Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 56 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, last updated on 8 July 2025, what proportion of the single counter-intelligence unit will be staffed by (a) military and (b) civilian personnel.

The new Defence Counter Intelligence Unit’s (DCIU) mandate is to protect UK Defence from intelligence and espionage threats, at home and overseas, by bringing together expertise and specialist capabilities alongside the UK Intelligence Community. The DCIU will be led by a One Star equivalent Senior Civil Servant. We do not comment on the proportion of manpower figures or specific locations to safeguard national security and strategic Defence interests. The costs relating to the formation and running of the unit are ongoing and will form part of the Defence Investment Plan, due to be published later this year.