Minister Says Defence Investment Plan Will Be Published When Ready

Pensions minister Torsten Bell told Sky News that work on the defence investment plan is ongoing and that it will be published when ready. The plan was originally expected last autumn after the government published its Strategic Defence Review one year ago.

Bell said the delay does not indicate Cabinet disagreement. He said planners must match spending priorities to lessons from the conflict in Ukraine and that defence spending is already increasing.

The Conservatives will seek a vote on June 2 on an amendment to the Armed Forces Bill. The amendment would require Defence Secretary John Healey to lay the plan before both houses of Parliament within a month of Royal Assent. 7 per cent of GDP from next year and to 5 per cent by 2035. Reports have indicated a funding gap of around £28 billion in current plans.

Labour defence secretary Lord George Robertson said last month that the government showed “corrosive complacency” on defence spending. ” Shadow defence minister David Reed said Labour has no plan to keep the country safe and that the government faces a £28 billion shortfall after choosing higher welfare spending over military needs.