Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to using war bonds to fund defence and the impact on public debt.

War bonds are not being considered by the government. The Defence Investment Plan, which places defence on a stronger, more sustainable footing, is being funded by reprioritising public spending, with £10.3 billion already identified and a further £4.7 billion to be confirmed at Budget 2026 in a fair and balanced way.

The Government is clear that our core gilt programme is the most stable and cost-effective way of raising finance to fund the day-to-day activities of the government, owing to the depth and liquidity of the market. Finance raised via gilts or National Savings and Investments products is generally not tied to specific areas of government spending, in order to offer the best value-for-money for taxpayers. Issuing bonds aimed at specific areas of spending risks fragmenting the gilt market, which would not be consistent with the government’s debt management objective of minimising the cost of long-term financing.

The Government remains open to the introduction of new debt instruments; however, HM Treasury and the UK Debt Management Office apply certain criteria when considering the launch of a new type of debt instrument. These include consistency with the Government’s debt management objective (to minimise the long-term cost of financing, taking into account risk); the impact on the general functioning of the gilt market; the expected size, sustainability, and nature of investor demand for the instrument; and an assessment of the cost and resource commitment required for its introduction into the market.

The Government would also need to be satisfied that any new instrument would meet value-for-money criteria, enjoy strong and sustained demand in the long term, and be consistent with wider fiscal objectives. We keep the introduction of new debt financing instruments under regular review.