The Royal Air Force Terms of Service Regulations 2007

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations revoke and replace the Royal Air Force Terms of Service Regulations 1985. The principal changes are:

The definition of “the relevant date” in regulation 2(1) has the effect that, for all personnel enlisting on or after 1st April 2007, the term of their enlistment will run from the date of their attestation, irrespective of their age. For those men who enlisted before 1st April 2007 and those women who enlisted on or after 1st April 1975 and before 1st April 2007, and before the date of their 18th birthday, the term of their enlistment runs from the date of their 18th birthday.

Regulation 5 provides for a new type of engagement with the Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service, the Open Engagement, which enables persons of 17 years 10 months and older to be enlisted for a term of air force service of 22 years, or until the date of their 55th birthday (whichever period is the lesser), but with the right to be transferred to the reserve after 4 years’ service from the date of successful completion of Basic Nurse training.

Regulation 11 sets out the notice requirements attached to the right under regulation 5 to be transferred to the reserve.

Regulation 12 provides that the restrictions set out there on the exercise of rights conferred by regulations 4, 6, 7 and 15(2) also apply to rights conferred by the new regulations 5 and 16(2).

Regulation 13 provides that persons transferred to the reserve in consequence of the exercise of the rights conferred by regulations 4, 5, 6 and 7 or under regulation 9 do so for the period provided there.

Regulation 14(2) has the effect that those enlisted on the new type of engagement with the Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service will be able to apply under that regulation to extend their service until their 55th birthday.

Regulation 15 provides that those enlisted for 22 years or who have completed 22 years’ service may, during the last three years of their term, give notice of their desire to continue in service after the end of that term.

Regulation 16 provides that those enlisted on the 22 year Open Engagement who are unable to complete 22 years’ service before the date of their 55th birthday may apply to the competent air force authority to continue in service beyond the date of their 55th birthday as if their term were still unexpired.

Regulation 17(2) provides that the references to specified officers in the third column of Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations are to have effect as if they included references to any member of the staff of that officer who has been authorised by that officer to act on his behalf.

Schedule 1 prescribes the Air Secretary as a competent air force authority (in addition to the Defence Council and the Air Force Board) for the purposes of regulations 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. The Air Secretary is the director of personnel management for members of the Royal Air Force.

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the costs of business.