Written Question·Ministry of Defence·UIN 122573
Iran: Armed Conflict
Tabled: 20 March 2026
Answered: 31 March 2026
Question
James Cartlidge
Conservative — South Suffolk
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 9 March 2026 on Middle East: Economic Update, Official Report, columns 43-45, whether the money spent by his Department through the
Answer
Luke PollardThe special reserve is a ring-fenced allocation within the Ministry of Defence budget. As he may recall from his time as a Defence Minister, operational spend has routinely counted towards the UK's NATO qualifying defence spend.