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Written question asked by Stuart Anderson (Conservative) on Monday, 13 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 July 2026. It was answered by Louise Sandher-Jones (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Arctic: Marines

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 37 of his Department's document entitled Defence Investment plan, published 30 June 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased deployments to the High North on the capacity of Royal Marines; and what plans he has to (a) increase the number of Royal Marines and (b) cancel other commitments.

Answer

The Royal Marines are the UK's specialists in amphibious, extreme cold weather and mountainous warfare. The Royal Navy has prioritised Commando Force outputs, with High North warfighting and wider Euro-Atlantic activity identified as a core task. As the Royal Marines' most demanding operational role, prioritising High North warfighting ensures the Commando Force remains ready to undertake a broad range of Defence tasks. Having deployed regularly to the High North for decades, they are able to meet these commitments within existing workforce capacity.

There are currently no plans to cancel other commitments as a result of increased activity in the High North and remain capable of delivering homeland defence, crisis response, maritime special operations, and other sovereign tasks as required.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
18113
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Deployment Arctic Marines
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk