Oral Question·Treasury
“If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.”
Tabled: 2 September 2026Answered: 8 September 2026
Asked by
Clive Jones
Liberal Democrat — Wokingham
Answering Minister
the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Answer from Hansard
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
Over the last year, service morale fell to record lows, with over 300 more full-time personnel leaving the forces than joining each month. We cannot reverse these deep-set problems overnight, but this Government are putting people at the heart of our defence plans, and today will see the Second Reading of our legislation to establish an independent Armed Forces Commissioner to improve service life.