Armed Forces Commissioner Act 2025

Prospective

4 Commissioner’s functions in relation to general service welfare U.K.

(1) AFA 2006 is amended as follows.

(2) After section 340I insert—

“Investigations by Armed Forces Commissioner of general service welfare matters U.K.

340IA Commissioner investigations of general service welfare matters

(1) The Armed Forces Commissioner may investigate such general service welfare matters as the Commissioner considers appropriate, subject to subsection (5).

(2) A “general service welfare matter” is a matter which, in the Commissioner’s opinion—

(a) arises in connection with the ongoing service of persons subject to service law, and

(b) may materially affect the welfare of those persons or relevant family members.

(3) The Commissioner must consider any request made by a person subject to service law or a relevant family member to carry out an investigation under this section.

(4) “Relevant family members” means such descriptions of persons connected with a person subject to service law as may be specified.

(5) The Commissioner may not under this section investigate—

(a) a particular service complaint (see instead section 340H);

(b) a matter which is or was the subject of a service inquiry (see section 343);

(c) a matter which is or was the subject of a criminal investigation or criminal proceedings;

(d) a matter which is or was the subject of a public inquiry;

(e) a matter of such description as may be specified.

(6) Nothing in subsection (5)(a) to (d) prevents the investigation of a general service welfare matter which comes to the attention of the Commissioner in connection with a service complaint, a service inquiry, a criminal investigation or criminal proceedings, or a public inquiry.

(7) A description of a matter may be specified under subsection (5)(e) only if the Secretary of State considers that investigation of a matter of that description by the Commissioner—

(a) would be against the interests of national security, or

(b) might jeopardise the safety of any person.

(8) The Secretary of State must, in connection with an investigation under this section—

(a) co-operate with the Commissioner so far as is reasonable,

(b) give the Commissioner such reasonable assistance as the Commissioner requests, and

(c) consider any findings or recommendations made by the Commissioner (whether or not contained in a report under section 340LA).

(9) In this section—

• “public inquiry” means an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005;

• “specified” means specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State.

340IB Power of entry to service premises

(1) The Armed Forces Commissioner may, for the purposes of an investigation under section 340IA, enter service premises and do any of the following—

(a) view the premises;

(b) observe the carrying on of activities on the premises;

(c) inspect and take copies of any document on, or capable of being viewed using equipment on, the premises;

(d) inspect any equipment or other item on the premises;

(e) take measurements and photographs and make recordings;

(f) require any person on the premises to provide an explanation of any document or to state where it can be found;

(g) make such other enquiries as the Commissioner considers appropriate of any person on the premises;

(h) require any person on the premises to give any other assistance that the Commissioner may reasonably require for the purposes of the investigation.

(2) The reference in subsection (1)(c) to inspecting and taking copies of any document includes requiring any document kept in electronic form to be produced in a form in which—

(a) it is legible or from which it can readily be produced in a legible form, and

(b) can be taken away.

(3) If the Commissioner proposes to exercise the power under subsection (1), the Commissioner must give the Secretary of State notice of the proposal within such period before exercising the power as the Commissioner considers appropriate.

(4) Subsection (3) does not apply, so far as relating to service premises in the United Kingdom, if the Commissioner considers that giving notice would defeat the object of exercising the power.

(5) When exercising the power under subsection (1), the Commissioner—

(a) may be accompanied by any person and bring anything required for the purposes of the investigation;

(b) must, if requested to do so by a person on the premises, produce evidence of the Commissioner’s identity.

(6) The Secretary of State may prevent or restrict the Commissioner’s exercise of the power under subsection (1) (generally or in a particular case) so far as the Secretary of State considers it necessary to do so—

(a) in the interests of national security, or

(b) for the safety of any person.

(7) The power under subsection (1) may not be exercised—

(a) in relation to anything that the Commissioner has reasonable grounds for believing to be an item subject to legal privilege;

(b) to require a person to do anything that the person could not be compelled to do in civil proceedings before the High Court (or, in Scotland, the Court of Session).

(8) In this section—

• “item subject to legal privilege”—

  (a)

  in England and Wales, has the same meaning as in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984;

  (b)

  in Scotland, has the meaning given by section 412 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002;

  (c)

  in Northern Ireland, has the same meaning as in the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (S.I. 1989/1341 (N.I. 12));

• “premises” includes any place and, in particular, includes—

  (a)

  any vehicle, ship or aircraft, and

  (b)

  any tent or movable structure;

• “service living accommodation” has the meaning given by section 96;

• “service premises” means any premises which are permanently or temporarily occupied or controlled for the purposes of a regular or reserve force but are not service living accommodation.”

(3) After section 340L insert—

“340LA Report and recommendations: general service welfare investigations

(1) After carrying out an investigation under section 340IA, the Armed Forces Commissioner may prepare one or more reports setting out—

(a) the Commissioner’s findings, and

(b) the Commissioner’s recommendations (if any) as a result of the findings.

(2) Subsection (3) applies if the investigation was carried out wholly or partly in response to a request made by an individual.

(3) A report under subsection (1) must not include information which identifies the individual or enables them to be identified, except with their consent.

(4) If the Commissioner prepares a report under subsection (1)—

(a) the report must include the Commissioner’s reasons for each of the findings and recommendations, and

(b) the Commissioner must give the report to the Secretary of State as soon as practicable after it has been prepared.

(5) On receiving a report under subsection (4)(b), the Secretary of State must lay it before Parliament promptly and, in any event, before the end of 30 sitting days beginning with the day on which the report is received.

“Sitting day” means a day on which both Houses of Parliament sit.

(6) The Secretary of State may exclude from any report laid under subsection (5) any material the publication of which the Secretary of State considers—

(a) would be against the interests of national security, or

(b) might jeopardise the safety of any person.”

(4) In section 340O (annual report on system for dealing with service complaints)—

(a) in the heading, for “on system for dealing with service complaints” substitute “of Armed Forces Commissioner”;

(b) after subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) A report under subsection (1) must also include a summary of any findings and recommendations made by the Commissioner in connection with an investigation under section 340IA during the year to which the report under subsection (1) relates (whether or not contained in a report under section 340LA).”

(5) In section 373 (orders, regulations and rules), in subsection (3) after paragraph (eb) insert—

“(eba) regulations under section 340IA(4) or (5)(e),”.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 4 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 7(2)