Defence policy
Defence policy news from UK Parliament.
Former MI6 Chief Sir Alex Younger to discuss grey zone threats
Former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, Sir Alex Younger, will give evidence to the Defence Committee. The Committee will examine the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD’s) contribution towards combatting grey zone threats – threats that fall below the perceived threshold for military action – such as sabotaging undersea cables.
17 January 2025
Defence Committee: GCAP timescale is ambitious and Gov’t must keep pace
The Defence Committee has today (14 January) published a report on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), welcoming the programme’s progress but cautioning the need to stay on track to meet the in-service target date of 2035.
14 January 2025
Defence Committee: MOD must learn from Ukraine and embrace AI
Ukraine has shown that artificial intelligence (AI) is already delivering military advantage in conflict and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) should embrace the change AI is bringing to defence, a report by the Defence Committee has found.
10 January 2025
MOD lifts restriction on serving personnel giving evidence for Armed Forces Covenant inquiry
On the request of the Defence Committee, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon. John Healey, has granted special dispensation to Service Personnel to provide evidence to the Committee’s inquiry into the Armed Forces Covenant.
09 January 2025
Matt Western elected Chair of JCNSS
Matt Western has been elected Chair of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy (JCNSS).
17 December 2024
BTC Chair: Ministers have many questions still to answer on UK position on arms exports to Israel
Liam Byrne has written to DBT and Foreign Office ministers following evidence in Parliament.
12 December 2024
Accommodation for service personnel and families is “shocking”: Government needs to act
A Defence Committee Report published today finds that accommodation for Service personnel and their families is “shocking”, with two-thirds of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) needing major work to meet modern standards, and families facing uncertainty over allocation of accommodation.
11 December 2024
Strategic Defence Review reviewers Lord Robertson and Sir Richard Barrons to give evidence
Strategic Defence Review (SDR) Reviewers, Lord Robertson and General (Retd) Sir Richard Barrons, will give evidence to the Defence Committee on the Review, on Tuesday 3 December, at 10.30am.
29 November 2024
Defence Secretary John Healey to face questions from Defence Committee
The Defence Committee will question the Secretary of State for Defence, Rt. Hon. John Healey, in his first appearance in front of the Committee. The session will take place on Thursday 21 November, at 10.30am.
15 November 2024
Defence Committee: update on inquiries from the previous Parliament
The Defence Committee has decided to complete the following inquiries, which were left unfinished at the 2024 general election:
08 November 2024
Lords debates Strategic Defence Review
Members discuss the government's review into UK military capability. Catch up
10 October 2024
Findings of inquiry to address defence spending disparities for NI published
Findings of inquiry to address defence spending disparities for NI published
24 May 2024
Implications of the war in Ukraine for UK Defence short inquiry launched
International Relations and Defence Committee launch inquiry on the implcations for UK Defence of the war in Ukraine
14 March 2024
Four short debates in the Lords
A national housing strategy, the AUKUS agreement, burying overhead transmission lines and health workers in Myanmar up for debate in the House of Lords. Catch up
01 March 2024
Foreign Secretary writes to FAC on the planned Israeli offensive in Rafah and UK arms exports to Israel
The Foreign Affairs Committee publishes two letters from the Foreign Secretary David Cameron to Chair Alicia Kearns MP
21 February 2024