Overview

This bill allows members of the UK's regular armed forces to serve part-time or with geographic restrictions on their service. This offers greater flexibility for service personnel, potentially improving recruitment and retention.

Description

The Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill amends the Armed Forces Act 2006 to permit part-time service and geographically restricted service for regular forces personnel. The bill introduces the ability for individuals to serve part-time, and for their service to be limited to specific areas. It also allows for the modification, suspension, or termination of these flexible working arrangements under specified circumstances. The bill also makes consequential amendments to the Juries Act 1974 and the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1980 to reflect the changes to the definition of service in the armed forces. This is to ensure that jury service provisions accurately account for part-time service.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify any new government spending. However, the implementation of part-time service might necessitate adjustments to resource allocation within the Ministry of Defence, although specific figures are not provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Regular Armed Forces Personnel: This bill directly impacts regular service members, offering them the possibility of part-time work or service restricted to a specific geographical area. This could improve work-life balance and enhance recruitment and retention.
• Ministry of Defence: The MOD will need to adapt its operational procedures and resource allocation to accommodate part-time and geographically restricted service.
• Employers of Part-Time Service Personnel: Individuals choosing part-time service might have a greater need to coordinate employment with their military commitments.
• Jury Service System: Amendments to the Juries Act ensure that jury service provisions appropriately account for those serving part-time in the armed forces.

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