{{Short description|Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom}} {{Use British English|date=August 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox UK legislation |short_title=Defence Reform Act 2014{{efn|Section 51.}} |type= Act |parliament=Parliament of the United Kingdom |long_title=An Act to make provision in connection with any arrangements that may be made by the Secretary of State with respect to the provision to the Secretary of State of defence procurement services; to make provision relating to defence procurement contracts awarded, or amended, otherwise than as the result of a competitive process; to make provision in relation to the reserve forces of the Crown; and for connected purposes.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2013-14/defencereform.html |publisher=parliament.uk |accessdate=17 May 2014 |title=Defence Reform Act 2014: Government Bill}}</ref> |year=2014 |introduced_by=Philip Dunne |citation=2014 c. 20 |territorial_extent=United Kingdom{{efn|Section 49.}} |royal_assent= 14 May 2014 |commencement=various{{efn|Section 50.}} |amends={{ubli|House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975|Reserve Forces Act 1980|Reserve Forces Act 1996}} |amendments={{ubli|Procurement Act 2023}} |related_legislation=Armed Forces Act 2006 |repealing_legislation= |status=Amended |original_text=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/20/contents/enacted |revised_text=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/20/contents |use_new_UK-LEG=yes |}}
The '''Defence Reform Act 2014''' (c. 20) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerned with defence procurement and the UK Reserve Forces, particularly the Territorial Army. It has 51 sections and seven schedules.
== Provisions == Part 1 of the act relates to defence procurement in general. Part 2 created a statutory framework for single-source contracts, operating in accordance with the Single Source Contract Regulations. The Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO) was established under the Act.<ref>Wilson, C., [https://www.dlapiper.com/en/uk/insights/publications/2014/12/defence-reform-act-2014-and-associated-regulations/ Defence Reform Act 2014 and associated regulations: a new framework for single source procurement]{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, DLA Piper, published 2 December 2014, accessed 30 April 2022</ref> The act allowed for the streamlining of the Defence Equipment and Support Agency (DE&S).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house-of-lords-25322154|title=Peers give Defence Reform Bill a second reading|date=2013-12-10|access-date=2026-01-26|work=BBC News|department=Democracy Live}}</ref>
Part 3 is concerned with reserve forces: the Army Reserve was renamed the Regular Reserve and the Territorial Army was renamed the Army Reserve.<ref>UK Legislation, [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/20/section/44 Defence Reform Act 2014: Section 44], accessed 1 November 2022</ref> The act increased the size of the reserved forces.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22436103|title=At-a-glance: Queen' Speech 2013 bill-by-bill|date=2013-05-08|access-date=2026-01-26|work=BBC News}}</ref>
The act increased provided for 3,000 additional regular soldiers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/24/britain-army-cuts-resurgent-russia-lord-dannatt|title=Britain should reconsider army cuts 'as message to resurgent Russia'|last=Tran|first=Mark|date=2014-03-24|access-date=2026-01-26|work=The Guardian}}</ref>
==Parliamentary history== ===First reading=== The act had its first reading in the House of Commons on 3 July 2013. Its backers were the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander, Business Secretary Vince Cable, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, Dominic Grieve and the Bill Minister, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Philip Dunne.
===Second reading=== The second reading in the House of Commons took place on 16 July 2013.<ref name="16-07-13Hansard">{{cite hansard |jurisdiction= UK |url= https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130716/debtext/130716-0002.htm#13071683000001 |house= Commons |date= 16 July 2013 |column=957|speaker=Philip Hammond}}</ref>
===Subsequent stages===
Subsequent parliamentary stages were as follows:
{| class="wikitable" |- ! House ! Stage ! Date(s) |-
|rowspan ="3"|Commons |Committee | 3 September 2013 - 22 October 2013 |- | Report | 20 November 2013 |- | 3rd Reading | 20 November 2013 |- |rowspan ="5"|Lords | 1st Reading | 21 November 2013 |- | 2nd Reading | 10 December 2013 |- |Committee | 3 February 2014 - 25 February 2014 |- | Report | 24 March 2014 - 26 March 2014 |- | 3rd Reading | 2 Apr 2014 |}
The bill returned to the House of Commons on 29 April 2014, where a programme motion was passed, and Commons Consideration of Lords' Amendments took place.
===Royal assent===
The bill was given royal assent (and thus became an act) on 14 May 2014.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201314/ldhansrd/text/140514-0002.htm#14051468000223 | title = Royal Assent | publisher = Parliament.uk | accessdate = 17 May 2014 }}</ref>
==Further reading==
*House of Commons Hansard, http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/ *House of Lords Hansard, http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/lords/
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{UK-LEG}} * {{UK-LEG|asmade=yes}}
{{UK legislation}} {{Authority control}}
Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 2014 Category:United Kingdom military law Category:British Armed Forces Category:Reform in the United Kingdom Category:Military reforms Category:2014 in military history Category:21st-century military history of the United Kingdom Category:United Kingdom defence procurement