Written question asked by Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 25 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2026. It was answered by Calvin Bailey (Labour) on Thursday, 2 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence: Official Hospitality

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that entries in the Ministry of Defence Hospitality Register are made in a timely manner; whether his Department provides guidance on the maximum period within which hospitality received must be recorded; and if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing requirements for each entry to include (a) the date of entry and (b) the identity of the individual making it.

Answer: The Ministry of Defence’s policy has been that offers of hospitality should be recorded on the electronic hospitality register as soon as reasonably practicable. On 1 July 2026 a more robust policy and an improved electronic register were introduced. Offers of hospitality will in future have to be recorded within two weeks. The register includes the date of registration, and the name of the person registering the offer.

Secondary information