Defence whistleblowing review announced as Armed Forces Commissioner Bill clears Lords
A review into whistleblowing in defence will be launched this year, the Government has announced.
Defence Minister Lord Coaker told the House of Lords that the review will be led by Veterans Minister Alistair Carns.
The news came as the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill cleared the House of Lords, marking the end of the so-called ping-pong between the two Houses of Parliament.
The bill, which will become law after it receives royal assent, will establish an independent Armed Forces Commissioner and provide them with powers to initiate investigations into general service welfare matters.
In doing so, it abolishes the office of the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces.
The whistleblowing in defence review will be seen as a government concession, after the Lords previously backed an amendment from shadow defence minister Baroness Goldie, which would give the commissioner a duty and powers to investigate whistleblowing concerns.
Lord Coaker told peers: "What has become clear is that both Houses agree on the importance of a robust and transparent process for service personnel to raise their concerns and blow the whistle.
"We want our Armed Forces and their families to have confidence and trust in the system and to feel empowered and protected to come forward with their concerns.
"We have actively engaged and heard valuable contributions, both in this chamber and outside.
"As a result of these constructive discussions, the Government has decided to initiate a whistleblowing in defence review led by my colleague, the Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carns."
Lord Coaker read out the letter that he and Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard sent to Lady Goldie on 9 July, in which they outlined the details of the planned review.
In the letter, the ministers said the review will "allow us to look at whistleblowing in a broader context, rather than solely in the general service welfare sphere".
They added: "Of course, how the Armed Forces Commissioner fits into this landscape will be an important part of the review.
"The review will assess: whether the current raising a concern policy is fit for purpose, how we communicate our policy to service personnel, whether personnel understand the processes for raising issues and the protections they are afforded, the consistency between the application and accessibility of military and civilian whistleblowing procedures, and crucially, whether legislation is needed to implement any changes.
"Further details of the review will be published by a written ministerial statement in due course.
"The review will produce initial findings by the end of this year and a final report and recommendations by spring 2026.
"Should any agreed measures require changes to legislation, we will look to do this in a suitable vehicle as soon as parliamentary time allows."
The ministers added that while it would be "premature" to commit to a specific bill for these changes, the Armed Forces Act requires review before the end of 2026.
They concluded that they want a "substantive, meaningful process with tangible outcomes to improve the lives of service personnel".
Lord Coaker said the scope of the review will be announced via ministerial statement after the summer recess.
Shadow defence minister Lady Goldie said she was "pleased" with the progress made on the issue of whistleblowing.
Referring to defence ministers Lord Coaker and Mr Pollard, she said: "Above all else, I want to thank them both for listening.
"I've accepted the offer in good faith. I've agreed the bill should now pass so that progress can be made with this important appointment."
On the review itself, she said: "I think it can be a [stock] take of the current procedures. They can assess whether these need to be simplified, and if so, how that can be done.
"I think the review should also recognise the key distinction between simply raising a complaint and blowing the whistle on serious wrongdoing.
"And I think the review should take place in close consultation with the Armed Forces Commissioner whenever he or she is appointed."
Welcoming the appointment of former Royal Marines colonel Mr Carns to lead the review, she said: "I think it's very important to have a person of his stature conducting it.
"If the review is to gain the trust of service personnel, we must have someone who has the respect for the forces and experience of life in the services leading it."
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