Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's letter to the Rt hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire, reference: PQW/24-25/2025/16500/16507/16511/16512/16514/16521, dated 20 August 2025, and the oral contribution of the Minister for the Armed Force during the Second Reading of the Armed Forces Bill on 26 January 2026, Official Report, column 706, how much was the total reserve spending for each of the last five years, including the main categories of spending beyond pay and and bounty payments; and if he will set out the expected total reserve spending for the remaining years of this Parliament.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government has committed to spending 2.6% of GDP on defence from 2027, and we have set the ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament, subject to economic and fiscal conditions. Over this Spending Review period, this Government will invest over £270 billion in cash terms in defence. This is the largest sustained increase in spending since the Cold War.
The Strategic Defence Review outlined an ambition to increase the number of Active Reserves by 20% when funding allows, enhancing surge capacity and demonstrating the UK's readiness to defend itself.
Total spending on Reserve Forces between 2023-24 and 2024-25 is not managed centrally, with each Service determining expenditure based on its specific operational requirements. In relation to spending plans in 2025-26, we do not routinely place figures relating to planned expenditure in the public domain as they are subject to change.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on the reserves in 2024-25 and 2023-24, broken down by RDEL, CDEL and TDEL; and how much it plans to spend in 2025-26, broken down by RDEL, CDEL and TDEL.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government has committed to spending 2.6% of GDP on defence from 2027, and we have set the ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament, subject to economic and fiscal conditions. Over this Spending Review period, this Government will invest over £270 billion in cash terms in defence. This is the largest sustained increase in spending since the Cold War.
The Strategic Defence Review outlined an ambition to increase the number of Active Reserves by 20% when funding allows, enhancing surge capacity and demonstrating the UK's readiness to defend itself.
Total spending on Reserve Forces between 2023-24 and 2024-25 is not managed centrally, with each Service determining expenditure based on its specific operational requirements. In relation to spending plans in 2025-26, we do not routinely place figures relating to planned expenditure in the public domain as they are subject to change.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he was made aware of conclusion 1 in the Sixty-second Report of the Committee of Public Accounts entitled Faulty energy efficiency installations, HC 1229, prior to the decision to appoint a new Permanent Secretary in his Department.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary was appointed following an external competition and approval from the Prime Minister.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will respond to the Public Accounts Committee report (HC 1229) in the usual way.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the Public Accounts Committee report HC 1229 on the delivery of a programme prior to appointing a new Permanent Secretary.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary was appointed on 1 November 2025, following an external competition and approval from the Prime Minister.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will respond to the Public Accounts Committee report (HC 1229) in the usual way.