Reserve Forces Act 1996

Commitments to perform additional duties U.K.

24 Commitments to a period of [F1 full-time] service. U.K.

(1) A member of a reserve force may enter into a commitment in writing under this section [F2 (a full-time service commitment)] to undertake a period of [F3 full-time] service of such duration as may be specified in the commitment.

[F4 (1A) The period of service specified in a commitment under this section (whether originally, or by virtue of a variation under subsection (5)(a))—

(a) may be a period of full-time service;

(b) so far as orders or regulations under section 4 permit, may—

(i) be a period of service on a part-time basis, or

(ii) include one or more periods of service on a part-time basis as well as one or more periods of full-time service.

(1B) Orders or regulations under section 4 may enable a commitment under this section to contemplate periods of special or extended leave.]

(2) A person who has entered into such a commitment—

(a) shall be in [F5 full-time] service from the time specified in the commitment as the beginning of the period of [F5 full-time] service to be undertaken by him until the time at which he is released from that service;

F6 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) shall perform such duties while he is in [F7 full-time service] [F7 service under the commitment] as he may, in accordance with the terms of the commitment and any orders or regulations under section 4, be required to perform.

(3) A [F8 full-time service commitment] [F8 commitment under this section]—

(a) shall specify the duties to be performed by the person concerned (in general or specific terms) and the period for which he has undertaken to be in [F9 full-time service] [F9 service under the commitment];

[F10 (aa) must specify the place at which the person is to begin performing duties;]

(b) may, to the extent permitted by orders or regulations under section 4, limit the area within which he may be required to perform duties; and

(c) may contain such other terms relating to the duties to be performed by that person as are included in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4.

(4) A person who is in [F11 full-time service] [F11 service under a commitment under this section] may be required—

(a) to serve with any of the regular services for the purposes of performing duties in accordance with the commitment [F12 concerned]; and

(b) subject to any limitation in the commitment, to perform such duties anywhere in the world.

(5) A [F13 full-time service commitment] [F13 commitment under this section]—

(a) may, with the consent of the member concerned, be varied in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4;

(b) may be revoked before the beginning of the specified period of [F14 full-time] service by an authorised officer (whether at the request of the member concerned or otherwise) giving written notice to that effect to the member concerned; and

(c) shall terminate on the release of the member concerned from [F15 full-time] service under the commitment.

(6) A person in [F16 full-time service] [F16 service under a commitment under this section] shall, if not released from service sooner, be entitled to be released from service with all convenient speed in the prescribed manner at the end of the period of service specified in the commitment.

(7) Where a person in [F17 full-time service] [F17 service under a commitment under this section] is accepted into permanent service under Part IV, V or VI—

(a) his [F18 full-time service] [F18 service under the commitment] shall cease while he is in permanent service; but

(b) if, on his release from permanent service, the period of [F19 full-time] service undertaken by him [F20 under the commitment] has not expired, he shall resume his [F21 full-time service] [F21 service under the commitment] for the remainder of that period.

(8) A person in [F22 full-time service] [F22 service under a commitment under this section] shall not be liable to be required to undergo training under section 22.

(9) The duties which a person in [F23 full-time service] [F23 service under a commitment under this section] may be required to perform may include undertaking training.

(10) In this section—

“authorised officer” means an officer authorised by or in accordance with directions of the Defence Council for the purposes of this section;

[F24 “full-time service” means service under a full-time service commitment.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 24 heading omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(2), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F2 Words in s. 24(1) omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(3)(a), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F3 Word in s. 24(1) omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(3)(b), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F4 S. 24(1A)(1B) inserted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(4), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F5 Words in s. 24(2)(a) omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(5)(a), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F6 S. 24(2)(b) repealed (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 30, Sch. 17; S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4

F7 Words in s. 24(2)(c) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(5)(b), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F8 Words in s. 24(3) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(6)(a), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F9 Words in s. 24(3)(a) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(6)(b), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F10 S. 24(3)(aa) inserted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(6)(c), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F11 Words in s. 24(4) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(7)(a), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F12 Word in s. 24(4)(a) omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(7)(b), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F13 Words in s. 24(5) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(8)(a), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F14 Word in s. 24(5)(b) omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(8)(b), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F15 Word in s. 24(5)(c) omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(8)(c), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F16 Words in s. 24(6) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(9), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F17 Words in s. 24(7) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(10)(a), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F18 Words in s. 24(7)(a) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(10)(b), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F19 Word in s. 24(7)(b) omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(10)(c)(i), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F20 Words in s. 24(7)(b) inserted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(10)(c)(ii), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F21 Words in s. 24(7)(b) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(10)(c)(iii), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F22 Words in s. 24(8) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(11), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F23 Words in s. 24(9) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(12), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F24 Words in s. 24(10) omitted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by virtue of Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(13), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

25 Additional duties commitments. U.K.

(1) A member of a reserve force may enter into a commitment in writing under this section (an additional duties commitment) to perform such duties, for such period or periods, as may be specified in the commitment.

(2) A person who has entered into an additional duties commitment, in relation to each period of duty contemplated by the commitment—

F25 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) [F26 shall, from any time specified in the commitment as the time at which he is to begin that period of duty until released from duty,] perform such duties as he may, in accordance with the terms of the commitment and any orders or regulations under section 4, be required to perform;

(c) shall, if not released from duty sooner, be entitled to be released from duty with all convenient speed in the prescribed manner at the end of that period.

[F27 (2A) Subject to any provision made by orders or regulations under section 4, an additional duties commitment may provide for duties for a period to be performed on any basis, including full-time or part-time.]

(3) An additional duties commitment—

(a) shall specify—

(i) the duties to be performed by the person concerned (in general or specific terms);

(ii) the period or periods for which he is to perform duties;

(iii) the time and place at which he is to begin performing duties or, if there is to be more than one period of duty, the times and places at which he is to begin performing duties on each such occasion;

(b) may include terms requiring that person—

(i) to perform any duties outside the United Kingdom; or

(ii) to serve with any of the regular services for the purposes of performing any duties; and

(c) may contain such other terms relating to the duties to be performed by that person as are included in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4.

(4) An additional duties commitment—

(a) may, with the consent of the member concerned, be varied in accordance with orders or regulations under section 4;

(b) may be revoked at any time by an authorised officer (whether at the request of the member concerned or otherwise) giving written notice to that effect to the member concerned; and

(c) shall terminate (if not revoked sooner) on the release of the member concerned from the last period of duty contemplated by the commitment.

(5) A person’s duties under an additional duties commitment are in addition to any other obligations of his as a member of a reserve force.

(6) The duties specified in an additional duties commitment may include undertaking training.

(7) In this section “authorised officer” means an officer authorised by or in accordance with directions of the Defence Council for the purposes of this section.

Textual Amendments

F25 S. 25(2)(a) repealed (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 31(a), Sch. 17; S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4

F26 Words in s. 25(2)(b) substituted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 31(b); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4

F27 S. 25(2A) inserted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 9(14), 24(1); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

26 Parliamentary control of commitments. U.K.

(1) Parliament may authorise for each of the reserve forces a maximum number of officers and a maximum number of men who may at any time be—

[F28 (a) in full-time service under full-time service commitments; or ]

[F28 (a) in service under section 24 commitments; or]

(b) subject to additional duties commitments which are in force.

(2) Accordingly, the numbers of officers and men of a reserve force who are in [F29 full-time service] [F29 service under section 24 commitments], or subject to additional duties commitments which are in force, shall not exceed any numbers for the time being authorised by Parliament for that force.

(3) Any members of a reserve force who are in [F30 full-time service] [F30 service under section 24 commitments] or who are subject to additional duties commitments shall not be reckoned in any numbers for the time being authorised by Parliament for any of the regular services.

Textual Amendments

F28 S. 26(1)(a) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), s. 24(1), Sch. 2 para. 3(2) (with Sch. 2 para. 10); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F29 Words in s. 26(2) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), s. 24(1), Sch. 2 para. 3(3) (with Sch. 2 para. 10); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)

F30 Words in s. 26(3) substituted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), s. 24(1), Sch. 2 para. 3(4) (with Sch. 2 para. 10); S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(c)