Defence policy

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on defence policy. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
14.01.2013Update on the Trident Successor Programme
The programme to replace the UK's nuclear deterrent from 2028 onwards continues apace and in December 2012 the Government published its first update report to Parliament.
04.01.2013The Armed Forces Covenant
The Armed Forces Covenant is a statement of the moral obligation which exists between the nation, the Government and the Armed Forces. It was published in May 2011 and its core principles were enshrined in law, for the first time, in the Armed Forces Act 2011. It applies to all three services. The Government published the first annual report in December 2012.
27.07.2012Medal Campaigns
Examines the process by which campaign medals are instituted, the rules governing the acceptance and wearing of foreign medals, and some of the medal campaigns that are currently underway. Summarises the findings of the interim Military Medals Review.
26.07.2012Army 2020
The Ministry of Defence announced a major re-structuring of the British Army in July 2012. This note looks at what the restructure involves and which regiments and battalions it affects.
09.07.2012Afghanistan: The Timetable for Security Transition
NATO assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2003. At its summit in Chicago in May 2012, NATO confirmed ISAF's mission will end on 31 December 2014. It also mapped out the transition of security for Afghanistan from ISAF to Afghan National Security Forces. Specifically, it set the goal for Afghan forces to be in the lead for security nation-wide by mid-2013.

Research Papers

DateDescription
14.12.2011Military balance in Southeast Asia
This paper examines the military balance of power in Southeast Asia and specifically at the military capabilities and priorities of six regional actors: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore.
21.01.2011UK Defence and Security Policy: A New Approach?
Both the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review were published in October 2010, five months after the Government took office. This paper examines the main priorities and recommendations set out in each of those documents
15.06.2010Progress towards nuclear disarmament?
In April 2009 President Obama set out his vision for a world without nuclear weapons, and in doing so laid the groundwork for renewed international efforts to strengthen and advance the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. Over the past year that momentum has translated into the agreement of a successor to the US-Russia START treaty, global commitments to secure highly vulnerable nuclear materials within four years and the establishment, at the May 2010 Review Conference, of an action plan in support of the three main pillars of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This paper examines the prospects for achieving that vision of 'global zero'.
11.02.2010Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill (HL)
The main purpose of the Bill is to create criminal offences in order to enforce the prohibitions set out in Article 1 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This bans the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions on the grounds that they cause unacceptable harm to civilians, and establishes measures to minimise the harm to civilians in the aftermath of conflicts. Ninety-four states, including the UK, signed, and four states ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo on 3 December 2008. Once the Bill has passed into law, the UK will then move to ratify the Convention, which has been ratified by 30 states, and will come into force on 1 August 2010. The Government has announced that it intends to destroy all cluster munition stockpiles by the end of 2013. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have given their full support to the Bill.
24.04.2009Russia's Military Posture
This paper examines Russia's current military posture. It does not attempt to be a comprehensive examination of every aspect of Russian military policy but is intended as an introduction to some of the more pertinent aspects, including Russia's military capabilities, its ability to defend its increasingly diverse strategic interests and the credibility of Russia's modernisation and rearmament programme which was announced toward the end of 2008.

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
25.01.2011Who does UK national strategy?
Government response. Public Administration Select Committee; Cabinet Office report [Commons]
12.10.2010Who does UK national strategy?
Public Administration Select Committee report [Commons]
27.07.2010MoD annual report and accounts 2008-09.
Government response. Defence Select Committee; Ministry of Defence report [Commons]
06.04.2010Readiness and recuperation of the Armed Forces: looking towards the Strategic Defence Review.
Government response. Defence Select Committee report [Commons]
09.03.2010National security and resilience.
Government response. Defence Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
26.05.2010TRIDENT AND THE STRATEGIC DEFENCE AND SECURITY REVIEW
That this House welcomes the Government's intention to hold a strategic defence and security review; notes with concern the stated intention to conduct it without giving due consideration ...
05.01.2010PROPOSED CLOSURE OF RAF COTTESMORE
That this House regrets the Ministry of Defence's decision to close RAF Cottesmore, home to the Harrier Force as part of changes to the defence programme announced in December 2009; ...
21.07.2009STRATEGIC DEFENCE REVIEW (No. 2)
That this House welcomes the decision by the Government to hold a strategic defence review but believes that such a review will be meaningless if the schemes for the replacement of ...
14.07.2009STRATEGIC DEFENCE REVIEW
That this House believes that any forthcoming Strategic Defence Review should examine all aspects of United Kingdom defence and security; is concerned that the Government excludes from ...
12.11.2008PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND SUPPORT FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
That this House welcomes the support for nuclear disarmament initiatives and the strengthening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty made by President-elect Obama in his successful ...

POST Papers

DateDescription
05.12.2011Explosive Injuries
This briefing provides a background to explosive injury, explores developments in mitigation science, and highlights research priorities.

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - an occasional series of papers compiled by the House of Lords Library