Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Accepted
Update Committee on progress establishing new NDPB for cadet and reserve forces.
Conclusion
The Department has not secured the legislative slot it needs for its preferred route forward, of streamlining the 13 RFCAs and the Council into a non-departmental public body (NDPB). Creating an NDPB requires legislation. However, the Department’s earlier plan to rationalise the RFCAs into an NDPB, which would simplify back-office functions and clarify accountabilities, was thwarted by a lack of Parliamentary time before the 2024 general election. The Department still aims to establish an NDPB to bring better coherence and formality to the current arrangements, with a new board and chief executive to run the business. It is working to develop a bespoke NDPB which maximises local membership and engagement as well as making the organisation as efficient and effective as possible. Reserves and cadets join to serve locally, and central coordination needs to be combined with local implementation, by people who understand their 4 local environments. The Department says that the next opportunity to set up an NDPB will be through an Armed Forces Bill, which it is due to produce by the end of 2026. recommendation The Department should write to the Committee by 31 March 2026 with an update on its progress in establishing an NDPB. This should include details of how it will ensure the correct balance between the operational effectiveness of the NDPB with the benefits of having local volunteer input.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, stating the NDPB proposal is being developed for potential inclusion in the 2026 Armed Forces Bill, with work continuing to ensure local volunteer input is embedded. The department commits to providing updates on this progress as requested by the Committee.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Reserves Forces and Cadet Association (RFCA) Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). This follows the recommendations of the 2019 Sullivan Review, which identified the need for stronger governance and a more consistent approach across the 13 regional RFCAs. A key early step was the Ministry of Defence’s designation of the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves & Cadets) as the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), providing a clear point of leadership between the RFCAs and the department. Assurance and oversight have already improved through clearer service-level agreements, financial controls and reporting mechanisms. The NDPB proposal remains one of the measures being developed for potential inclusion in the 2026 Armed Forces Bill. This will deliver the benefits expected of an NDPB model, including greater accountability, transparency and consistency of corporate governance. It supports the department’s ambition for a modernised organisational structure that can continue to provide effective stewardship of the Reserve and Cadet estate, workforce and community engagement responsibilities. The RFCAs’ close connection with local employers, communities and volunteers remains central to operational effectiveness and resilience. Development of the NDPB model continues to ensure that these relationships and local volunteer input remain embedded at the heart of the future organisation’s ways of working. The department will provide updates on progress as requested by the Committee.