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Written question asked by James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 May 2026. It was answered by Louise Sandher-Jones (Labour) on Tuesday, 19 May 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.


Armed Forces: Complaints

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff hours were spent working on complaints made to the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces in i) 2023, ii) 2024 and iii) 2025.

Answer

Detailed information concerning the numbers, nature and timeliness of Service Complaints was published by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in its Annual Reports which were laid before Parliament, and in the supporting Annual Statistical Tables that are available on the SCOAF website: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables

Information on the numbers of complaints received by the SCOAF from LGBTQ+ personnel, and the number of staff hours and cost expended in working on complaints made to the SCOAF is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner was established on 1 April 2026, and no verified statistics are currently available.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
773
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Staff Complaints Armed forces Standards Service Complaints Ombudsman
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk