Draft Armed Forces Commissioner (Family Definition, and Consequential and Transitional Provision etc.) Regulations 2026

Ben Obese-Jecty Excerpts

Tuesday 17th March 2026 General Committees

[Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)]

The Opposition support these regulations. This is a straightforward piece of legislation, but we have some points that we would like the Minister to clarify.

When will the new Armed Forces Commissioner will be appointed? In January 2025 the hon. Member for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport (Luke Pollard), then Armed Forces Minister, stated:

“Our intention to have the operation up and running in 2026 remains in place.”—[Official Report, 21 January 2025; Vol. 760, c. 930.]

Could the Minister confirm that that position remains extant? If it does, could she indicate the timeframe within which the Government expect the Armed Forces Commissioner to be appointed?

In the interim, once this legislation comes into effect on 1 April, how will the responsibilities of the Service Complaints Ombudsman be discharged? Will the current ombudsman remain in place until the Armed Forces Commissioner is appointed or will this role, and those responsibilities due to be transferred to the Armed Forces Commissioner, be gapped?

The statutory instrument states in paragraph 3(3):

“For the purposes of this Regulation, references to A’s spouse or civil partner includes—

a person whose relationship with A is akin to a relationship between spouses or civil partners;

a former spouse or civil partner of A;

a person whose relationship with A was formerly akin to a relationship between spouses or civil partners.”

Could the Minister clarify that long-term relationships are covered in the same way? From the way she described it, it sounds as though they are, but I want to clarify that point. Could she also clarify the definition of

“akin to a relationship between spouses or civil partners”?

It would be helpful to know that there is a clear understanding of how this legislation defines a relationship and therefore who is or is not covered by the legislation.

I reiterate that we support this SI, but those are some minor points of clarification that we believe need to be addressed.