Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 61 of the SDR, what progress his Department has made on creating a robust Balance of Investments process.

The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) process looked across every budget line in the Department to prioritise capabilities and activities, including new capabilities, through-life upgrades, acquisition and support, people and infrastructure. It also considered and agreed trade-offs between departmental objectives to ensure a balanced investment outcome was achieved.

The DIP sets out the Government's investment priorities for Defence and provides a deliverable and affordable plan to 2035.

A similarly robust approach is being adopted for the Department’s annual financial planning and budgeting process.