Reserve Forces Act 1996

Part III E+W+S+N.I. Training and other duties

Obligatory training E+W+S+N.I.

22 Training obligations of members of the reserve forces. E+W+S+N.I.

(1) A member of a reserve force may, in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4, be required by virtue of this section, in any year, to train in the United Kingdom or elsewhere for—

(a) one or more periods not exceeding 16 days in aggregate; and

(b) such other periods as may be prescribed, none of which shall exceed 36 hours without the consent of the person concerned;

and such a person may, while undergoing a period of training under this section, be attached to and trained with any body of Her Majesty’s forces.

(2) Such orders or regulations may, in particular, prescribe different periods under subsection (1)(b) for different forces or parts of a force.

(3) This section has effect subject to section 23.

23 Power to exempt persons from or relax training obligations. E+W+S+N.I.

(1) Orders or regulations under section 4 may provide for securing that persons of such descriptions as may be prescribed shall be exempted from liability to be required to undergo training under section 22.

(2) Such orders or regulations may also provide for relaxing, in such cases as may be prescribed, the liability to be required to undergo training under section 22.

(3) Officers authorised for the purposes of this subsection by or in accordance with directions of the Defence Council may, in accordance with such orders or regulations—

(a) exempt any unit or other group of members of a reserve force from liability to be required to undergo training under section 22; or

(b) relax that liability in the case of the unit or group.

(4) A commanding officer may, in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4—

(a) exempt any member of a reserve force who is under his command from liability to be required to undergo training under section 22; or

(b) relax that liability in the case of such a person.

Commitments to perform additional duties E+W+S+N.I.

24 Commitments to a period of full-time service. E+W+S+N.I.

(1) A member of a reserve force may enter into a commitment in writing under this section (a full-time service commitment) to undertake a period of full-time service of such duration as may be specified in the commitment.

(2) A person who has entered into such a commitment—

(a) shall be in full-time service from the time specified in the commitment as the beginning of the period of full-time service to be undertaken by him until the time at which he is released from that service;

(b) shall be subject to service law while in full-time service;

(c) shall perform such duties while he is in full-time service as he may, in accordance with the terms of the commitment and any orders or regulations under section 4, be required to perform.

(3) A full-time service commitment—

(a) shall specify the duties to be performed by the person concerned (in general or specific terms) and the period for which he has undertaken to be in full-time service;

(b) may, to the extent permitted by orders or regulations under section 4, limit the area within which he may be required to perform duties; and

(c) may contain such other terms relating to the duties to be performed by that person as are included in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4.

(4) A person who is in full-time service may be required—

(a) to serve with any of the regular services for the purposes of performing duties in accordance with the commitment concerned; and

(b) subject to any limitation in the commitment, to perform such duties anywhere in the world.

(5) A full-time service commitment—

(a) may, with the consent of the member concerned, be varied in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4;

(b) may be revoked before the beginning of the specified period of full-time service by an authorised officer (whether at the request of the member concerned or otherwise) giving written notice to that effect to the member concerned; and

(c) shall terminate on the release of the member concerned from full-time service under the commitment.

(6) A person in full-time service shall, if not released from service sooner, be entitled to be released from service with all convenient speed in the prescribed manner at the end of the period of service specified in the commitment.

(7) Where a person in full-time service is accepted into permanent service under Part IV, V or VI—

(a) his full-time service shall cease while he is in permanent service; but

(b) if, on his release from permanent service, the period of full-time service undertaken by him has not expired, he shall resume his full-time service for the remainder of that period.

(8) A person in full-time service shall not be liable to be required to undergo training under section 22.

(9) The duties which a person in full-time service may be required to perform may include undertaking training.

(10) In this section—

“authorised officer” means an officer authorised by or in accordance with directions of the Defence Council for the purposes of this section;

“full-time service” means service under a full-time service commitment.

25 Additional duties commitments. E+W+S+N.I.

(1) A member of a reserve force may enter into a commitment in writing under this section (an additional duties commitment) to perform such duties, for such period or periods, as may be specified in the commitment.

(2) A person who has entered into an additional duties commitment, in relation to each period of duty contemplated by the commitment—

(a) shall be subject to service law from any time specified in the commitment as the time at which he is to begin that period of duty until released from duty;

(b) while subject to service law, shall perform such duties as he may, in accordance with the terms of the commitment and any orders or regulations under section 4, be required to perform;

(c) shall, if not released from duty sooner, be entitled to be released from duty with all convenient speed in the prescribed manner at the end of that period.

(3) An additional duties commitment—

(a) shall specify—

(i) the duties to be performed by the person concerned (in general or specific terms);

(ii) the period or periods for which he is to perform duties;

(iii) the time and place at which he is to begin performing duties or, if there is to be more than one period of duty, the times and places at which he is to begin performing duties on each such occasion;

(b) may include terms requiring that person—

(i) to perform any duties outside the United Kingdom; or

(ii) to serve with any of the regular services for the purposes of performing any duties; and

(c) may contain such other terms relating to the duties to be performed by that person as are included in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4.

(4) An additional duties commitment—

(a) may, with the consent of the member concerned, be varied in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4;

(b) may be revoked at any time by an authorised officer (whether at the request of the member concerned or otherwise) giving written notice to that effect to the member concerned; and

(c) shall terminate (if not revoked sooner) on the release of the member concerned from the last period of duty contemplated by the commitment.

(5) A person’s duties under an additional duties commitment are in addition to any other obligations of his as a member of a reserve force.

(6) The duties specified in an additional duties commitment may include undertaking training.

(7) In this section “authorised officer” means an officer authorised by or in accordance with directions of the Defence Council for the purposes of this section.

26 Parliamentary control of commitments. E+W+S+N.I.

(1) Parliament may authorise for each of the reserve forces a maximum number of officers and a maximum number of men who may at any time be—

(a) in full-time service under full-time service commitments; or

(b) subject to additional duties commitments which are in force.

(2) Accordingly, the numbers of officers and men of a reserve force who are in full-time service, or subject to additional duties commitments which are in force, shall not exceed any numbers for the time being authorised by Parliament for that force.

(3) Any members of a reserve force who are in full-time service or who are subject to additional duties commitments shall not be reckoned in any numbers for the time being authorised by Parliament for any of the regular services.

Voluntary activities E+W+S+N.I.

27 Voluntary training and other duties. E+W+S+N.I.

(1) Nothing in this Part prevents a member of a reserve force—

(a) undertaking any voluntary training in the United Kingdom or elsewhere that is made available to him as a member of that force;

(b) undertaking any voluntary training or performing other voluntary duties in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, being training or duties undertaken or performed at his own request or following a request made to him by or on behalf of his commanding officer.

(2) Orders or regulations under section 4 may make provision as to the provision and use of training facilities for members of reserve forces and otherwise in connection with the undertaking of training or other duties as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section.

(3) A member of a reserve force shall be subject to service law while performing voluntary duties or training as mentioned in subsection (1).