Written questions by Cartlidge.

How many individuals have received an operational tour bonus in each of the ten previous financial years.

The total cost of Operational Allowance paid to Service Personnel in each Financial Year since 2015-16, and the numbers in receipt, are set out below: Financial YearNumbers in receipt of Op Allowance Total Op Allowance2015-164,290£10,709,745.542016-175,748£14,668,691.792017-186,972£21,038,734.632018-197,653£24,554,593.592019-207,886£26,621,504.812020-216,140£18,587,048.822021-226,399£16,596,044.662022-235,164£13,673,498.622023-244,916£13,663,602.682024-255,330£13,091,473.382025-26 to date6,625£12,896,081.72Total44,439£186,101,020.24

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 February to Question 110439 on Defence: Expenditure, from which Department's budget the 0.47% of GDP spend not included in the table will come from.

In line with NATO guidance, the UK has consistently counted spend across Government towards defence spending, provided it meets the definition.Which additional Departments this will be from will be set out as part of the UK's return for 2027.

With reference to his statement of 22 May 2025 on Diego Garcia Military Base, Official Report, Column 1284, what the potential legal rulings are that he referred to.

We have always been clear that, if a long-term deal was not reached, there was a risk of further litigation being brought rapidly which could have had serious implications for the operation of the military base on Diego Garcia. There are various avenues through which Mauritius could pursue a legally binding ruling, including under dispute provisions of treaties to which both States are parties or further arbitral proceedings against the UK under Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ("UNCLOS"). A ruling from such an arbitral tribunal would be legally binding on the parties to it.

With reference to his statement of 22 May 2025 on Diego Garcia Military Base, Official Report, column 1284, if he will list the legal threats that currently threaten the security of the Diego Garcia military base.

We have always been clear that, if a long-term deal was not reached, there was a risk of further litigation being brought rapidly which could have had serious implications for the operation of the military base on Diego Garcia. There are various avenues through which Mauritius could pursue a legally binding ruling, including under dispute provisions of treaties to which both States are parties or further arbitral proceedings against the UK under Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ("UNCLOS"). A ruling from such an arbitral tribunal would be legally binding on the parties to it.

Whether he has had discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on Article 298 of UNCLOS and Diego Garcia.

No, he has not.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2026 to Question 110439 on Defence: Expenditure, if he will provide an itemised breakdown of the expenditure that forms the UK's NATO declared defence spending which falls outside of the Ministry of Defence budget.

All of the UK's declared defence spending is rigorously scrutinised to ensure it meets the definition set out by NATO.In line with other NATO Allies, the full range of what the UK includes as defence spending is not publicised.

When he plans to respond to Question 104231 on Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

The Government has engaged closely with a wide range of military stakeholders in relation to the Troubles Bill to ensure that the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill effectively supports veterans. This has involved meeting with veterans and current serving members of the Armed Forces whose service took place across different time periods, including during Op BANNER, and across a wide range of regiments. This has included myself, and other Ministerial colleagues across Government meeting with members of the Associations on several occasions. It may be helpful to further quantify that since 5 July 2024, in my previous, and current Ministerial role, I have conducted over 70 veterans’ engagements, where I spoke with hundreds of veterans, from all Services and cohorts, from a wide range of different associations, about a number of matters.

When the next NATO threat and capability review will take place.

The next full capability review will occur within NATO’s current four-year NDPP cycle, which runs until 2027.

How much his Department plans to spend with SMEs in (a) 2026 and (b) 2027.

Defence is an engine for growth, and small businesses are the backbone of UK defence, bringing the innovation, agility and fresh thinking that our Armed Forces need to stay ahead of evolving threats. As announced by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State of Defence last year, this Government is committed to supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including an ambitious but achievable target to increase our spend with SMEs by £2.5 billion by 2028. The department's forthcoming SME Action Plan will lay out what steps we will be taking during 2026 and 2027 to achieve this uplift by 2028.

How many applications to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy were rejected due to medical reasons since 5 July 2024.

The following table provides the number of applications rejected with the reason ‘Medical’ from 5 July 2024 to 31 January 2026. Total applications rejected for medical reasons between 5 July 2024 to 31 January 20261 Army45,680Royal Air Force12,310Royal Navy1,020[1] All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 in line with disclosure control policy. Figures ending in 5 are rounded to the nearest 20 to avoid bias. These figures represent the number of applications rejected and not the number of people rejected; one applicant can apply (and be rejected) multiple times. The figures show the number of rejected applications in the specified time period regardless of when the application was received.

When he plans to respond to Question 104230 on Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

The Government has engaged closely with a wide range of military stakeholders in relation to the Troubles Bill to ensure that the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill effectively supports veterans. This has involved meeting with veterans and current serving members of the Armed Forces whose service took place across different time periods, including during Op BANNER, and across a wide range of regiments. This has included myself, and other Ministerial colleagues across Government meeting with members of the Associations on several occasions. It may be helpful to further quantify that since 5 July 2024, in my previous, and current Ministerial role, I have conducted over 70 veterans’ engagements, where I spoke with hundreds of veterans, from all Services and cohorts, from a wide range of different associations, about a number of matters.

When he plans to respond to Question 103365 on Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

The Government has engaged closely with a wide range of military stakeholders in relation to the Troubles Bill to ensure that the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill effectively supports veterans. This has involved meeting with veterans and current serving members of the Armed Forces whose service took place across different time periods, including during Op BANNER, and across a wide range of regiments. This has included myself, and other Ministerial colleagues across Government meeting with members of the Associations on several occasions. It may be helpful to further quantify that since 5 July 2024, in my previous, and current Ministerial role, I have conducted over 70 veterans’ engagements, where I spoke with hundreds of veterans, from all Services and cohorts, from a wide range of different associations, about a number of matters.

How many times has (a) he and (b) his ministerial team met with the lead reviewers of the Strategic Defence Review since 2 June 2025.

The Strategic Defence Review sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence and make the UK stronger both at home and abroad. The Government endorsed the Review’s vision and accepted all 62 recommendations. The lead reviewers played a valuable role in shaping its analysis and recommendations and, while they have no formal role now, we are regularly engaged with them .

Whether the Defence Investment Plan will contain costings for all defence programmes.

We are working flat out to complete the Defence Industrial Plan and this will be published as soon as possible.

What his proposed timeline is for publishing a terms of reference for the Defence Investment Plan.

The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) is the next step in turning the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) into action. It is the first zero-based review of Defence’s budgets in eighteen years and goes significantly further than the last Government’s Equipment Plan by looking across every budget line, including people and infrastructure. We will publish it as soon as we can, but our aim is to ensure decisions in the DIP are robust and support the development of both current and future capabilities, helping to drive the transformation of our Armed Forces described in the Strategic Defence Review.

When he plans to respond to Question 107088 on Poland: Defence Procurement.

I responded to the hon. Member on 10 March 2026.

When he plans to respond to Question 106547 on Poland: Military Aid.

I responded to the hon. Member on 10 March 2026.

How many candidates remain in the selection process to hire an Armed Forces Commissioner.

The selection process for appointing the first Armed Forces Commissioner remains in progress. The Armed Forces Commissioner will play a pivotal role in improving service life for Service Personnel and their families. It is essential that we identify and appoint the most suitable individual to fulfil this responsibility. We are committed to appointing the right person for this critical role, which is central to delivering a trusted and effective service for our people. Announcements on the outcome of the appointment will be made in due course.

Whether any candidates have been selected in the process to hire an Armed Forces Commissioner.

The selection process for appointing the first Armed Forces Commissioner remains in progress. The Armed Forces Commissioner will play a pivotal role in improving service life for Service Personnel and their families. It is essential that we identify and appoint the most suitable individual to fulfil this responsibility. We are committed to appointing the right person for this critical role, which is central to delivering a trusted and effective service for our people. Announcements on the outcome of the appointment will be made in due course.

What recent progress he has made on implementing the Strategic Defence Review.

The Government has made significant progress on Strategic Defence Review (SDR) implementation since it was published last June. Examples include: CyberEM Command: The Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force (DCEM Force) was established on time and is now up and running, within the Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (November 2025). SDR Rec 51 MIS and DCIU: The Military Intelligence Services and Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit were launched on time, as part of major overhaul of Defence’s intelligence organisations amid increasing threats to the UK and to keep Britain ahead of hostile states and terrorists (December 25). SDR Rec 54 and 56 Nuclear deterrence: The Prime Minister announced at the NATO Hague Summit (June 2025) that the UK will purchase 12 new F-35A fighter jets and join NATO’s dual capable aircraft nuclear mission. SDR Rec 30 Atlantic Bastion: The UK’s groundbreaking Atlantic Bastion programme was unveiled (December 2025), which will make Britain more secure from Russian undersea threats in the North Atlantic through a transformation of the Royal Navy and its submarine-hunting capabilities into an advanced hybrid force. SDR vision: Hybrid Navy UKDI: UK Defence Innovation was launched (July 2025) to streamline the delivery of innovation technology to Armed Forces personnel through rapid investment, with an annual budget of £400 million. Defence Exports: The UK Defence and Security Exports function was transferred from Department for Business and Trade to MOD (July 2025); all staff have completed their migration to MOD systems. 2025 was the highest year for UK Defence exports in 40 years including landmark deals with Norway, worth £10 billion (T26 frigates; Aug 25), and Türkiye, worth £8 billion (Typhoons; October 2025). SDR Rec 12 DIS: The Defence Industrial Strategy was published (September 2025) to take forward the SDR’s vision for radical reforms, growth, innovation, industrial resilience and warfighting readiness – backed by nearly £800 million this parliament. SDR Rec 3 and 8 Always on munitions: Defence announced a new programme to build factories of the future (November 2025) with at least 13 potential sites identified to manufacture munitions and explosives in the UK to create an always on capability. This is backed by £1.5 billion of new investment in this parliament and creating over 1,000 British jobs. SDR Rec 29 Housing: The Defence Housing Strategy 2025 (November 2025) set out £9 billion of investment over the next decade to upgrade 40,000 Forces’ family homes. An ambitious programme of work to urgently fix 1,000 military homes was completed ahead of schedule (December 2025). The programme of housing improvements, known as Raising the Minimum Standards, has seen significant work take place at service family homes across the UK. Legislation to establish a specialist arm’s length defence housing service is in the Armed Forces Bill, now in the Commons. SDR Rec 60 Gap Year: Plans to launch the new Armed Forces ‘Gap Year’ Foundation Scheme were announced (December 2025) to give young people in the UK new opportunities to experience military service. SDR Rec 16