James Cartlidge

James Cartlidge

Conservative — South Suffolk

Speaking in the House of Commons on 6 January 2025

Debate

Defence Spending: 2.5% of GDP

Contribution

The Secretary of State says that publication has not been pushed back, but I remind the House that at the previous Defence questions on 18 November last year, the Secretary of State was asked specifically about SDR timing and said: “The reviewers will report in the spring.”—[Official Report, 18 November 2024; Vol. 757, c. 4.] However, in a written answer to me on 17 December—just before the House rose—a Defence Minister said: “The Reviewers will make their final report to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Defence Secretary in the first half of 2025. The Secretary of State for Defence will subsequently report the Strategic Defence Review to Parliament.” If the first part is in the first six months of the year, even I can see that the second part, which is subsequent to that, will happen in the second half of the year. That is not the spring, is it?

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