Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) reports Special Severance Payments in its Annual Report and Accounts in accordance with HM Treasury and FREM requirements. For core MOD, the audited figures published in the Annual Report and Accounts are as follows (rounded to the nearest £1,000):

2022–23: £556,000 (14 cases)

2023–24: £1,074,000 (13 cases)

2024–25: £3,418,000 (40 cases)

In addition, the UK Hydrographic Office has reported two Special Severance Payments in 2025, totalling £80,000. UKHO data is not included in the MOD Annual Report and Accounts as UKHO publishes its own accounts separately.