§ Mr. DevlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress to complete the work on the secondary legislation for the Reserve Forces Act 1996. [82]
§ Mr. SoamesWork to develop the necessary secondary legislation to enable the Act's new powers to operate is proceeding well. Both new regulations and amendments to existing ones will be necessary, with some requiring formal public consultation before they are made.
That process of consultation has now begun. On 18 October we published a consultative document on schemes for exempting reservists from call-out and recall, and for financial assistance for reservists and their employers, provided under part VIII of the Act. The document is available in the Library of the House. As required by the Act, copies have been sent to representatives of employers, employees, the self-employed, and to the Council of Territorial, Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve Associations. Copies have also been sent to those who responded to the last consultation exercise on the draft Reserve Forces Bill, and to selected reserve units. The consultation period finishes on 29 November and I would encourage all those that the regulations affect or who have an interest in them to read the document carefully and to send in their comments.
I consider it most important to allow adequate time for interested parties to respond to our proposals, and for a measured assessment of those comments. I have therefore decided that the regulations, and the Act as a whole, should take effect from 1 April 1997 rather than 1 January 1997, the original target date for implementation.