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Written question asked by James Cartlidge (Conservative) on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 July 2026. It was answered by Calvin Bailey (Labour) on Thursday, 9 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Cadets: Finance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has authorised a reduction in the funding for cadets in the (a) current and (b) next Parliament.

Answer

The Ministry of Defence does not allocate funding directly to the Cadet Forces. The cost of delivering and supporting Cadet activity falls across a wide range of business areas, agencies, and organisations, and there are no discreet Cadet budgets as such. However, the most recent estimate of the cost to Defence of the Cadet Forces, based on Financial Year 2023-24 data, is approximately £217 Million per annum.

It is not yet known how much funding will be allocated to cadets in each remaining financial year of the current Parliament and the next Parliament and planned expenditure is subject to change. This is particularly the case in relation to the 30% increase in the Cadet Forces by 2030 recommended in the SDR, the timeline for which has been reset in the DIP to 2035 as one of the measures required to increase the rate of Armed Forces transformation.

No reduction in funding for cadets has been authorised and we are continuing to invest to expand and modernise the Cadet Forces and improve opportunities for young people across the UK.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
14903
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Cadets Finance
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk