Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter written to the Defence Committee entitled Ministry of Defence paper providing information on Defence Reform, published on 21 October 2025, if he will list the quarterly reform programme milestones and if they were reached in financial year 2024-25.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

During financial year 2024–25, Defence Reform made progress against its programme milestones, including the establishment of new Defence structures and strengthened arrangements at the centre of the Department. This comprised the creation of a Military Strategic Headquarters and a National Armaments Director Group, alongside enhanced roles for the Department of State and the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. These milestones were supported by the introduction of collective senior leadership arrangements to drive a Defence which is more concentrated on strengthening warfighting readiness and deterrence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Defence Accident Investigation Branch investigation on the Ajax programme has concluded.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2026 to Question 121649 to the hon. Member for Huntington (Mr Obese-Jecty).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme has concluded.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2026 to Question 121649 to the hon. Member for Huntington (Mr Obese-Jecty).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to present the Army investigation on the Ajax programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2026 to Question 121649 to the hon. Member for Huntington (Mr Obese-Jecty).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK defence industry steps up support for Gulf partners facing Iranian attacks, published on 18 March 2026, whether the new Task Force will advise on his Department's munitions stockpile levels.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Task Force Sabre is actively pulling in allies and industry to drive the pace on the defence kit the Middle East needs. We are bringing in British expertise to help our partners, removing barriers, and championing innovative UK-based industry. Task Force Sabre is not responsible for boosting UK munitions stockpiles, however the work that is being undertaken may give a concomitant benefit to the UK stockpiles.

Details regarding Defence’s munitions stockpile are classified, and it would therefore be inappropriate to provide further commentary. However, Munition stockpile levels are actively reviewed to ensure current holdings are balanced against threats, availability, industrial capacity and evolving technology. The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with industry, allies, and partners to ensure that munitions stockpiles remain sufficient to meet the demands of current and future operations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will present the findings from the Defence Accident Investigation Branch investigation on the Ajax programme to Parliament.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2026 to Question 121649 to the hon. Member for Huntington (Mr Obese-Jecty).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will present the findings from the Army investigation on the Ajax programme to Parliament.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2026 to Question 121649 to the hon. Member for Huntington (Mr Obese-Jecty).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the safety investigation into the Ajax programme has concluded.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2026 to Question 121649 to the hon. Member for Huntington (Mr Obese-Jecty).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK defence industry steps up support for Gulf partners facing Iranian attacks, published on 18 March 2026, how much will be spent on the purchase of Lightweight Multirole Missiles.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As announced, the UK intends to buy further Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM), to supply British forces and support partners in the Gulf region.

The Ministry of Defence is currently confirming price information with Industry. It is expected that a portion of the costs of purchase will fall to the UK, and a portion will fall to Gulf partner nations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on implementing the Strategic Defence Review.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government has made significant progress on Strategic Defence Review (SDR) implementation since it was published last June. Examples include:

CyberEM Command: The Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force (DCEM Force) was established on time and is now up and running, within the Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (November 2025). SDR Rec 51

MIS and DCIU: The Military Intelligence Services and Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit were launched on time, as part of major overhaul of Defence’s intelligence organisations amid increasing threats to the UK and to keep Britain ahead of hostile states and terrorists (December 25). SDR Rec 54 and 56

Nuclear deterrence: The Prime Minister announced at the NATO Hague Summit (June 2025) that the UK will purchase 12 new F-35A fighter jets and join NATO’s dual capable aircraft nuclear mission. SDR Rec 30

Atlantic Bastion: The UK’s groundbreaking Atlantic Bastion programme was unveiled (December 2025), which will make Britain more secure from Russian undersea threats in the North Atlantic through a transformation of the Royal Navy and its submarine-hunting capabilities into an advanced hybrid force. SDR vision: Hybrid Navy

UKDI: UK Defence Innovation was launched (July 2025) to streamline the delivery of innovation technology to Armed Forces personnel through rapid investment, with an annual budget of £400 million.

Defence Exports: The UK Defence and Security Exports function was transferred from Department for Business and Trade to MOD (July 2025); all staff have completed their migration to MOD systems. 2025 was the highest year for UK Defence exports in 40 years including landmark deals with Norway, worth £10 billion (T26 frigates; Aug 25), and Türkiye, worth £8 billion (Typhoons; October 2025). SDR Rec 12

DIS: The Defence Industrial Strategy was published (September 2025) to take forward the SDR’s vision for radical reforms, growth, innovation, industrial resilience and warfighting readiness – backed by nearly £800 million this parliament. SDR Rec 3 and 8

Always on munitions: Defence announced a new programme to build factories of the future (November 2025) with at least 13 potential sites identified to manufacture munitions and explosives in the UK to create an always on capability. This is backed by £1.5 billion of new investment in this parliament and creating over 1,000 British jobs. SDR Rec 29

Housing: The Defence Housing Strategy 2025 (November 2025) set out £9 billion of investment over the next decade to upgrade 40,000 Forces’ family homes. An ambitious programme of work to urgently fix 1,000 military homes was completed ahead of schedule (December 2025). The programme of housing improvements, known as Raising the Minimum Standards, has seen significant work take place at service family homes across the UK. Legislation to establish a specialist arm’s length defence housing service is in the Armed Forces Bill, now in the Commons. SDR Rec 60

Gap Year: Plans to launch the new Armed Forces ‘Gap Year’ Foundation Scheme were announced (December 2025) to give young people in the UK new opportunities to experience military service. SDR Rec 16

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK defence industry steps up support for Gulf partners facing Iranian attacks, published on 18 March 2026, when the new Task Force will be fully operational.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Task Force Sabre, led by Director General Options and Commissioning, was set up on the 18 March 2026. It has been created to support partners across the Middle East working with UK industry. It will also manage the impact of the conflict on the UK defence supply chain and gather requirements for stock replenishment.

Task Force Sabre has mobilised and will continue to work closely with industry partners and Gulf states to ensure the rapid delivery of critical capabilities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the response of the Permanent Secretary to Question 33 in the Defence Committee Session on MoD Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, HC 1779 on 17 March 2026, whether everyone across Government refers specifically to ministers.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Investment Plan will be a Government document and plan, underpinned by the normal and appropriate collective agreement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December to Question 93395 on Defence, what recent progress he has made on implementing the national conversation on defence and security.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with the Cabinet Office and wider Government Departments, contributing towards cross-Government efforts to increase public awareness and resilience to the most serious risks we face, including conflict scenarios.

This is supported by the Prime Minister’s comments at a recent Liaison Committee Oral evidence session, highlighting the Government’s commitment to bringing both industry and the wider public into the critical conversations needed to enable national readiness.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide a list of the deployments issued by his Department to the Middle East since 1 January 2026, and the date they were issued.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As per the Defence Secretary’s recent oral statement, our Armed Forces are working 24/7 to protect British lives and British interests in the region, and to support our regional partners. Deployments include air defence teams in Cyprus; counter-drone specialists in Iraq; and fast jet pilots in Qatar.

We do not publicly comment on exact details around operational deployments, as it would harm the capability, security and operational effectiveness of UK forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, what quantity of drones have been procured as part of the £450 million on Uncrewed Systems, broken down by (a) reconnaissance, (b) logistics, (c) FPV and (d) long-range one-way attack.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement.

The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further.

The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, how many contracts have been signed as a result of the £450 million spent on Uncrewed Systems since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement.

The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further.

The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, what percentage of the £450 million on Uncrewed Systems was spent on funding procurement for Ukraine.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement.

The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further.

The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, what percentage of the £450 million on Uncrewed Systems was spent with British companies.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement.

The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further.

The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, in relation to the £450 million spent on Uncrewed Systems, what the remaining £150 million that was not spent on research and development was spent on.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement.

The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further.

The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 94229 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, how much of the £450 million spent on Uncrewed Systems was not spent on research and development.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) spend of over £450 million on drones does not include spend in support of Ukraine. Over £300 million of the total spend was on uncrewed systems research and development, and the remaining spent on uncrewed system procurement.

The MOD has had delivery of over 8,000 uncrewed systems since July 2024. Due to operational security considerations, it is important to guard against the threat of adversary data aggregation regarding the specific detailed breakdown of UK military capability, including platform numbers and types, so it would be inappropriate to comment further.

The MOD works with over 60 companies to deliver drones for defence, 17 of which are British Companies. We are unable to provide a figure of total drone contracts at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Veterans and People during the debate on Defence of 24 March 2026, Official Report, column 267, when the 20 uncrewed surface ordered will be in service with the armed forces.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of Project Beehive, the Royal Navy has ordered 20 uncrewed surface vessels under a contract worth £12.3 million. The fleet of 20 vessels will be used by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines for operations, training and development activities to help set the foundation for further uses of autonomous and uncrewed technology.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Veterans and People during the debate on Defence of 24 March 2026, Official Report, column 267, what is the total cost of ordering the 20 uncrewed surface vessels.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of Project Beehive, the Royal Navy has ordered 20 uncrewed surface vessels under a contract worth £12.3 million. The fleet of 20 vessels will be used by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines for operations, training and development activities to help set the foundation for further uses of autonomous and uncrewed technology.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 27 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published on 24 March 2026, what is the total number of personnel who will transition from the Department for Business and Trade to his Department.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As of 25 March 2026, 83 Civil Servants from the UK Defence Exports team had transferred from the Department for Business and Trade to the Ministry of Defence.

The total number of personnel who will transition from the Department for Business and Trade to the Ministry of Defence is 94, and this transition was fully completed on 1st April 2026. This move marked the final step in the transition of full responsibility for the UK Defence Exports team from the Department for Business and Trade to the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Veterans and People during the debate on Defence of 24 March 2026, Official Report, column 267, when was the order for 20 uncrewed surface vessels placed.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of Project Beehive, the Royal Navy has ordered 20 uncrewed surface vessels under a contract worth £12.3 million. The fleet of 20 vessels will be used by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines for operations, training and development activities to help set the foundation for further uses of autonomous and uncrewed technology.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 12 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published on 24 March 2026, if he will list the partners with whom the United Kingdom will build societal resilience.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is working closely with our allies and partners to learn from their experience in building societal resilience and homeland defence. The Ministry of Defence does not intend to provide a list of these allies and partners, as doing so could unnecessarily constrain the expansive range of partnerships we seek to develop as part of our efforts to build the UK's societal resilience.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Veterans and People during the debate on Defence of 24 March 2026, Official Report, column 267, when was the contract for the 20 uncrewed surface vessels signed.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of Project Beehive, the Royal Navy has ordered 20 uncrewed surface vessels under a contract worth £12.3 million. The fleet of 20 vessels will be used by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines for operations, training and development activities to help set the foundation for further uses of autonomous and uncrewed technology.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the comments by the Minister for Veterans and People in the Opposition Day Debate entitled Defence, Column 267, 24 March 2026, when the 20 uncrewed surface vessels will be in service.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of Project Beehive, the Royal Navy has ordered 20 uncrewed surface vessels under a contract worth £12.3 million. The fleet of 20 vessels will be used by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines for operations, training and development activities to help set the foundation for further uses of autonomous and uncrewed technology.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 27 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published on 24 March 2026, how many personnel have transitioned from the Department for Business and Trade to his Department as of 25 March 2026.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As of 25 March 2026, 83 Civil Servants from the UK Defence Exports team had transferred from the Department for Business and Trade to the Ministry of Defence.

The total number of personnel who will transition from the Department for Business and Trade to the Ministry of Defence is 94, and this transition was fully completed on 1st April 2026. This move marked the final step in the transition of full responsibility for the UK Defence Exports team from the Department for Business and Trade to the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of the £7 billion to be spent on military accommodation in this Parliament has been spent as of 25 March 2026.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

In May 2025, the Secretary of State for Defence announced a funding package of £7 billion to spent on military accommodation throughout this Parliament, with an additional £1.5 billion investment in military housing as part of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR 25) – which forms part of the £9 billion investment over the next decade.

On 3 November 2025, the Defence Housing Strategy was published. It is the most significant change for Armed Forces housing in more than 50 years and kickstarts one of Britain’s most ambitious building programmes in decades – delivering new homes for military and civilian families and driving economic growth.

As at 28 February 2026, £698.7 million of the £7 billion funding for military accommodation, has been spent.

We are unable to provide a figure as of 25 March 2026 as requested, as Year End consolidation will not be complete until mid-April. However, a further £197.5 million was forecast to be spent between 1 March and the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

Under the Defence Housing Strategy, nine in 10 Defence homes – more than 40,000 - will be modernised or upgraded, of which three in 10 – more than 10,000 - will be substantially refurbished or replaced, including through new build.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 29 of his Department's document entitled Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published on 24 March 2026, whether he will publish a terms of reference for the review into the use of think tanks.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As part of our implementation of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, the Ministry of Defence has begun work to understand how we can reinvigorate our approach to think tank engagement to better support defence diplomacy activity and enhance our international relationships. Work on the initial review will be completed before the end of 2026, although we anticipate an ongoing conversation with think tanks rather than a one-off project.

Defence is considering how best to engage with Parliament. We will ensure the review and the insights it delivers can be implemented effectively in a timely manner within Defence and with the think tank community.

The review will be led by the Ministry of Defence’s Defence and Security Policy organisation within the Department of State, with support from the Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC) and other parts of the department as appropriate. The review will be steered by Minister of State Lord Coaker.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 29 of his Department's document entitled Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published on 24 March 2026, when the review into the use of think tanks will (a) begin and (b) conclude.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As part of our implementation of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, the Ministry of Defence has begun work to understand how we can reinvigorate our approach to think tank engagement to better support defence diplomacy activity and enhance our international relationships. Work on the initial review will be completed before the end of 2026, although we anticipate an ongoing conversation with think tanks rather than a one-off project.

Defence is considering how best to engage with Parliament. We will ensure the review and the insights it delivers can be implemented effectively in a timely manner within Defence and with the think tank community.

The review will be led by the Ministry of Defence’s Defence and Security Policy organisation within the Department of State, with support from the Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC) and other parts of the department as appropriate. The review will be steered by Minister of State Lord Coaker.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 29 of his Department's document entitled Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published on 24 March 2026, whether the review into the use of think tanks will be published before Parliament.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As part of our implementation of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, the Ministry of Defence has begun work to understand how we can reinvigorate our approach to think tank engagement to better support defence diplomacy activity and enhance our international relationships. Work on the initial review will be completed before the end of 2026, although we anticipate an ongoing conversation with think tanks rather than a one-off project.

Defence is considering how best to engage with Parliament. We will ensure the review and the insights it delivers can be implemented effectively in a timely manner within Defence and with the think tank community.

The review will be led by the Ministry of Defence’s Defence and Security Policy organisation within the Department of State, with support from the Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC) and other parts of the department as appropriate. The review will be steered by Minister of State Lord Coaker.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 29 of his Department's document entitled Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published on 24 March 2026, who will lead the review into the use of think tanks.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As part of our implementation of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, the Ministry of Defence has begun work to understand how we can reinvigorate our approach to think tank engagement to better support defence diplomacy activity and enhance our international relationships. Work on the initial review will be completed before the end of 2026, although we anticipate an ongoing conversation with think tanks rather than a one-off project.

Defence is considering how best to engage with Parliament. We will ensure the review and the insights it delivers can be implemented effectively in a timely manner within Defence and with the think tank community.

The review will be led by the Ministry of Defence’s Defence and Security Policy organisation within the Department of State, with support from the Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC) and other parts of the department as appropriate. The review will be steered by Minister of State Lord Coaker.