Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes have been made to the plans set out in the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, in order to meet the UK's most recent NATO spending commitment.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) implements the UKās āNATO Firstā approach.āÆIt places NATO requirements at the heart of UK capability planningāÆandāÆhas been developed to deliver the optimal UK contribution into NATOās warfighting plans,āÆdrivingāÆvital transformation of our warfighting approach and modernisation of our Armed forces.
We are prioritising our focus on deterrence and warfighting in the Euro-Atlantic, taking tough decisions to ensure we invest in the best kit for our Armed Forces. We have always met our NATO spending commitments and remain one of the top defence spenders in the Alliance as NATO's third-largest cash spender on defence, based on the latest figures.
As set out in the DIP: The Government has committed to increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP in the next Parliament, with funding and plans to be set out at the next spending review where defence will be the number one priority. Alongside NATO allies, the UK has committed to reach 3.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies if the Arctic and High North are ice-free by 2040.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Strategic Defence Review stresses the importance to Defence of the likelihood that the Arctic and High North will be āice-freeā each summer by 2040, and the need for the Armed Forces to be prepared for new geographical realities created by climate change.
The Ministry of Defence is reviewing the numerous implications with a range of allied partners through analysis, strategic wargaming, and capability reviews, including via NATO through contribution to their Climate Change and Sustainability Centre of Excellence.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the level of sub-threshold aggression has changed since the publication of the Strategic Defence Review.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government keeps the threat landscape under constant review. The Ministry of Defence works closely with partners across Government to assess threats to the UK and our interests, and to ensure that Defence's posture, capabilities and preparedness remain appropriate to the risks we face.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps is he taking to provide novel ways of entry to the Armed Forces, including to attract people from a wider range of backgrounds.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
Defence is already delivering a range of new and more flexible routes into service designed to widen participation, attract specialist talent and improve access to military careers. These include the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme, the Defence Direct Entry Cyber pathway and the Zig Zag Careers Pathway, alongside wider recruitment reforms to reduce barriers to entry and improve the journey from application to service.
The Armed Forces Foundation Scheme provides a new, paid opportunity for young adults to experience military service, develop valuable life and employability skills, and gain first-hand insight into the work of the Armed Forces. Delivery is already underway, with Royal Navy participants currently in training and Army candidates progressing into Basic Training, whilst the Royal Air Force continues preparations for implementation later this year.
Alongside this, Defence has introduced new pathways to help address skills challenges in areas where there is strong competition from the civilian labour market. The Defence Direct Entry Cyber pathway provides a streamlined route for individuals with existing skills to enter the Armed Forces, while the Zig Zag Careers Pathway supports more flexible routes into service and helps Defence access specialist talent from a broader pool of experience and expertise.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 68 of his Department's Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what progress his Department has made on Defence running training and education when it cannot be obtained externally at suitable cost and quality.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Department does make use of externally provided training and education where this offers the best value and quality, while retaining and developing Defence-delivered provision where military-specific requirements, operational needs or specialist expertise cannot be met externally.
Across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, service training remains responsible for delivering domain-specific skills and expertise. Defence is increasing the use of common and joint education where this can be delivered on a āwhole force by defaultā basis. This approach supports interoperability, readiness and the development of a shared warfighting culture across Defence and with NATO.
Army training and education that is primarily military continues to be delivered by military instructors, with a blended model of civilian partnership used as appropriate for other training. Wherever a suitable civilian equivalent exists, Army training and education are aligned with Recognised Qualifications and professional standards, supporting skills development, recruitment and retention, transition into civilian employment and the portability of skills between Defence and wider industry.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 12 of the Strategic Defence review, published on 2 June 2025, what progress his Department has made on the pivot to a new way of war.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) outlines how Defence will outpace threats through sustained investment in warfighting readiness, the rapid introduction of new capabilities, and the integration of advanced and emerging technologies across the force. This requires a model of constant innovation and there is therefore no end state for the Integrated Force.
As set out in the DIP, our investments within the Integrated Force have been tailored to include lessons learned from recent and ongoing conflicts, focusing on capabilities that will counter emerging threats to our Armed Forces and the UK. The DIP also secures funding for critical warfighting enabling capabilities, such as our previously underfunded infrastructure and in developing UK Defence Industry capacity. These combined efforts will allow us to deter threats through our warfighting readiness and sustain forces deployed on operations.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on improving signalling of defence requirements to industry.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is improving how Defence signals future requirements to industry through the Strategic Defence Review, Defence Reform and the Defence Industrial Strategy.
We are providing earlier and clearer demand signals through strengthened market engagement, including working with industry at an earlier stage to discuss capability challenges and desired outcomes before requirements are set.
Through the Defence Industrial Joint Council, Task Force SABRE and new capability development processes, we are testing and embedding new approaches to engagement. The Defence Investment Plan also provides greater transparency on future investment priorities, giving industry more confidence to invest, innovate and build capacity in support of Defence needs.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 106 of his Department's Strategic Defence Review, published 2 June 2025, how he plans to achieve the ambition for the Royal Navy to get the mix of high-low capabilities while moving towards a more powerful but cheaper and simpler fleet.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy is implementing a Hybrid Navy concept which will integrate crewed, uncrewed and autonomous systems, enabling affordable mass to complement its high-end warfighting capabilities. This will be delivered progressively through experimentation, spiral development and closer integration with industry, ensuring that investment is focused on capabilities that provide the greatest operational effect and value for money.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 53 of his department's Strategic Defence Review, published 2 June 2025, what new funding models have been identified to make defence innovators a more attractive proposition for private capital.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Delivering on commitments set out in the SDR, DIS, and the DIP, we will publish a Defence Finance and Investment Strategy later this year to set a clear framework for how Government and responsible private capital can work together in support of security, resilience and growth.
To inform the Strategy, the MOD announced a sprint to explore how private investment can be leveraged to drive innovation and growth across the defence sector. Supported by HM Treasury, the Office for Investment, UK Government Investments, public financial institutions and private investors, the MOD has identified a pipeline of investable opportunities and funding models through which private capital could accelerate priority capabilities.
This work will help establish a long-term framework with clearer priorities, improved routes for investor engagement, and more modern delivery models, which will attract private capital at scale, support defence innovators and supply chains, and strengthen resilience across the UK.
Working with the Defence Investorsā Advisory Group (DIAG) and wider stakeholders, we will ensure that investment opportunities are presented in a detailed form and are suitable for risk, investment and compliance committees for each type of private capital with individual opportunities being taken forward where there is clear value for money for the taxpayer, operational need, and deliverability. This will ensure the DFIS reflects market realities and is capable of unlocking investment at scale.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 50 of his department's Strategic Defence Review, published 2 June 2025, what progress has been made by his Department to a) protect digital spend as a no-fail priority and b) embed a culture of constant innovation with a target of minimum annual shift of 10% expenditure from current to next-generation capabilities on its enterprise digital platforms and services.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan sets out how the Department is investing to deliver the vision of the Strategic Defence Review, including significant investment in the Digital Backbone, the Digital Targeting Web, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and other next-generation technologies.
Work is underway to implement the Review's digital recommendations, including improving oversight of digital expenditure, developing the pan-Defence digital operating model and supporting the continuous improvement of Defence digital services. This will enable the Department to prioritise critical digital investment and progressively replace legacy systems with modern, cross-Defence platforms.
The Department is also developing the arrangements required to measure and assure progress against the target to shift a minimum of 10% of relevant expenditure annually from current to next-generation enterprise digital capabilities.
Progress against the Defence Investment Plan will be reported to Parliament through the Department's annual delivery update.