Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress has he made in ensuring plans made under the Home Defence Programme meet Defence’s needs in the event of escalation to war, including mobilisation of Reserves and industry, and ensuring Defence has ready access to private-sector infrastructure for operations, underpinned by legislation as necessary, as outlined in Recommendation 28.

The Ministry of Defence is both updating its own Homeland Defence and transition to war plans through 2026 and playing a significant role in the wider cross-Government Home Defence Programme, in order to ensure all plans are aligned in meeting needs in the event of escalation to war.

As part of this, Defence is taking steps to strengthen our future readiness. Through the Armed Forces Bill 2026, Defence is seeking to increase its powers and flexibility to call out and/or recall former personnel at pace and scale in a potential crisis such as a transition to war. Similarly, Defence Readiness legislation is being developed in line with the Strategic Defence Review recommendations.