Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Defence Spending: 2030 Target

Monday 2 February 2026 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Liberal Democrats propose issuing time-limited defence bonds in response to national security threats.
  • Defence Secretary announces investment of 270 billion in defence for the current Parliament.
  • Liberal Democrats previously called for the Government to set a pathway to 2.5% defence spending.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Chadwick Lib Dem Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

The Liberal Democrats propose issuing time-limited defence bonds to allow public investment in modernising armed forces.

Question

Britain faces a once-in-a-generation threat to our national security, as Putin’s war continues in Europe and uncertainty grows about the future reliability of the United States. Will the Secretary of State therefore take up the Liberal Democrats’ proposal that we issue time-limited defence bonds? That would allow the public to invest directly in modernising our armed forces, raise billions for new equipment, and ensure strong parliamentary oversight of how the money is spent.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

I note the arguments that the hon. Gentleman and his party are now making, but it was just in autumn 2024 that the Lib Dems were calling for this Government to set a pathway to 2.5%. We went further than that, with the largest increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war, three years before he was calling for it. We have a plan to hit 3% in the next Parliament.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not directly address the proposal on time-limited defence bonds.

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Q2 Munira Wilson Lib Dem Twickenham
Ukraine Defence
Context

The world is rapidly changing with threats to international alliances and security. The Liberal Democrats urge the convening of cross-party talks on reaching 3% of GDP on defence.

Question

I appreciate what the Defence Secretary has just said, but with President Trump attempting to tear apart the international alliances that have kept us safe for decades, and with Putin waging war in Ukraine for almost four years, the world is changing fast. We need to come together as patriots to decide how we can best invest in the defence of our country as quickly as possible. Can I press him again to convene cross-party talks on how we can reach 3% of GDP on defence quickly, and will he ensure that defence bonds are part of the solution?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

In the first instance, I would welcome support from the hon. Lady and her party for the fact that in this Parliament, we will invest £270 billion in defence to keep Britain safe and our alliances secure for generations to come. This is a Government who are delivering for defence, and delivering for Britain.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not commit to convening cross-party talks or including defence bonds.

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