Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions for financial year 2025-26.

There is no additional cost to the Ministry of Defence.

The Government will be supporting departments with the cost of additional employer national insurance contributions. This is in line with the Government’s usual approach to supporting the public sector, as was the case with the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy. The allocation for the Ministry of Defence, along with all other departments, will be set out in due course.