Pre-appointment hearing for the Service Complaints Ombudsman

The position of the Service Complaints Ombudsman was established by the Armed Forces (Service Complaints and Financial Assistance) Act 2015 to replace the previous role of the Service Complaints Commissioner. The Ombudsman took over the Commissioner's responsibilities of providing an alternative route for Service personnel who do not wish to approach the chain of command directly to have allegations fed into the system and the production of an annual report on the fairness, efficiency and effectiveness of the Service complaints system. The tenure of Nicola Williams, the first Service Complaints Ombudsman, ends on 31 December 2020 and a replacement is required to be in post by 1 January 2021. As it did prior to Nicola Williams' appointment, the Defence Committee is holding a pre-appointment hearing with the Secretary of State’s preferred candidate for the post.