Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 21 September 2026 to question 23033 on Defence and National Security, what the planned public engagement activities are that will take place as part of the National Conversation.

The National Conversation is a Cabinet Office-led programme of public engagement delivered as part of the Home Defence Programme. As I confirmed in my previous answer, this engagement is already underway and will continue through 2027, with Defence playing a key role in supporting its delivery.

Defence will support a range of public engagement activity designed to improve understanding of the threats facing the UK, strengthen awareness of preparedness and resilience, and support the development of a whole-of-society approach to national security. The Security Minister and I will chair CEO roundtable threat briefings with CNI and industry leaders respectively, which follow similar briefings held earlier this year to update university leaders and political parties on the threat of foreign interference.