• New initiatives to tackle unacceptable behaviours in the military to be introduced at pace.

• Changes include a new specialist Tri-Service team for taking the most serious complaints, such as bullying, discrimination and harassment, outside the single Service chain of command.

• MOD creates a central Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, to drive cultural improvements 

• Progress comes as Armed Forces Commissioner Bill continues through Parliament as part of the Government’s Plan for Change 

As part of a series of changes to eradicate unacceptable behaviours in the military, and step-up support for women across UK Defence, a new Tri-Service complaints unit for the Armed Forces has been announced.  

The new team will be independent of the single Service chain of command to provide individuals with greater confidence and help ensure that the most serious complaints are dealt with quickly, fairly and in a standardised way across the Armed Forces. Building on the change in 2022 when complaints were taken out of the direct chain of command, providing greater independence and confidence. 

The change will see Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination related service complaints dealt with by a team outside the commands of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.  

This builds on the successes of the tri-service approach to sexual offending, within the Defence Serious Crime Command which was set up in 2022.

In addition, the Ministry of Defence will set up a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Taskforce, led centrally by Minister Carns to cohere and drive the work to change culture from the heart of the department. Minister Carns will be supported by a network of regional champions who will help raise awareness of and tackle violence against women and girls across the military, and a Defence Voices Panel – a challenge group made up of service personnel and civil servants to provide honest feedback and lived experiences. 

The Minister for Defence People and Veterans Al Carns will set out these new measures before the House of Commons Defence Select Committee later today. He will give evidence alongside Service chiefs.  

Minister for Veterans and People Alistair Carns said:

This government was elected on a manifesto of change, and we are delivering for Defence. I am personally committed to ensuring that we do everything within our power to root out unacceptable behaviour and ensure that the Armed Forces is a place where everyone can thrive. 

Women in the armed forces play a vital role in our keeping our nation safe. This is not just a matter of basic justice and equality, it is essential to military effectiveness.   

Our people have spoken, and we have listened. We are moving at pace to create a new Tri-Service Complaints team to take the most serious complaints out of the chain of single Service command for the first time and to launch a central taskforce to give this issue the attention and focus it deserves.

The MOD’s VAWG Taskforce will include regional support network, trained on topics including domestic violence and sexual offending. These roles will use a network of multidisciplinary experts to support Armed Forces personnel, including healthcare providers, social workers, and HR advisors and will link into the Victim Witness Care Unit.   These measures are part of the government’s commitment to improving Service life and renewing the contract with those who serve and have served and support this government’s foundation of strong national security.  

The government introduced the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill in November – the first ever independent champion for serving personnel and their families. The Bill has passed through the House of Commons and is now in Committee Stage in the Lords. The Commissioner will be a direct point of contact for serving personnel and their families to raise issues which impact Service life. They are expected to be appointed by the end of 2025.  With powers to visit Defence sites unannounced and commission reports, the Commissioner will hold Defence to account and drive improvements to Service life.  

The government is committed to standing up for those who serve the nation. At the end of July, the Armed Forces received the largest pay rise in over 20 years, and in December the MOD struck a landmark deal to bring the military housing estate back into public ownership to enable additional investment into homes for military families and deliver savings for taxpayers.