Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what work his Department is currently undertaking in relation to the future (a) size and (b) budget of each service; and with which of those studies the relevant Chief of Staff is involved.

The future size and budget of each of the three Services will be reviewed as part of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) and the next Spending Review, currently expected to take place in 2015. All three Services are focused on delivering the Future Force 2020 vision set out in the last SDSR, published in 2010. The Chiefs of Staff will be closely involved in any strategic decision which concerns both their Service and Defence more broadly. The Department also conducts an annual financial planning cycle (known as the Annual Budgeting Cycle) to ensure that plans remain aligned with budgets; the Chiefs of Staff are an integral part of this activity.