Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2026, to Question 17649, on National Security: Finance, if he will list the specific items of expenditure, broken down by departmental contribution, that were counted towards the UK meeting the 1.5% NATO spending target in the most recent year for which figures are available; and whether the Estimates process will publicly report whether specific spending is classified as (a) defence or (b) security spend under the NATO definition and targets.

The UK has met NATO’s 1.5% defence and security-related spending target, as defined by NATO. NATO’s definition sets out that spend should be to protect our critical infrastructure, defend our networks, ensure our civil preparedness and resilience, unleash innovation and strengthen our defence industrial base.

Public spending is determined through the Spending Review process, which last took place in 2025 and set departmental resource budgets through to 2029-30 and capital budgets to 2030-31. All spending captured as part of the 1.5% is determined through the Spending Review and set out to Parliament via the Estimates process in the usual way.