The Defence Reform Bill aims to improve UK defence procurement and support of reserve forces through several changes. It will allow for commercial entities to handle defence procurement through government-owned contractor-operated companies. A new regulatory body will oversee single source contracts to introduce more competition among defence suppliers. The bill also seeks to reform the reserve forces by extending powers to call up reservists and providing greater employment protections for reservists.

1. Defence Reform Bill:
what you need to know

2. What is the Defence Reform Bill?
It aims to improve procurement
and support of defence
equipment and to strengthen the
reserve forces.
The UK Defence Reform Bill is part of the UK
Government’s attempt to reduce defence spend and
cut the size of the MOD without losing operational
capability.

3. So what will
change?

4. Defence Equipment & Support

5. Defence Communications Support
Defence Equipment & Support
• Currently responsible for the procurement and support of
defence equipment and the supply of logistics to the Armed
Forces.
• Has been criticised for allowing expensive projects to run out
of control, partly because of too much meddling from outside
forces and stakeholders within the MOD.
• The Bill will look to allow for a commercial organisation to
provide defence procurement services under contract with a
Government Owned and Contractor Operated (GOCO)
company in future.

6. Single Source Procurement

7. Single Source Procurement
The Bill will seek to create a new Non Departmental Public
Body – the Single Source Regulations Office – to oversee
contracts that need to be awarded without competition due
to the sensitive nature of the requirements.
By introducing the independent body, it is thought that
hundreds of potential defence suppliers will be able to enter
the procurement process and compete for contracts
previously unavailable due to their sensitive military nature.

8. Reserve Forces

9. Reserve Forces
The Bill also seeks to reform the current remit of the Reserve
Forces, including:
• extending current powers to call out reservists
• allowing the Secretary of State to make payments to reservists
employers’ to incentivise them to employ reservists
• providing greater employment protection for reservists
• changing the name of the British Territorial Army to the Army
Reserve

10. Next steps
• The Government Bill was presented to
Parliament on 3 July 2013.
• It is expected to have its second reading
debate on 16 July 2013.

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