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 92 of his Department's Strategic Defence Review, published 2 June 2025, what progress he has made on the proposed two-year series of public events as part of the national conversation on defence and security.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As part of the Government’s National Conversation on defence and security, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has increased its public engagement activity to improve awareness of the changing security environment and the role that individuals, communities and employers can play in strengthening national resilience. The Ministry of Defence is working closely with the Cabinet Office, who lead the overarching strategy, as part of its Home Defence Programme.
We are playing a key role to ensure Defence has a strong voice to increase public awareness and preparedness to the most serious risks we face, including conflict scenarios and the important role for the whole of society to respond to these. Alongside cross-Government engagement with key stakeholders, the MOD is playing a key role within this programme of work; connecting with industry, local resilience fora, the voluntary sector, and working with our active reserves and local cadet groups to facilitate a whole of society approach to defence and security.
This includes promoting the role of the Armed Forces through community engagement and outreach activities, and strengthening our links with Local Resilience Forums and wider community partners through resilience-focused exercising and preparedness testing activities.
Looking ahead, as confirmed in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 14 July, the Government will launch a national resilience public awareness campaign later this year, aiming to educate households on preparing for emergencies alongside increased information about state-based threats. Defence will continue to support the National Conversation by increasing engagement with communicates across the UK and further amplifying public messaging on defence, security and national resilience.
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 31 of the SDR, whether the potential effects of war on the UK’s way of life has increased 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 its assessment of threats to the UK under constant review. The Cabinet Office National Risk Register (updated July 2026) provides the public with detailed assessments about a range of different risks to the UK, including the risk of war. The Home Defence Programme and Defence’s contribution to it have been designed to address these risks and ensure that the UK is increasingly secure and resilient, in the face of persistent challenges from hostile state actors. The National Conversation will improve understanding of the threats facing the UK, explain the role of Defence in deterrence and national resilience, and encourage practical participation by individuals, communities and employers.
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 93 of his Department’s Strategic Defence Review, published 2 June 2025, what progress he has made on ensuring plans made under the Home Defence Programme meet needs in the event of escalation to war.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to update its own Homeland Defence and transition to war plans and plays a significant role in the wider cross-Government Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme. As Homeland Defence is an inherently whole-of-Government effort, Defence is working closely with other Departments to ensure all plans are aligned in meeting needs, in the event of escalation to war.
In July, the Government announced an acceleration of the Home Defence Programme. A key element of this is the commitment to re-write, by the end of this year, the War Books. Defence planning is informing our input to these War Books as we support the Home Defence Programme focus on resilience and preparedness in the face of the range of threats and risks that the UK faces.
The Strategic Defence Review committed to develop a ‘Defence Readiness Bill’ and Defence is developing legislation in close partnership with the rest of government for introduction within this Parliament. This will ensure the Government has the powers it needs to keep the UK safe, both now and in times of heightened crisis or escalation towards war.
These risks continue to be informed by the National Risk Register, the government’s assessment of the most significant risks facing the UK and a public facing version of the National Security Risk Assessment.
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 since the publication of the Strategic Defence Review in cross-government cooperation to defend the UK.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Since publication of the Strategic Defence Review, significant progress has been made in strengthening cross-government cooperation to defend the UK. Departmental collaboration is vital to ensure that the UK has reviewed, resourced, and tested our Home Defence plans. Through the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme, the Government has committed to refreshing its central Departmental War Books.
As confirmed in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 14 July 2026, the Government will launch a national resilience public awareness campaign later this year. The Ministry of Defence is playing a key role within the programme of work, aligned to the Home Defence Programme, to facilitate a whole of society approach to defence and security.
The Government is bringing together military teams and civilian organisations, including both industry and the voluntary sector, to improve preparedness planning for the most serious risks we face. A series of Home Defence exercises have already been held, and this programme of testing activities will increase ahead of ALBISTON SHADOW, a major UK Home Defence exercise, and NATO’s Crisis Management Exercise in spring 2027.
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 90 of his Department’s Strategic Defence Review, published 2 June 2025, what progress he has made on having the necessary plans, powers and personnel to achieve an effective and sustainable transition to war if required.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Ministry of Defence keeps plans under regular review, and is updating its Homeland Defence and transition to war plans through 2026. These ensure we have the capabilities, powers and personnel at the right readiness levels to effectively transition to war if required.
Defence is also taking steps to strengthen our future readiness. Through the Armed Forces Bill 2026, Defence is seeking to increase its powers and flexibility to call out and/or recall former personnel at pace and scale in a potential crisis such as a transition to war. Similarly, Defence Readiness legislation is being developed in line with the Strategic Defence Review recommendations.
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 6 of his Department’s Defence Industrial Strategy, published on 8 September 2025, what progress has been made on putting in place policies to ensure that every pound spent on defence will make the Armed Forces stronger and the British public better off.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Building on the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Investment Plan commits to a package of ‘Back British’ measures to ensure increased defence spending strengthens UK industrial capability, resilience and growth.
Delivery is already underway through DIS initiatives to back UK-based businesses, including work on a potential UK offset policy, social value reform, and measures to help SMEs start, scale and succeed. This includes the Defence Office for Small Business Growth and SME Action Plan, supporting our commitment to increase SME spend by £2.5 billion by 2028. Taken together, these measures will help make the UK a defence industrial leader by 2035, ensuring every pound spent on defence strengthens the capabilities, resilience and readiness of the Armed Forces.
The Department has completed its consultation on a potential UK offset policy and is currently considering the evidence.
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 9 of his department’s Defence Industrial Strategy, published 8 September 2025, what progress has been made on making the UK a defence industrial leader by 2035.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Building on the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Investment Plan commits to a package of ‘Back British’ measures to ensure increased defence spending strengthens UK industrial capability, resilience and growth.
Delivery is already underway through DIS initiatives to back UK-based businesses, including work on a potential UK offset policy, social value reform, and measures to help SMEs start, scale and succeed. This includes the Defence Office for Small Business Growth and SME Action Plan, supporting our commitment to increase SME spend by £2.5 billion by 2028. Taken together, these measures will help make the UK a defence industrial leader by 2035, ensuring every pound spent on defence strengthens the capabilities, resilience and readiness of the Armed Forces.
The Department has completed its consultation on a potential UK offset policy and is currently considering the evidence.
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 7 of his department’s Defence Industrial Strategy, published 8 September 2025, what progress has been made on introducing an offset policy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Building on the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Investment Plan commits to a package of ‘Back British’ measures to ensure increased defence spending strengthens UK industrial capability, resilience and growth.
Delivery is already underway through DIS initiatives to back UK-based businesses, including work on a potential UK offset policy, social value reform, and measures to help SMEs start, scale and succeed. This includes the Defence Office for Small Business Growth and SME Action Plan, supporting our commitment to increase SME spend by £2.5 billion by 2028. Taken together, these measures will help make the UK a defence industrial leader by 2035, ensuring every pound spent on defence strengthens the capabilities, resilience and readiness of the Armed Forces.
The Department has completed its consultation on a potential UK offset policy and is currently considering the evidence.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, since his department’s Defence Industrial Strategy, published 8 September 2025, what progress has been made on backing UK-based businesses.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Building on the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Investment Plan commits to a package of ‘Back British’ measures to ensure increased defence spending strengthens UK industrial capability, resilience and growth.
Delivery is already underway through DIS initiatives to back UK-based businesses, including work on a potential UK offset policy, social value reform, and measures to help SMEs start, scale and succeed. This includes the Defence Office for Small Business Growth and SME Action Plan, supporting our commitment to increase SME spend by £2.5 billion by 2028. Taken together, these measures will help make the UK a defence industrial leader by 2035, ensuring every pound spent on defence strengthens the capabilities, resilience and readiness of the Armed Forces.
The Department has completed its consultation on a potential UK offset policy and is currently considering the evidence.
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 19 of his Department's Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published 24 March 2026, what progress he has made on making defence diplomacy an engine for growth.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As part of the implementation of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy and the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Defence is working to deliver the Government's ambition to drive economic growth. Work is progressing to facilitate growth by addressing barriers to investment. As part of machinery of government changes, defence export practitioners transferred to the Ministry of Defence from the former Department for Business and Trade.