Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill

The Commons Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill scrutinises the Bill's provisions affecting military personnel, veterans, and defence infrastructure. Operating as a general committee of the House, it takes oral evidence from government witnesses and external experts to examine the legislation in detail. Recent sessions have focused on the Armed Forces Covenant and how its principles embed support for service personnel within the Bill. The committee has probed reforms to the Reserves through the lens of the Strategic Defence Review, examining implications for recruitment and retention. It has also investigated service justice mechanisms and victims' protections contained in the Bill, and examined proposals for the Defence Housing Service. These inquiries reflect the committee's role in testing whether the Bill adequately addresses personnel welfare, justice reform, and institutional change across the armed forces.