Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, how much extra money was made available for (1) the Royal Navy, (2) the army, and (3) the Royal Airforce, in 2016–17 and 2017–18.

Earl Howe

The Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force operate as fully integrated joint organisations where elements work closely together sharing land, buildings and facilities, and sometimes equipment. The enhancements made in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) reflect their consequent integrated budgetary structure.

The Spending Review 2015 set out plans to fund the SDSR, and confirms the Ministry of Defence (MOD) budget settlement from 2016-17 to 2020-21. The Government has committed to increasing the MOD budget by 0.5 per cent above inflation over the course of this Parliament, and has ensured access to £2.1 billion from the new Joint Security Fund.

We will spend £178 billion on equipment and equipment support over the next decade, £12 billion more than previously planned. This money will be spent on priorities identified by the SDSR, including:

• Two additional Typhoon squadrons and an additional squadron of F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft to operate from our new aircraft carriers.

• Nine new Maritime Patrol Aircraft, based in Scotland, to protect our nuclear deterrent, hunt down hostile submarines and enhance our maritime search and rescue capability.

• Two new Strike Brigades of up to 5,000 personnel fully equipped to deploy rapidly and sustain themselves in the field.

The precise costs of delivering these priorities will depend upon the associated contractual arrangements.