Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what date the renewal of the US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement was agreed.

Certain provisions of the Mutual Defence Agreement (MDA) are subject to renewal every 10 years to ensure that they remain relevant and valid. The next renewal is due by the end of 2014. To this end, the British and US Governments are taking forward the process of renewing these provisions in line with our respective domestic processes and requirements. Before any amendment to the MDA can take effect, in accordance with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the proposed amendments will be laid before Parliament for scrutiny later in the year. A similar review process is underway in the US. Once these periods of scrutiny have been completed, the amendments will enter into force and be valid until the end of 2024.