In the coming months, Senedd Members will be asked to vote on whether to grant consent for provisions in the UK Government’s Armed Forces Bill.
If passed, the Bill would introduce changes to the Armed Forces Covenant in Wales and establish a new Defence Housing Service with responsibility for improving service accommodation across the UK.
This article sets out why the Senedd is being asked to grant consent, and explores some key measures in the Bill which are relevant for policy-makers in Wales.
Why is the Senedd being asked to give consent?
The Armed Forces Bill is a UK Government Bill. It was introduced in the House of Commons in January 2026, and is currently making its way through the scrutiny process in Westminster. The House of Commons Library has published a briefing explaining the key measures in the Bill.
The Bill primarily deals with defence issues which are reserved to Westminster, but it includes provisions which relate to devolved matters. Although the UK Parliament can still legislate on devolved matters, the Sewel convention provides that it does not normally do so without the consent of the Senedd.
The UK Government is seeking consent from the Senedd for provisions to expand the Armed Forces Covenant, which would affect the functions of Welsh Ministers and certain devolved public bodies. In its Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM) for the Bill, the Welsh Government has argued that other aspects of the Bill should also require consent.
How would the Bill change the Armed Forces Covenant?
The Armed Forces Covenant is a statement of the moral obligation which exists between the nation, the government and the armed forces.
Currently, the law places a duty on certain public bodies to have due regard to the Covenant principles when carrying out particular functions (sometimes known as the Covenant Duty).
The Armed Forces Covenant Duty is a legal obligation which applies to specified bodies. When exercising certain functions, these bodies must have due regard to:
- the unique obligations of, and sacrifices made by, the armed forces;
- the principle that it is desirable to remove disadvantages arising for Service people from membership, or former membership, of the armed forces; and
- the principle that special provision for Service people may be justified by the effects on such people of membership, or former membership, of the armed forces.
If passed, the Bill would extend the Covenant Duty to national and devolved governments.
Local authorities, education bodies and health bodies in Wales are already subject to this duty. However, the Bill effectively extends the duty by requiring all specified bodies to have regard to the Covenant when exercising any functions relating to an expanded list of 12 key policy areas.
According to the Explanatory Memorandum that accompanies the Bill, the aim of these changes is to ensure the needs of the armed forces community are considered by all relevant policymakers and decision makers.
How have the proposed changes been received?
There has been widespread support for an extension of the Covenant Duty during scrutiny of the Bill.
Veterans’ organisations like the Royal British Legion, Help for Heroes and Cobseo - the Confederation of Service Charities have suggested the changes should help to ensure a more consistent and comprehensive approach to the provision of services for veterans. The Welsh Government has also expressed support for the extension of the Armed Forces Covenant.
However, a House of Commons Defence Committee inquiry into the Covenant in 2025 concluded that legislative change alone would not address issues with inconsistent implementation. The Committee suggested that implementation could be improved by:
- establishing clear and demanding standards and mechanisms for accountability;
- improving guidance to those delivering services; and
- facilitating knowledge-sharing so that best practice can spread.
In written evidence to the House of Commons Special Committee scrutinising the Bill earlier this year, the former Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates MS suggested that joint working across national and devolved governments would be essential to ensuring a coherent approach to supporting members of the armed forces community.
Local and devolved governments have also argued that additional funding should be provided by the UK Government alongside the expanded Covenant Duty. Earlier this year, the previous Scottish and Welsh Governments suggested there could be additional costs associated with training, and with updating policies and practices. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said expanding the scope of the Duty would have “a significant impact on councils” in Wales.
How will the Bill affect defence housing?
The Bill also aims to deliver on UK Government commitments to deliver radical improvements to Defence family housing and support housebuilding across the UK.
To achieve this, the Bill would establish a new Defence Housing Service (DHS), with powers to deliver an improved housing service to service personnel and their families. There are over 47,000 Defence family housing properties across the UK, including around 800 in Wales.
The DHS would also have powers to drive development and regeneration activities on Defence land, including managing financing and land acquisition and disposal. The Sixth Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee expressed concern that plans for the use of Defence land “could potentially go against Welsh Government and local authority place-making strategies”, and questioned what the process for making planning decisions would be in this situation.
Writing to the Committee, the former Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales said he was “reassured that any development brought forward by the DHS would be subject to planning permission”, and proposals would therefore need to be aligned with or incorporated within relevant local development plans.
What’s next?
The Welsh Government states in the Armed Forces Bill LCM that it is supportive of the principles of the Bill. It says it will bring forward a recommendation on this and other LCMs once the Welsh Government has “analysed the wider impact of the UK legislative programme for Wales”.
The LCM has been referred to the Senedd’s Equality, Human Rights and Social Justice Committee and the Legislation Committee for scrutiny. The Committees will publish reports on the LCM by 23 October, and it’s likely that a vote on the LCM will be held in the Senedd soon after.
In the meantime, the Bill will continue its progress through the legislative process in Westminster. You can track developments on the UK Parliament website.
Article by Gwennan Hardy, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
