Member

Importantly, the Government are not seeking to remove the local knowledge, regional expertise or volunteer contributions that have long been central to the success of the RFCAs. Regional engagement and delivery will remain at the heart of the organisations’ work, and mechanisms are included within the new structure to preserve that strong regional representation. Clause 38 also enables the orderly transfer of staff, property rights and liabilities, ensuring continuity of service and support to reservists, cadets and defence more broadly. The Government’s view is that removing Clause 38 would prevent these reforms being implemented and would leave in place arrangements that successive independent reviews, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office have all concluded require significant reform or mitigation. It would also delay the creation of a governance structure better suited to supporting defence resilience and national preparedness in an increasingly challenging security environment.