Session 2014 - 15
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament


 
 

1705

 

House of Commons

 
 

Notices of Amendments

 

given on

 

Monday 2 March 2015

 

Consideration of Bill


 

Armed Forces (Service Complaints and Financial Assistance) Bill


 

[Lords], As Amended


 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  28,  after “may”, insert “, on an application to the

 

Ombudsman by a person within subsection (1A),”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment clarifies the provision made in new section 340H(1) for the Armed Forces Act

 

2006 (inserted by clause 2 of the Bill) about the making of applications to the Service Complaints

 

Ombudsman. See also amendment 5.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  29,  after “complaint”, insert “, where the Ombudsman is

 

satisfied that the complaint has been finally determined”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment makes a drafting change in consequence of amendment 9. It clarifies that the

 

Service Complaints Ombudsman may not investigate a service complaint unless satisfied that the

 

complaint has been finally determined.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  31,  leave out from “complaint” to end of line 32 and insert

 

“(including an allegation of undue delay), where the Ombudsman is satisfied that the

 

complaint has been finally determined;”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment makes minor drafting changes, including a change in consequence of amendment

 

9. It clarifies that the Service Complaints Ombudsman may not investigate an allegation of

 

maladministration unless satisfied that the service complaint to which the allegation relates has

 

been finally determined.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  leave out lines 33 to 37 and insert—

 

“(c)    

an allegation of undue delay in the handling of a service complaint which

 

has not been finally determined;


 
 

Notices of Amendments:                               

1706

 

, continued

 
 

(d)    

an allegation of undue delay in the handling of a relevant service matter.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment clarifies when the Service Complaints Ombudsman may investigate an allegation

 

of undue delay in the handling of a service complaint or a relevant service matter (as to which, see

 

amendment 6).

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  37,  at end insert—

 

“(1A)    

The following persons are within this subsection—

 

(a)    

in a case relating to a service complaint, the complainant;

 

(b)    

in a case relating to a matter in respect of which a service complaint has

 

not been made, the person who raised the matter,

 

    

and, in relation to a case mentioned in paragraph (b), references in the remainder

 

of this Part to the complainant and to a service complaint are to be read

 

respectively as references to the person and the matter mentioned in that

 

paragraph.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment makes provision about who may make an application to the Service Complaints

 

Ombudsman for an investigation under new section 340H(1) of the Armed Forces Act 2006.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  37,  at end insert—

 

“( )    

For the purposes of subsection (1)(d)—

 

(a)    

“relevant service matter” means a matter of a kind about which a service

 

complaint—

 

(i)    

may be made, whether or not at the time of the application to the

 

Ombudsman such a complaint has been made, or

 

(ii)    

could have been made (but for provision made by virtue of

 

section 340B(2)(c));

 

(b)    

the reference to the handling of a matter is to its handling before the

 

making of a service complaint (if any) about the matter.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment defines “relevant service matter” for the purposes of paragraph (d) of new

 

section 340H(1) of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (see amendment 4) and makes provision about the

 

reference to the handling of such a matter.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  39,  after “writing,”, insert—

 

“( )    

must specify the kind (or kinds) of investigation which the complainant

 

wishes the Ombudsman to carry out (an investigation under a particular

 

paragraph of subsection (1) being a “kind” of investigation for this

 

purpose),”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment provides that an application to the Service Complaints Ombudsman must specify

 

which type or types of investigation the applicant wants the Ombudsman to carry out.


 
 

Notices of Amendments:                               

1707

 

, continued

 
 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  40,  leave out “the” and insert “any other”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment is consequential on amendment 7.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  42,  leave out from beginning to “a” in line 44 and insert—

 

“( )    

For the purposes of this section, a service complaint has been finally determined

 

where—

 

(a)    

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment converts new section 340H(3) for the Armed Forces Act 2006 into a general

 

proposition about when a service complaint is to be treated for the purposes of new section 340H

 

as having been finally determined.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  5,  leave out “that”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment is consequential on amendment 9.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  7,  leave out lines 7 to 11 and insert—

 

“( )    

The purpose of an investigation is—

 

(a)    

in the case of an investigation under subsection (1)(a), to decide whether

 

the complaint is well-founded and, if so, to consider what redress (if any)

 

would be appropriate;

 

(b)    

in the case of an investigation under subsection (1)(b), (c) or (d), to

 

decide—

 

(i)    

whether the allegation is well-founded, and

 

(ii)    

if so, whether the maladministration or undue delay to which the

 

allegation relates has or could have resulted in injustice being

 

sustained by the complainant.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment clarifies the purpose of an investigation under each paragraph of new section

 

340H(1) for the Armed Forces Act 2006.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  11,  at end insert—

 

“(4A)    

The power to carry out an investigation under subsection (1)(a) or (b) includes

 

power to investigate any maladministration in the handling of the service

 

complaint where it becomes apparent to the Ombudsman during the course of an

 

investigation that any such maladministration may have occurred.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment provides for the circumstances in which the Service Complaints Ombudsman has

 

power to investigate maladministration in the handling of a service complaint (other than any

 

maladministration that the complainant has specifically alleged).


 
 

Notices of Amendments:                               

1708

 

, continued

 
 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  12,  after “application”, insert “in respect of a service

 

complaint that has been finally determined”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment is consequential on the amendments to new section 340H(1) for the Armed Forces

 

Act 2006 (in particular amendments 2 to 4).

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  25,  leave out “investigated an application relating to” and

 

insert “carried out an investigation under subsection (1)(a) or (b) in relation to”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment confines new section 340H(8), which prevents the Service Complaints

 

Ombudsman from investigating subsequent applications relating to a service complaint that the

 

Ombudsman has already investigated, to cases where the Ombudsman has carried out an

 

investigation under new section 340H(1)(a) or (b) in relation to the complaint.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  31,  at end insert “;

 

(b)    

whether to investigate a service complaint, or an allegation, as a whole or

 

only in particular respects.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment provides that the Service Complaints Ombudsman’s may investigate a service

 

complaint, or an allegation, in whole or in part.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  44,  after “investigation”, insert “under section 340H(1)(b)”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment is consequential on amendments to new section 340H(1) of the Armed Forces Act

 

2006.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  8,  line  43,  at end insert “, and

 

(b)    

any recommendations referred to in subsection (2A).”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment requires the Service Complaints Ombudsman to include, in a report under new

 

section 340L, any recommendations required by subsection (2A) (see amendment 18).

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  9,  leave out lines 1 to 4 and insert—

 

“(2A)    

Those recommendations are—

 

(a)    

on an investigation under section 340H(1)(a) where the Ombudsman

 

finds that the service complaint to which the investigation relates is well-

 

founded, the Ombudsman’s recommendations (if any) on what redress

 

would be appropriate;

 

(b)    

on an investigation under section 340H(1)(b), (c) or (d) where the

 

Ombudsman finds that the allegation to which the investigation relates is


 
 

Notices of Amendments:                               

1709

 

, continued

 
 

well-founded, the Ombudsman’s recommendations (if any) as a result of

 

that finding;

 

(c)    

where, by virtue of section 340H(4A), the Ombudsman finds

 

maladministration in the handling of a service complaint, the

 

Ombudsman’s recommendations (if any) as a result of that finding.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment provides for the recommendations which the Service Complaints Ombudsman

 

can make as a result of findings on an investigation under any paragraph of new section 340H(1)

 

or by virtue of new section 340H(6).

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  9,  line  5,  leave out “(2)” and insert “(2A)(b) or (c)”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment is consequential on amendment 18.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  9,  line  8,  after “maladministration”, insert “or undue delay to which

 

the finding relates”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment is consequential on amendment 18.

 

Secretary Michael Fallon

 

Clause  2,  page  9,  line  10,  after “maladministration”, insert “or undue delay”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment is consequential on amendment 18.

 


 
contents
 

© Parliamentary copyright
Revised 3 March 2015