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General debate on defence

Below is a selection of Commons Library research briefings and Defence Committee reports that are relevant to this debate (you can watch the debate on Parliamentlive.tv).

Further briefings can be found on the Defence topic page on the House of Commons Library website, and the Defence Committee website has more information on its current inquiries and recent publications, as well as other news and information.

Links to relevant debates, statements and urgent questions, for recent parliamentary sessions, are available in the following research briefings:

• International affairs and defence: Parliamentary debates and statements in the 2022-23 session, CBP-9824, 17 January 2024
• International affairs and defence: Parliamentary debates and statements in the 2021-22 session, CBP-9251, 6 June 2022
• International affairs and defence: Parliamentary debates and statements in the 2019-21 session, CBP-8984, 10 May 2021

Ukraine

• The conflict in Ukraine

This page contains research briefings relating to the conflict in Ukraine, including sanctions, energy security, international legal issues, NATO, and implications for the UK.

Middle East

• Israel-Iran April 2024: UK and international response, CBP-10002, 23 April 2024
• 2023/24 Israel-Hamas conflict: UK and international response, CBP-9874, 3 April 2024
• UK and international response to Houthis in the Red Sea 2024, CBP-9930, 1 March 2024
• UK arms exports to Israel, CBP-9964, 20 February 2024
• Yemen airstrikes: Parliament’s role in approving military action, CBP-9934, 12 January 2024

Defence

• UK defence spending, CBP-8175, 3 May 2024
• Military action: Parliament’s role, CBP-10001, 19 April 2024
• Ready for war? (PDF), First Report of Session 2023–24, House of Commons Defence Committee, HC 26, 4 February 2024
• Ready for War? Government Response to the Committee’s First Report (PDF), Fourth Special Report of Session 2023–24, HC 714, 25 April 2024
• Emerging and disruptive defence technologies, CBP-9184, 13 November 2023
• Seabed warfare: Protecting the UK’s undersea infrastructure, Insight, 24 May 2023
• The Integrated Review Refresh 2023: What has changed since 2021?CBP-9750, 15 March 2023

Armed forces

• The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, CBP-7923, 25 April 2024
• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme: Quinquennial review 2023, CBP-9894, 25 April 2024
• Armed forces housing: The new accommodation offer, CBP-9987, 18 March 2024
• Support for UK Veterans, CBP-7693, 24 November 2023
• UK defence policy and the role of the armed forces, Lords Library paper, 24 August 2023
• UK defence personnel statistics, CBP-7930, 18 July 2023

Arms exports

• An introduction to UK arms exports, CBP-8312, 24 January 2024
• UK arms exports: statistics, CBP-8310, 12 December 2023

AUKUS

• AUKUS pillar 2: Advanced capabilities, CBP-9842, 8 March 2024
• AUKUS submarine (SSN-A) programme, CBP-9843, 7 March 2024

NATO

• What is NATO? CBP-9426, 14 March 2024
• How do countries join NATO? CBP-9813, 14 March 2024
• NATO enlargement: Sweden and Finland, CBP-9574, 11 March 2024 

Nuclear weapons

• What is the status of the Iran nuclear deal?CBP-9870, 24 April 2024
• The cost of the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent, CBP-8166, 3 May 2023
• Replacing the UK’s nuclear deterrent: Progress of the Dreadnought class, CBP-8010, 3 May 2023
• Replacing the UK’s nuclear deterrent: The warhead programme, CBP-9777, 25 April 2023 
• Nuclear weapons: At a glance, CBP-9069, 29 July 2022

This page features a series of Commons Library briefings on the policies, capabilities and programmes of the nuclear weapon states. They should be taken as correct at the time of writing and will be updated periodically.