Tern Hill in Shropshire.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Clive Barracks has been identified for closure under the Defence Estates Optimisation Portfolio, as such, work has been limited to routine and planned preventative maintenance. All troops accommodated at Clive Barracks will be relocated ahead of the closure of the site, in 2029.

Service Family Accommodation (SFA):

The Defence Housing Strategy sets out a vision for the future transformation of military homes; 90% of military homes will be upgraded, renewed or rebuilt, through a record £9 billion investment over a decade. The Armed Forces Bill will establish the new Defence Housing Service (DHS), which will put the needs of Forces and their families first.

In Financial Year 2024-25, 121 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties serving Clive Barracks received replacement UPVC doors and windows, and 52 SFA received replacement loft insulation and roofs.

Single Living Accommodation (SLA):

In 2025 the installation of 88 Self-Contained (single occupancy) pods with ensuite bathrooms, shared kitchen & utility rooms, was commissioned by the Army, with further works in progress to improve on-site ablutions, due for completion by the end of the Financial Year. No further improvement works are identified currently.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the reported increase in drone incursions near UK military bases, including those in Scotland, and what steps are being taken to strengthen counter-drone capabilities to protect national security.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

We take the safety and security of our personnel, assets and operations extremely seriously. We maintain multi-layered security measures, including counter-drone capabilities which can identify and facilitate the capture of drones.

Clause 4 of the Armed Forces Bill 26 Defence will provide a regime allowing a Defence authorisation to use authorised equipment to detect and prevent offences being committed by drones against Defence Areas or Defence Property.

We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of security and will continue to assess, adapt and respond to all threats, including those from drones, to safeguard our national defence capabilities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's letter to the Rt hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire, reference: PQW/24-25/2025/16500/16507/16511/16512/16514/16521, dated 20 August 2025, and the oral contribution of the Minister for the Armed Force during the Second Reading of the Armed Forces Bill on 26 January 2026, Official Report, column 706, how much was the total reserve spending for each of the last five years, including the main categories of spending beyond pay and and bounty payments; and if he will set out the expected total reserve spending for the remaining years of this Parliament.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Government has committed to spending 2.6% of GDP on defence from 2027, and we have set the ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament, subject to economic and fiscal conditions. Over this Spending Review period, this Government will invest over £270 billion in cash terms in defence. This is the largest sustained increase in spending since the Cold War.

The Strategic Defence Review outlined an ambition to increase the number of Active Reserves by 20% when funding allows, enhancing surge capacity and demonstrating the UK's readiness to defend itself.

Total spending on Reserve Forces between 2023-24 and 2024-25 is not managed centrally, with each Service determining expenditure based on its specific operational requirements. In relation to spending plans in 2025-26, we do not routinely place figures relating to planned expenditure in the public domain as they are subject to change.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support armed forces families in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is implementing one of the most significant reforms to welfare oversight in decades through the creation of an independent Armed Forces Commissioner, providing a direct, empowered advocate able to investigate issues from housing to behaviours.

In addition, the Armed Forces Bill will create a National Defence Housing Service and extend the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty across central government, local bodies and devolved governments, ensuring full consideration of Armed Forces families’ needs, including those in Surrey Heath constituency.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to streamline the transition between regular and reserve service.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As part of a wider programme to enable a more flexible workforce we are examining our policies and regulations to make transition between all parts of the Armed Forces as seamless as possible. The first step in this is a measure in the Armed Forces Bill 2026 that will enable service people to transfer between the Regular Force and the Volunteer Reserve without having to leave and rejoin.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Bill 2026 which, what assessment he has made if the (a) proportion of the cohort aged between 55 and 65 that would meet the physical requirements of service and (b) other forms of service appropriate to those who are not physically capable.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

This measure would only apply to those personnel leaving the Regulars or Volunteer Reserves after the Bill comes into force, unless they opt out. It also would not affect existing leavers unless they wish to opt in.

Any former personnel recalled into Service would undergo routine medical checks to ensure that they are employed appropriately. We already have role-based medical standards that allow us to employ Reservists across a wide range of Defence activities. This approach would be equally applied to all of those eligible for recall.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to parts 1 and 2 of the Service Justice System Review, published on 29 March 2018 and 29 March 2019, if he will amend the Armed Forces Bill to exclude rape and sexual assault with penetration from Court Martial jurisdiction except when the consent of the Attorney General is given.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

There are no plans to amend the Armed Forces Bill in the way proposed. There have been significant improvements to investigations, prosecutions and victim support in the Service Justice System since the Lyons Review and the House of Commons’ Defence Committee’s previous recommendation. The Defence Serious Crime Command is implementing national standards set by the College of Policing through the Professionalising Investigations Programme and the National Operating Model under Operation Soteria, in line with National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing guidance. This ensures that investigations into rape and serious sexual offences are victim-centred, suspect-focused, and consistent with nationally recognised policing standards. The Victim Witness Care Unit provides independent, trauma-informed and end-to-end support. Reports by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate independently verify the progress made.

Sir Brian Leveson’s July 2025 Independent Review of the Criminal Courts stated that “criminal justice is in crisis” with cases being listed as far ahead as 2029, while the Court Martial has no backlogs and cases progress without delay. In the civilian system 19% of victims withdraw from adult-rape-flagged proceedings in the Crown Court; in the Court Martial none withdrew in 2024.

Whilst conviction rates cannot be reliably compared, published data does not support claims that the conviction rate is higher in the Crown Court. The conviction rate for adult-rape-flagged cases in the Court Martial, excluding guilty pleas, is 51% from 2022 to 2024 compared to 36% in the Crown Court.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve the Service Justice System.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is taking forward a comprehensive programme of reforms to strengthen and modernise the Service Justice System. As a result, investigations, prosecutions and victim support have all significantly improved in recent years. We want to build on the progress made and this is why the Armed Forces Bill strengthens how the Service Justice System tackles violence against women and girls, enhances support and rights for victims in the Service Justice System and, modernises investigation, charging and discipline procedures in the Service Justice System.

The Defence Serious Crime Command, launched in December 2022, operates independently of the Chain of Command, ensuring impartial investigations into serious offences committed in the UK and overseas. It is implementing the National Operating Model under Operation SOTERIA, in line with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing guidance. This ensures that investigations into rape and serious sexual offences are victim-centred, suspect-focused and consistent with nationally recognised policing standards. The Victim Witness Care Unit provides independent, trauma-informed, end-to-end support to victims and witnesses through dedicated Victim Liaison Officers and operates outside of the Armed Forces’ Chain of Command.

Noting the procedural differences between the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales and the Service Justice System, published administrative data drawn from the Criminal Justice System Delivery Dashboard and statistics on timeliness, victim withdrawal rates and conviction rates in adult-rape-flagged cases in the Service Justice System suggest that cases are dealt with much more quickly in the Service Justice System with a smaller proportion of victims withdrawing from proceedings. Following charge, adult-rape-flagged cases in 2024 reached an outcome in the Crown Court in 358 days with 19% of victims withdrawing from proceedings and 199 days in the Court Martial with no victims withdrawing from proceedings.

Whilst conviction rates cannot be reliably compared between the two systems due to differences in case volume, procedure, victim withdrawal rates and case profile, administrative data published in CPS quarterly data summaries and the above-mentioned statistics on timeliness, victim withdrawal rates and conviction rates in adult-rape-flagged cases in the Service Justice System also cast further doubt on claims that the conviction rate in the Crown Court is higher. Excluding guilty pleas, 51% of adult-rape-flagged cases in 2022 to 2024 in the Court Martial resulted in a conviction whereas 36% resulted in a conviction in the Crown Court.

In its November 2024 report regarding the Service Prosecuting Authority, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate stated that “the level of timeliness and support for victims in the Service Justice System is something we would like to see afforded to all victims in all jurisdictions.”

For more information on the statistics quoted above please see:

https://criminal-justice-delivery-data-dashboards.justice.gov.uk/all-metrics

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/service-justice-system-data-transparency-release/statistics-on-timeliness-victim-withdrawal-rates-and-conviction-rates-in-adult-rape-flagged-cases-in-the-service-justice-system

https://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/performance-management-and-case-outcomes/cps-quarterly-data-summaries

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Government ministers will be eligible to be called up to the armed forces following proposed changes to eligibility for the strategic reserve.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence has not done any such an assessment. It is the personal responsibility of all former Regular Service or current Volunteer Reserve Personnel, including Government Ministers, to determine whether they are affected by the Armed Forces Bill 2026 Reserves measures.

Any member of the Regular force or Volunteer Reserve on the day that the regulations come into force will be affected by these measures, though they will have the option to opt-out. Those who have already left the Regulars or Volunteer Reserve or if their liability stemming from Regular Service has now lapsed or they never had one, will not be affected. They will have the option, however, to opt in to the changes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty to include all (a) (i) UK and (ii) devolved government Departments and (b) policy areas.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Government’s election manifesto committed to placing the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law. During Armed Forces week in June, the Prime Minister announced that Service personnel, Veterans, their families and the bereaved are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central and devolved Governments for the first time under new plans to extend the Covenant Legal Duty to more policy areas and across the UK. It is our ambition to include these statutory changes in the next Armed Forces Bill.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty across his Departmental responsibilities.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government’s election manifesto committed to placing the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law. During Armed Forces week in June, the Prime Minister announced that Military personnel, veterans, their families and the bereaved are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central and devolved governments for the first time under new plans to extend the Covenant Legal Duty to more policy areas and across the UK.

The Covenant Legal Duty will now be extended from three policy areas to encompass 14 policy areas in a much broader scope. The policy areas are healthcare, education, housing, social care, childcare, employment and service in the Armed Forces, personal taxation, welfare benefits, criminal justice, immigration, citizenship, pensions, service-related compensation and transport. The Government aims to make the changes in the next Armed Forces Bill, anticipated in 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for the introduction of the Armed Forces Covenant into law.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Government’s election manifesto committed to placing the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law. During Armed Forces week in June, the Prime Minister announced that Military personnel, Veterans, their families and the bereaved are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central and devolved Governments for the first time under new plans to extend the Covenant Legal Duty to more policy areas and across the UK.

It is our ambition to include these statutory changes in the next Armed Forces Bill, which is required every five years to continue to have an Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to standardise the criteria for reservist call-out liability across the Armed Forces services.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Under the forthcoming Armed Forces Bill, we will standardise some of the criteria governing this liability, for those personnel who will form the Strategic Reserve (personnel who leave Service and retain a liability to be called back into permanent Service). Call-out liability for personnel on leaving Regular Service is determined by individual circumstances. These include the Service they were part of, the individual commitment or contract that governed their Service, their age, and other specific terms of their discharge such as if for medical or disciplinary reasons.

The policies and processes that underpin call-out liability are under constant review, to ensure that they remain fit for purpose in the current geopolitical environment and beyond.

Found: Armed Forces Bill 2024-26

Found: It is of note that the Armed Forces Bill 2025 includes a recommendation to widen the responsibility

Found: It is the MOD’s ambition to include these statutory changes in the next Armed Forces Bill.

Found: It is the MOD’s ambition to include these statutory changes in the next Armed Forces Bill, which is

Found: The Armed Forces Bill will deliver a new and independent Armed Forces Commissioner, supporting the

Found: Measures in the new Armed Forces Bill – which had its second reading in Parliament on 26th January –

Found: Defence personnel will be given new powers through the Armed Forces Bill to defeat drones threatening

Found: Defence Housing Strategy’s £9.2 billion to improve more than 40,000 service family homes, the Armed Forces Bill

Found: The Armed Forces Bill, which will have its Second Reading in Parliament later today, delivers on the

Found: hands of serving members of the Armed Forces will receive stronger protections under the new Armed Forces Bill

Found: This new degree complements powers introduced through the Armed Forces Bill last week  to strengthen

Found: New measures are being introduced through the Armed Forces Bill to strengthen the UK’s Strategic Reserve

Found: New Defence Housing Service to transform housing for forces families as Armed Forces Bill backs those

Found: recommendations. 1.3 The department is planning to introduce legislative measures in the next Armed Forces Bill

Found: recommendations. 1.3 The department is planning to introduce legislative measures in the next Armed Forces Bill

Found: Defence Housing Strategy’s £9.2 billion to improve more than 40,000 service family homes, the Armed Forces Bill

Found: bill; the National Wealth Fund bill; the railways bill; the elections and democracy bill; the armed forces bill

Found: Item 5: UK government Armed Forces Bill- CAB(25-26)16 5.1 The First Minister informed Cabinet she had