Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the capability gaps identified by the Chief of the Defence Staff regarding UK military readiness.

The Department continually assesses the readiness of the Armed Forces and the capabilities required to meet current and future threats. The Ministry of Defence employs a rigorous approach to identify and mitigate risks arising from gaps in defence capability, ensuring the delivery of defence's strategic and operational objectives. The details of those assessments are not made public as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

The Strategic Defence Review identified areas where Defence must strengthen capability and warfighting readiness in response to a more contested security environment. Through the Defence Investment Plan, Defence will prioritise investment to deliver a NATO-first Integrated Force, improving the readiness, lethality and integration of the Armed Forces across all domains. These investments will help regenerate warfighting readiness, accelerate the adoption of new technologies through to 2030, and ensure the Armed Forces are prepared to deter and respond to the threats facing the UK and our allies.