Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 33 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in exploring opportunities for legislative reform that could direct industry to prioritise defence nuclear requirements in the sovereign supply chain or enable compulsory acquisition of assets where necessary to protect national security.

The Government has accepted the SDR recommendation to develop a ‘Defence Readiness Bill’ to ensure ‘the Government has powers in reserve to respond effectively in the event of escalation towards a war involving the UK or its allies’. Defence is working closely with the rest of government to develop detailed policy requirements, including for the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, and to establish what new legislation is required as part of the Government’s wider Home Defence programme.

Defence Readiness legislation is being developed to ensure the Government has the powers it needs to keep the UK safe, both now and in times of heightened crisis or escalation towards war.

Measures are being developed to:

• improve our ability to defend against sub-threshold threats;
• increase industry preparedness, agility, and resilience;
• expand the supply of privately-owned services to Defence and access to and protection of critical national infrastructure;
• and strengthen the mobilisation of Defence’s people, including the Reserves and civil servants.

The Government has committed to deliver this legislation within this Parliament. As is standard with the legislative process, any future legislation will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows.