Armed Forces Bill: HL Bill 36 of 2026–27

Approximate read time: 40 minutes

The bill completed its stages in the House of Commons on 22 June 2026 and is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 6 July 2026. In summary, the bill would: 

• enshrine the armed forces covenant fully in law by extending it to central, devolved and local authorities and expanding the issues to which these and certain public bodies must have due regard 

• establish the Defence Housing Service 

• give new powers for Defence personnel to use approved equipment for the purposes of detecting and preventing drone offences against Defence sites 

• make changes to the reserve forces to expand the recall liability; allow the secretary of state to issue recall orders for “warlike operations”; and to make easier transfers between the reserves and the regulars 

• make changes to the service justice system to make it more efficient and effective, including measures intended to support government strategy to halve violence against women and girls in a decade 

Generally, opposition parties expressed support for the principles of the bill. However, concerns have been raised on several issues, including levels of defence investment and the extent to which the bill would support the government’s ambition to increase the size of the reserve forces. Only government amendments were made to the bill during its passage through the House of Commons. 

Image by AS1 Jake Hobbs RAF; UK Ministry of Defence © Crown copyright 2025.