Committee publication · Correspondence · 3 July 2026
Correspondence from the Chair to the Secretary of State relating to the Defence Investment Plan, dated 3 July 2026
Summary
The Chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee writes to the Secretary of State expressing concern that the Defence Investment Plan uses DESNZ budget cuts as funding without clarity on impact. The committee seeks urgent detail on which policies will be dropped or delayed, and whether Defence Investment Plan projects will support engineering supply chains critical to long-term energy and defence security.
Key findings
- The Defence Investment Plan has identified DESNZ capital expenditure reductions as a potential funding source, with only a flat percentage target announced and no detail on delivery impact.
- The committee warns that lack of policy certainty is itself a major threat to energy investment and infrastructure development timescales.
- No clarity provided on which DESNZ priorities, policies, or projects will be affected by the budget cuts.
- Committee questions whether Defence Investment Plan projects will support high-quality engineering supply chains, particularly in the North East of Scotland, to build skills for both national defence and energy security.
Tone
CriticalTopics
public-financeenergy-securitydefence-investmentinfrastructure
Key actors
Bill Esterson, Ed Miliband, Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
Notable line
“The lack of detail in the announcement maximises uncertainty and implies a lack of clear planning.”
Key Quotes
“… a core foundation of national security is delivering safe, secure energy supplies to homes and businesses”
“… one of the biggest threats to energy investment is doubts around the certainty of government policy”
“The lack of detail in the announcement maximises uncertainty and implies a lack of clear planning.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗