Asked by: Naushabah Khan (Labour - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Government's timetable is for increasing defence spending to meet NATO commitments; and whether he is satisfied that current funding levels are sufficient to deter Russian aggression and maintain the UK's obligations to its allies.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government remains committed to spending 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035, as agreed at the NATO summit last year.
As the third-largest financial contributor, and the only European Ally to commit our full nuclear deterrent to NATO, the United Kingdom already plays a central role across the Alliance.
Asked by: Naushabah Khan (Labour - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to increase the frequency of interdiction operations against Russian shadow fleet vessels.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors maritime activity in the UK waters. Any enforcement action is considered on a case‑by‑case basis.
The recent interdiction of Russian shadow fleet vessel SMYRTOS shows that the UK is ready to take action to enforce sanctions and disrupt the resources sustaining Russian aggression in Ukraine.