Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 15 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, whether the his Department's top ten people policies were rewritten in accordance with the principle of trust by May 2026.

Defence is reviewing its people related policies, processes and assurance requirements as part of a broader programme of people-system reform. By simplifying content, removing duplication, reducing narrative and using clearer language, we will reduce burden and enable more informed and timely decision-making. This work also supports the principle of trust by driving greater empowerment, delegation of decision-making, and enabling users to exercise judgement within a framework of trust and accountability.

In line with these aims, and in accordance with recommendation 15 of the Strategic Defence Review, a priority set of people-related policy Joint Service Publications (JSPs) have been reviewed. Eleven JSPs were revised and internally republished in simplified form by the end of May 2026, resulting in an overall reduction in policy volume of approximately 18%. Further improvements will be delivered through the introduction of a new military HR administration system that will simplify and automate underlying processes, improve user experience and further reduce administrative burden.