-
Question
Asked about delays in publishing DIP, whether it will be published before NATO summit, and expressed concerns over transparency and advance disclosure to stakeholders while neglecting MPs. Also questioned the funding mechanism for defence.
Minister reply
Confirmed publication of DIP before the NATO summit, criticised previous government's underfunding and delay issues. Stressed commitment to publishing details within Parliament after consultation with Treasury.
-
Question
Asked if the final announcement will be made in the Chamber for scrutiny by MPs, industry, and taxpayers. Wanted assurance that it would contain comprehensive funding details.
Minister reply
Confirmed commitment to publish before NATO summit and beyond equipment plans inherited from previous government, including people, estates, infrastructure, and reform details.
-
Question
Expresses condolences for the helicopter crash victims and raises concerns about delayed defence investment plan affecting British businesses negatively, proposing £20 billion of defence bonds.
Minister reply
Acknowledges condolences and highlights efforts to support small businesses through new Defence Office for Small Business Growth and increased direct spend target by 50% (£2.5 billion) for SMEs.
-
Question
Critiques Conservative Party's handling of defence funding, praises Labour Government's decision to redirect aid budget towards defence.
Minister reply
Defends the redirection of 0.2% GNI from international aid to defence spending, highlighting increases in defence funding compared to Conservative cuts.
-
Question
Critiques minister's partisan approach, expresses concern over delayed DIP impacting NATO capability rankings negatively.
Minister reply
Responds defensively to accusations of partisanship, criticises previous Conservative government for leaving defence in a poor state.
-
Question
Supports need for DIP clarity and defends Labour's decision as necessary given inherited mess.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the importance of investment in Barrow, citing example of nuclear submarine construction.
-
Question
Questions recent contract cancellations and asks for information on GCAP funding status.
Minister reply
Acknowledges questions but lacks precise answers, confirms commitment to GCAP programme.
-
Question
Stresses importance of DIP getting programmes right for future needs, citing local jobs at BAE Systems.
Minister reply
Acknowledges skills and work in supporting Typhoon operations and F-35 programme, emphasises need to support autonomy in defence.
-
Question
Critiques timing of DIP release during House recess and asks for reassurance that it will not be released next week.
Minister reply
Commits to publishing the DIP before NATO summit, acknowledging concerns over timing.
-
Question
Welcomes the £2.8 million funding for Bournemouth University to develop cyber-defence, intelligence and autonomous system courses starting in September; asks if an increase in defence spending will be spent on skills development and universities.
Minister reply
Confirms that the Government announced additional student places for universities and colleges nationwide to enhance skills provision; mentions five defence technical excellence colleges in England, likely two in Scotland, and one in Wales.
-
Question
Asks about how the Government will pay for the DIP, given reports that it is less than what defence sector needs; expresses concern over current budget cuts and uncertainty.
Minister reply
Disagrees with characterisation of chaos, suggests not to believe media speculation.
-
Question
Welcomes the DIP but expresses concern over recruitment in Oldham; raises issue that DIP covers procurement but not disposal, suggesting Ukraine should get first refusal on retired UK kit.
Minister reply
Reports 11.6% increase in inflow to armed forces and 8.9% decrease in outflow, up three points in morale; confirms a meeting between MP and Minister for Veterans and People regarding recruitment; assures that disposal process includes providing Ukraine with equipment when possible.
-
Question
Asks about reassurance for Yeovil’s SMEs on the DIP delay, seeks to plan investment and provide quality jobs.
Minister reply
Confirms significant wins for defence firms in Yeovil including £1 billion contract for Leonardo; mentions additional places for Yeovil College; looks forward to further announcements.
-
Question
As a Navy mum, associates with Minister’s condolences on the deaths of Navy personnel; asks if DIP will deliver for long-term investment in personnel and bases.
Minister reply
Confirms multibillion-pound investment across naval bases; states that under Labour Government there is work and resources for all three key sites (Devonport, Portsmouth, Faslane).
-
Question
Questions the delay in publishing DIP and its implications on defending nation according to NATO treaty.
Minister reply
States that equipment plan inherited was unsuitable for defence, with gaps; expects DIP publication will show support for homeland and warfighting readiness.
-
Question
Welcomes the DIP providing security to constituents working in defence sector; asks about learning from conflicts such as Ukraine and Iran.
Minister reply
Confirms dialogue with Ukraine on lessons for kit, capability, deterrence; mentions programmes like Brakestop informed by Ukrainian work.
-
Question
The extraordinary delays to the defence investment plan have left our armed forces, defence industry and allies in limbo. Does the Minister recognise that the DIP delays are illustrative of complacency and have given adversaries time to exploit weaknesses?
Minister reply
Scotland is integral to UK security; RAF Lossiemouth aviators, Faslane submariners, and numerous Scottish defence companies contribute significantly. We hope for support from all parties, including on nuclear deterrent submarines which sail from Faslane.
-
Question
Given the fast pace of change in Ukraine, what assurance can the Minister give that the DIP will be flexible enough to deal with evolving warfare?
Minister reply
We recognise the need for flexibility and have learned from conflicts such as Ukraine. We are iterating technologies quickly; for instance, addressing GPS or electronic warfare-denied environments which affect how the British Army fights.
-
Question
Will the Minister come to Shropshire to meet RBSL and sign the light mobility vehicle contract, considering Land Rover’s retirement after 70 years?
Minister reply
I will take this as good lobbying. I have announced the start of a new contract procurement only months ago for replacing the Land Rover, which is no longer suitable.
-
Question
Will the Minister confirm what alternative plans are being considered to ensure future anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence for the Royal Marines if the Type 83 destroyer project is delayed or scrapped?
Minister reply
The new colours presentation at Windsor Castle reflects the importance of the Royal Marines. We have seen new capabilities from Ukraine that can provide air defence; we are applying this to our naval assets and friends in the Middle East.
-
Question
May I advise Ministers against using the line about defence expenditure rising faster now than at any time since the cold war? The situation is as dangerous now as during the height of the Cold War.
Minister reply
I understand the right hon. Gentleman’s point and take it seriously, considering the current danger we face and the need to classify threats properly.
-
Question
What innovative mechanisms such as defence bonds and the rearmament bank is the Minister using to support the defence sector without placing additional burdens on taxpayers?
Minister reply
We are placing contracts with British industry, seeing job growth and capital investment in infrastructure. We will set out spending in the DIP and welcome debates about innovation in finance.
-
Question
Will the upcoming defence investment plan clarify what is meant by a ‘British firm’ for Government support, given that the Minister mentioned an address in the British Isles at a recent dinner?
Minister reply
UK-based firms hiring people and paying taxes in Britain are backed. When contracts must be sent abroad due to lack of UK technology or single source capabilities, we introduce offsets regimes ensuring benefit for UK industry.
-
Question
As Mr Speaker noted earlier, the mood of the House is very much that the long-awaited defence investment plan must not be produced this Friday, yet the Minister is still unable to provide that confirmation. Through you, Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask Mr Speaker whether he would consider an emergency sitting of Parliament on Friday if it is produced then.
Minister reply
I say to the hon. Gentleman very clearly that we will publish the defence investment plan before the NATO summit. He has written to me a number of times when he has not liked my answers from the Dispatch Box. I really do hope that Reform can take defence more seriously and not try to dodge the important connections that we now know exist between senior Reform figures and Russia because of the bribes that the Welsh leader of Reform took from Russia. It is really important that we expose that in the public domain, because no UK party should ever be in hock to Russia.
-
Question
The defence investment plan is urgently needed to provide our armed forces with the resources they need to defend our nation. Does the Minister accept that when the Government show themselves capable of publishing their welfare spending until 2031 but continually delay the publication of the defence investment plan, that sends a message to our adversaries about where the Government’s priorities lie?
Minister reply
No, but I understand entirely the Conservatives’ partisan attack line on this one—and it is good to see the hon. Gentleman joining in. Let me be very clear: we have increased defence spending. We did so from the very first Budget that the Chancellor delivered at this Dispatch Box, and we are continuing to do that. Defence spending is £11 billion more per year today than under the last year of the Conservative Government, and we are directing more of that money at British-based firms.
-
Question
Following the contribution from my hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance), I want to welcome the Gripen contract, which benefits my constituency. Others have mentioned the fast-paced development of uncrewed weapons, but I am concerned about the domestic attacks the UK might see on our cyber, energy and food security. Can the Minister assure the House that the DIP will address that risk and fund public awareness of the threats to our home security and the role we must all play in the defence of the realm?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Lady for her question and for championing the defence firms that she has around her constituency. They are a really important in making the case that defence is an engine for growth. The hon. Lady is right that the threats we face as a nation are more complex than they have been for a very long time. They are not just military threats. The United Kingdom is under constant cyber-attack from our adversaries; that is one of the reasons why we have invested so much in our cyber defences and will continue to do so.
-
Question
The No. 1 priority for me and my Liberal Democrat colleagues during the passage of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 was a decent homes standard for military families, and I was delighted that the Government subsequently enacted that provision. We also welcome the £9 billion for service family and military accommodation that the Minister has referred to. Does the Minister agree that a poorly housed and unhealthy fighting force is not what this country needs and, similarly, that an unhealthy and poorly housed population is not what we need in this country? Can he confirm that the DIP will not be funded by raiding either the military housing budget or the affordable homes budget?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for talking about military housing, which is not just for our armed forces personnel but, importantly, for their families. As someone who represents a military area in Plymouth, I know that when our forces are deployed abroad, if their families back home are living with black mould in their kids’ bedrooms, leaky roofs or broken boilers, it affects their ability to do the job we have asked them to do—on the frontline or wherever it may be. That is why in opposition we committed to making defence housing a priority.
-
Question
My constituency is home to the Sennybridge training area, an area of vital national importance that borders Merthyr Cynog. The military training area exists only because local farmers surrendered their farms for the national interest. However, the Minister’s Department is now raising concerns about foreign investment in the area—notably that from Bute Energy, which plans to build wind farms that could create a physical obstruction to air traffic movements and military operations. Will the Minister outline what he is doing to support defence investment in Wales at sites like Sennybridge? Will he agree to meet me and Merthyr Cynog community council to discuss Bute Energy’s plans for the area?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his interest. Every single nation in the United Kingdom will benefit from the defence investment plan. Wales is already the recipient of one of the five defence growth deals that we announced, with new capabilities and new investment in skills. We look forward to speaking with the new Welsh Government in due course about how we operationalise that. The MOD’s main objection to the development of wind farms predominantly relates to the impact on air defence radars. I would be very happy for the hon. Gentleman to send me some details in advance of us meeting.
-
Question
As somebody who represents Devon as well as Somerset, may I share the Minister’s sentiments about the very tragic loss of lives in west Devon last week? I am glad that the Minister has acknowledged that the Ankara summit is imminent, but is he not deeply concerned that the Government’s dither and delay in publishing the defence investment plan is seriously undermining our credibility with our friends in the world and sending a signal of immense weakness to our foes, and furthermore that at a time when we should be showing leadership the Government are showing lethargy?
Minister reply
I do not quite agree with the hon. Lady’s assessment, and she need only look at the announcements that we have made on defence in only the past few months: the standing up of the coalition of the willing with our friends in France, which is a multinational effort to support Ukraine; our continued support for Ukraine by providing kit, equipment and training; our forward land forces in Estonia being equipped with the latest drone technology; and the work we are doing with the UK-led mission in the strait of Hormuz, deploying brand-new autonomous capabilities as part of a hybrid Navy to deal with Iranian mines. We can see that the UK is stepping up.