Pre-appointment hearing for the Armed Forces Commissioner

Headline findings

• Committee confirmed Miller-Perkins has sufficient professional expertise and personal independence for the interim one-year appointment
• Her selection via direct appointment rather than open competition raised concerns; she will reapply within 12 months with reappointment decided by the Secretary of State, creating potential conflict of interest
• Miller-Perkins identified systemic failures in the armed forces complaints process: weak informal procedures, timeliness problems, and poor coordination of recommendations from previous reviews
• She committed to resign her reservist commission before taking office and will have no pension entitlement, designed to protect her independence

Why it matters

The Armed Forces Commissioner is the new independent watchdog for service personnel complaints; this hearing determines whether the government's preferred candidate can actually hold the military accountable despite being appointed by the Defence Secretary.

Tone arc

Started procedural (examining appointment mechanics and her CV), shifted toward probing independence risks mid-hearing (reappointment dependency, military background), but ended with committee consensus that safeguards were adequate.

Key witnesses

Polly Miller-Perkins CBE