Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, Losses, what estimate he has made of the waste incurred by his department as a result of the £23,412,000 expense on fruitless payments.

The Fruitless Payments figures reported in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 are published in accordance with HM Treasury's Managing Public Money guidance.

The Department has robust processes in place to ensure that losses are identified, assessed and reported accurately. The values reported in the Annual Report and Accounts represent the final assessed loss values.