Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help support the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

As set out in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Royal Charter, the six member countries contribute to the funding of the Commission in proportion to the number of graves maintained for each nation’s Armed Forces. The United Kingdom is the largest contributor, paying 79% of the Commission’s budget via quarterly payments. For this year, that equates to a UK contribution of £59 million.

Given the scale of the UK contribution, the Secretary of State for Defence is the Chair of the CWGC. Additionally, the Defence Services Secretary represents Defence at the quarterly CWGC Commissioners’ meetings and the regular finance meetings where budgets are agreed and expenditure monitored.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) also work closely with the CWGC on selected commemorative events. Alongside this year’s landmark VE Day 80 and VJ Day 80 anniversaries, DCMS are leading Government assistance to the CWGC’s delivery of the ‘For Evermore Tour’, a programme of over 250 mobile exhibitions and events across the UK and at key global commemorative sites, to honour and share the stories of those who served in the Second World War. Questions related to that specific assistance should be addressed to DCMS.