Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish a timescale within which the UK will spend 2.5 per cent of its GDP on defence on the morale of armed forces personnel.

This Government is totally committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on Defence as soon as possible. The Government will set out a clear path to 2.5% at a future fiscal event.

Renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve is a priority for this Government. Morale of our Armed Forces is at a record low – the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey published in May 2024 reported that satisfaction with Service life remained at the lowest reported level.

In the King's speech the Government announced that we will establish an Armed Forces Commissioner as an independent champion for Service personnel and their families, as a first step to improving Service life.