Army (Complaints) (Hansard, 24 July 2000)

§ Dr. Moonie

The average time taken from first submission of complaint by the individual to his or her Commanding Officer to promulgation of the Army Board determination of those cases in the system over the last 12 months (from 1 June 1999 to 31 May 2000) is 82 weeks. 72 per cent. of all cases are decided below Army Board level and consequently take far less time to resolve. After the individual has received the Army Board determination and decides to petition the Sovereign, further legal advice is sought and a report prepared for the Army Board and subsequently the Secretary of State for Defence. The Secretary of State is responsible for putting the petition to Her Majesty. The length of time taken for the process varies very significantly from case to case reflecting the relative difficulty and complexity and the need for the Army Board and the Secretary of State to deal personally and carefully with each case. In the six cases submitted to Her Majesty in the 12 months from June 1999 to 31 May 2000 the time taken from the original determination by the Army Board to submission varied from 30 months to eight months.

We recognise the problem delay causes in the processing of Redresses of Complaint. The Chain of Command has been provided with clear guidance explaining that every effort must be made to resolve complaints as swiftly as possible and at the lowest possible level, in the interests of good management, efficiency and justice. The Army General Administrative Instructions dealing with Redresses of Complaint have also been amended to ensure that the message is clearly understood by all involved.