Written question asked by Luke Akehurst (Labour) on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 May 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Thursday, 21 May 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Defence: Procurement

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department defines novel technologies, with regard to the commitment in the Strategic Defence Review that at least 10 per cent of equipment spending be allocated to such technologies.

Answer: The Government has set out its ambition for the Ministry of Defence to spend at least 10% of its equipment procurement budget on novel technologies, including areas such as uncrewed and autonomous systems and AI-enabled capabilities. Work is currently ongoing across the Department, to develop the policy arrangements underpinning this commitment in order to support effective prioritisation, reporting and delivery. The formal framework, including the definition of novel technologies, will be finalised as part of the Defence Investment Plan which will set out Defence’s approach to delivering against this ambition.

Secondary information