Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the latest Ministry of Defence annual equipment plan has left the £5.8 billion contingency funding untouched.

The Ministry of Defence Equipment Plan 2016-26 includes contingency funding of £5.25 billion. This is in addition to specific risk provision within individual project budgets of approximately £11 billion.

Due to project costings regularly being updated the total amount of contingency is variable.

I am withholding information relating to the use of contingency funds as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

We judge the contingency sufficient to deal with cost growth within the equipment plan and broader risks that may emerge.