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Formal Response to the Service Complaints Commissioner’s Annual Report for 2014 on the Service Complaints System

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans (Mr Mark Lancaster) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I am pleased to release today the Ministry of Defence’s formal response to the Service Complaints Commissioner’s (SCC) annual report for 2014 on the fairness, effectiveness and efficiency of the Service complaints system.

The SCC’s report commented on the performance of the current Service complaints system and looked forward to the changes that will come from the new system under the Armed Forces (Service Complaints and Financial Assistance) Act 2015. The response sets out how the MOD is addressing each of the Commissioner’s new recommendations which relate primarily to the preparation for and the implementation of the reforms.

The 2015 Act introduces significant reforms of the process and creates a powerful independent voice in the new Service Complaints Ombudsman. It is important that we have a system in which our personnel have confidence to raise matters of concern so they can be resolved.

A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.