If you know anything about how the Cayman Islands is governed, you will realise this is a very bad move for serving personnel. Nothing will change, but a veneer of respectability will be put on the process.

Why would the MoD install a mechanism that will only cause them grief? Far better as things stand so that servicemen (m&f) can be pressured into not causing a fuss and things can be made to look hunky dory in the house. Or am I being very cynical?

I investigated a SC once, and found in favour of the complainant. Mind you the second SC (the one I investigated) was complaining about how long the first SC was taking......:ugh:

As someone who had cause to complain about the Parliamentary Ombudsman and who eventually won (it took a couple of years mind), when the system works, it works well. As ever, the weakest link in just about every public body these days is calibre of integrity and commitment, and a lack of funding and costs undermining morale and a sense of duty to what should be, something most important. The people, generally, are held in ever decreasing esteem by state institutions and service providers who otherwise should exist for no other purpose than to serve.

@Courtney MilWhy would the MoD install a mechanism that will only cause them grief? Because it has been pressured into doing so by cogent argument, not least by the present Service Complaints Commissioner, Susan Atkins.

• Defence Committee backs BAFF call for Armed Forces Ombudsman

The Government publishes its response to the Defence Committee (Armed Forces (Service Complaints & Financial Assistance) Bill) in respect of the Service Complaints Commissioner.

House of Commons - Armed Forces (Service Complaints and Financial Assistance) Bill: Government Response to the Committee's Fifth Report of Session 2014-15 - Defence Committee

Cancel the Service Complaints Ombudsman legislation?
 

The Coalition Government's legislation transforming the post of Service Complaints Commissioner into a Service Complaints Ombudsman received the Royal Assent on 26 March 2015. The Ombudsman (des), Nicola Williams, took up the post of Service Complaints Commissioner to the Armed Forces in January 2015 but the legislation upgrading the post will take some time to be implemented.

In the meantime, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Craig of Radley, who was an opponent of the legislation during its passage through the Lords, has this week called on the incoming Conservative government to consider cancelling the legislation via the Armed Forces Bill 2016, because it "served to lessen the essential ethos of trust, both political and military, up and down the chain of command—a fundamental requirement of the Armed Forces." I believe there will be mixed views on this.

• Lord Craig of Radley: Cancel the Service Complaints Ombudsman legislation

I've worked for some good people where loyalty flowed both ways. But we all know that isn't always the case.

I have always felt that the Armed Forces should be allocated a number of MPs. With a mobile population, many of whom serve abroad with their families, it makes no sense voting for a geographical representative who won't represent you for long. Two dedicated MPs for each Service would do a much better job and would negate the need for an ombudsman with fewer powers and less influence.

Genstabler, dedicated service constituencies have been suggested before, as you probably know. One difficulty is that either service voters would have two votes each (nice, but dream on), or they would under your suggestion no longer be allowed to register either in the local constituency where they currently live, or in the constituency where they would be living if they weren't in the forces.

Service constituencies aren't on offer, but any case I wouldn't see a service MP as any substitute for a service complaints commissioner or ombudsman.