Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to remove the Ministry of Defence Police presence from UK (a) facilities, (b) property and (c) sites which to date have had their protective security ensured by that force.

The safety and security of the Defence Estate continues to be of the utmost importance. There are many ways this is achieved, including the vital role provided by the Ministry of Defence Police.

The deployment of Ministry of Defence Police resources is kept under constant review. This ensures our policing resources are deployed where they are most needed. We continue to fully safeguard all of our sites and would never contemplate changes that would place these in jeopardy.

We are confident that the current strength of the force, together with other security provision is sufficient to counter the threats we face.

The Ministry of Defence Police continues to focus on delivering its specialist policing services efficiently and effectively within its allocated budget. The MOD remains committed to supporting the national Counter-Terrorism response. The Ministry of Defence Police have deployed significant numbers of armed officers followed the activation of OPERATION TEMPERER.