Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Strategic Defence Review

Monday 14 October 2024 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Prime Minister commissioned the strategic defence review within two weeks of taking office.
  • The strategic defence review will address the recruitment crisis inherited by the government.
  • The full details of the deal to rent back a military facility from Mauritius will be set out when the treaty comes before Parliament.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mark Francois Con Rayleigh and Wickford
Defence
Context

The government commissioned a strategic defence review within two weeks of taking office.

Question

When will the outcome of the strategic defence review be announced?

Answer from John Healey

The Prime Minister commissioned the strategic defence review within two weeks of taking office. The review will ensure that the UK is secure at home and strong abroad, both now and in years to come. It will be reported to Parliament.

Answered
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Q2 Ian Roome Lib Dem North Devon
Defence Employment
Context

The government has a recruitment crisis in the armed forces.

Question

What assurances can be given that the strategic defence review will address the backlog of new recruits trying to get through medical assessments?

Answer from John Healey

The strategic defence review will place people at its heart. The government inherited a situation where recruitment targets were missed every year for 14 years, leading to a recruitment crisis. No plan can deal with this without sorting out recruitment.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific measures or timeline was provided for resolving the recruitment backlog

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Q3 Mark Francois Con Rayleigh and Wickford
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

The Foreign Secretary concluded a deal with Mauritius over the Chagos islands.

Question

How much has been offered to pay Mauritius for renting back a military facility, and which department will cover this cost?

Answer from John Healey

Full details of the deal will be set out when the treaty comes before Parliament. The government inherited a situation where the UK-US military base was at risk due to sovereignty and migration issues. A historic deal has secured the base for the future, welcomed by the US Defence Secretary.

Not addressed: Financial details of the agreement and department responsible were not provided

How: Changed Subject Entirely

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Q4 Tan Dhesi Lab Slough
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

China launched military drills around Taiwan.

Question

Will the review condemn China's recent aggressive manoeuvres in the Indo-Pacific region, and what are the government doing to work with allies to de-escalate tensions?

Answer from John Healey

The strategic defence review will include serious analysis of the Indo-Pacific region. The government is committed to building on previous commitments made by the former government, consulting military veterans, industry experts, and all parties in Parliament.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific condemnation or concrete measures were outlined

How: Hedges

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Q5 Emma Lewell Lab South Shields
Defence
Context

The previous government left the armed forces underfunded.

Question

Will the review focus on the sovereign defence industrial base, ensuring that regions such as the north-east are pivotal in this regard?

Answer from John Healey

The experts conducting the review will have an ongoing focus on the sovereign defence industrial base, reinforcing the UK's security and economy. The previous government left a depleted state in the armed forces, with billion-pound black holes in defence plans and low service morale.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific regional focus or timeline was provided

How: Hedges

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Q6 James Cartlidge Con South Suffolk
Defence
Context

The government committed to a path of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence.

Question

Clarify whether the Government's commitment is to spend 2.5% of GDP 'as soon as possible' or 'in due course'.

Answer from John Healey

The government is committed to spending 2.5% on defence to meet increasing threats, confirmed by the Prime Minister at the NATO summit in Washington. The last time this country spent 2.5% was in 2010 under Labour.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific timeline or clarification was given

How: Hedges

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Q7 James Cartlidge Con South Suffolk
Defence
Context

The questioner references the significant underspending in defence from 2010, highlighting a shift in language from 'as soon as possible' to 'in due course'. He emphasizes the importance of reaching 2.5% of GDP for national security.

Question

That is a concern. In 2010, just to remind the House, the black hole in the defence budget was bigger than the defence budget, and we were left a note saying that there was no money left. It is significant if the wording is no longer “as soon as possible” and is now “in due course”. It is in the national interest to go to 2.5% because of the threats we face as a country. If the Secretary of State told us now that he was fighting hard with the Treasury to go to 2.5% in the Budget at the end of this month, he would have our full support. Is that what he is doing?

Answer from John Healey

Fourteen years, Mr Speaker, yet the Conservatives produced their unfunded plan for 2.5% on defence only four weeks before they called the election. It was the hon. Gentleman's former boss, the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who told the truth about their record in government when he said to the House: “we have hollowed out and underfunded”—[Official Report, 30 January 2023; Vol. 727, c. 18.] our armed forces since 2010.

Not addressed: The specific question about reaching 2.5% of GDP for defence spending and the Secretary's efforts were not addressed.

How: Attacking The Opposition

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