Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he held discussions with the lead reviewers of the Strategic Defence Review regarding the cost of implementing its recommendations.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was presented to the Department by the external reviewers, who were working to the Terms of Reference that the review be deliverable and affordable within the fiscal envelope available to Defence

The Department is now working on the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which will take the SDR’s strategic direction and its costed recommendations, including on capabilities, and turn that into a delivery plan to ensure we deliver an affordable programme that delivers on the SDR. Defence spending will see a major sustained increase over the next decade.