Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made on the Government’s progress in implementing the recommendations of the House of Commons Defence Committee's report entitled Protecting those who protect us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life, published on 25 July 2021.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 March 2025 to Question 34425 to the hon. Member for Newton Abbot (Martin Wrigley).
Regarding outstanding recommendations from the Report, the new Armed Forces Sexual Harassment Survey has been launched, and the Veterans’ Strategy, to be published later this year, will include a dedicated section on female veterans.
In March I briefed the House of Commons Defence Committee on additional commitments Defence has made: We are improving how the most serious Service Complaints are dealt with quickly, fairly and in a standardised way across the Armed Forces via the establishment of an independent tri-Service team, and we have begun work to develop a Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce to support the broader government agenda on this important subject.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's timetable is for publishing (a) a full timeline and (b) funding pathway for achieving the target of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence; and what plans he has for infrastructure upgrades at bases in Wiltshire.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The pathway to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence was set out in the Spring Statement earlier this year and will be reflected in the outcome of the second phase of the Spending Review that is due to be finalised on 11 June 2025.
The Defence Housing Strategy, planned for publication later this year, will set out a roadmap to deliver a generational renewal of military accommodation. The main objective is to raise the minimum standard of Armed Forces housing across the MOD estate, including military housing in Wiltshire.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to use a proportion of the additional funding for defence to improve (a) accommodation and (b) facilities for (i) service personnel and (ii) their families in Wiltshire.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Housing Strategy, planned for publication later this year, will set out a roadmap to deliver a generational renewal of military accommodation. The main objective is to raise the minimum standard of Armed Forces housing across the Ministry of Defence estate, including military housing in Wiltshire.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has reviewed the performance of housing maintenance contracts for military service accommodation in Wiltshire.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation continues to drive for improved performance from the Future Defence Infrastructure Services Accommodation Industry Partners in all regions, including Wiltshire.
Performance is monitored on a monthly basis, including oversight at Chief Executive level, to hold Industry Partners to account.
The performance of housing maintenance contracts for Service Family Accommodation in Wiltshire has not been specifically reviewed since it is part of the contract covering the wider South West accommodation region.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing a legal duty on all Government departments to give due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant in decision-making affecting military families in Wiltshire.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Following guidance from Ministers to “put the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law”, officials are currently developing plans to extend the scope of the Covenant Legal Duty, in line with our manifesto commitment, across a broad range of policy areas.
This broad, and maximalist approach will demonstrate and reinforce the Government’s steadfast commitment to improving the lives of the Armed Forces community and renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve.
Ministry of Defence officials anticipate that plans for the Duty extension will raise awareness of the Covenant, drive better outcomes for the Armed Forces community, including those in Wiltshire, and help mitigate and tackle disadvantage.
Further details will be brought forward in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to increase the number of British Army personnel.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Down (Alex Easton) on 13 May 2025 to Question 50001.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that all Armed Forces Personnel are entitled to the same pension scheme.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
As of 1 April 2022, all Serving personnel are members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 (AFPS 15). AFPS 15 is the only open pension scheme for both Regular and Reserve personnel, having replaced all existing prior legacy schemes.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing levels of defence expenditure above 2.5% of GDP.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Government is committed to setting a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence in Spring. The Ministry of Defence remains closely engaged with His Majesty's Treasury on this matter.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential long-term impact of increasing UK defence spending on (a) economic growth, (b) innovation and (c) job creation in the defence sector.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Government recognises the vital role Defence plays not only in our national security but also in delivering economic growth to all nations and regions of the United Kingdom.
Peace and security are the essential preconditions of long-term economic growth. Added to this, Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure with industry supports over 200,000 jobs across the United Kingdom, many of which are outside London and the South East. Overall, 68% of MOD UK industry spending goes to areas outside London and the South East. The £2.6 billion spent on R&D in 2023-24 will also contribute to innovation that both keeps the country safe and leads to spillovers into the wider economy.
The Ministry of Defence will bring forward a Defence Industrial Strategy that ensures Defence contributes fully to the Government’s number one mission to drive economic growth.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what comparative assessment he has made of the level of defence expenditure in (a) the UK and (b) Russia; and what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Government's commitment to increase defence expenditure to 2.5% of GDP.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defence, and the Government is committed to setting a pathway to 2.5% this Spring.
Russia's own public assessment forecast their military expenditure at over 7% of GDP in 2024, with some sources estimating that as much as 9% of Russian GDP is being spent on defence. However, the public figures almost certainly do not tell the full story about Russian expenditure or the true burden on the Russian economy.
These figures are not directly comparable as the UK follows NATO's definition of defence spending, Russia does not.