Overview

The Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill aims to allow members of the UK's regular armed forces to serve part-time or with geographical restrictions on their service. This will provide greater flexibility in terms of service commitments.

Description

This bill amends the Armed Forces Act 2006 to permit part-time service and geographically restricted service for regular forces personnel. It introduces the ability to:

• Serve part-time within the regular forces.
• Serve within a specific geographical area.
• Allow for the possibility of temporary suspension of restrictions or part-time arrangements.

The bill also makes consequential amendments to the Juries Act 1974 and the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1980, ensuring that the definition of "member of the regular forces" is consistent across relevant legislation. Specific regulations will determine the practical implementation of part-time and geographically restricted service.

Government Spending

The bill does not directly specify any government spending figures. The potential cost will depend on the implementation of regulations, including managing personnel and accommodating varied service arrangements.

Groups Affected

The bill will primarily affect:

• Members of the regular armed forces: This will potentially provide more flexible career options and better work-life balance.
• The Ministry of Defence: This will require the MOD to adapt its personnel management systems to accommodate part-time and geographically restricted service.
• Employers of spouses/partners of service personnel: This change may improve the ability of spouses and partners to find or maintain employment.
• The Judiciary: This will affect jury service exemptions which will need updating to accommodate these flexible service options.

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