Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what spare capacity the Armed Forces have to respond flexibly and with resilience to unexpected emergencies.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently engaged in 23 operations around the world, which is above the historical norm for operational commitments. While delivering current operations, the MOD continually develops options for wider contingencies as risks to UK national interests emerge. Significant investment in a variety of critical enablers, both before and after the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, underpins our continued ability to meet demands both in the UK and overseas.