Oral QuestionMinistry of Defence

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Tabled: 21 May 2026Answered: 1 June 2026

Asked by

Dr Ben Spencer

ConservativeRunnymede and Weybridge

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Defence

Answer from Hansard

The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

I welcome the hon. Member to his place. The Government encourage savings to ensure that people have decent incomes in their retirement, for instance through pension tax relief. I welcome the strong cross-party support for automatic enrolment that has been received since 2005, and the fact that 11 million more people are now saving as a result. The Government have also launched a pensions review which will ensure that money set aside for retirement is working both for pensioners and for the UK economy. I appreciate that Members on both sides of the House will have questions for me about the tax system today. I remind them that tax announcements will be made in the Budget on 30 October, alongside an independent forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility. This will be a Budget to fix the foundations, to rebuild Britain, and to ensure that working people are better off.