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Written question asked by James Cartlidge (Conservative) on Friday, 20 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 March 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.


Iran: Armed Conflict

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 9 March 2026 on Middle East: Economic Update, Official Report, columns 43-45, whether the money spent by his Department through the special reserve allocation will be included in his Department's (a) NATO declared spend and (b) budget.

Answer

The special reserve is a ring-fenced allocation within the Ministry of Defence budget. As he may recall from his time as a Defence Minister, operational spend has routinely counted towards the UK's NATO qualifying defence spend.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
122573
Session
2024-26
Related items
Middle East: Economic Update
Monday, 9 March 2026
Parliamentary proceedings
House of Commons
Subjects
Armed forces Armed conflict Public expenditure Ministry of Defence Iran NATO
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk