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Nov 14, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
The Armed Forces Commissioner Bill 2024-25 was introduced in the House of Commons on 6 November 2024. The bill would establish an independent Armed Forces Commissioner and provide the Commissioner with powers to investigate general service welfare matters in the armed forces. The bill would abolish the office of the Service Complaints Ombudsman and transfer its functions and responsibilities to the newly established Commissioner.
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Aug 2, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) spends billions each year buying new equipment and supporting existing equipment for the armed forces. It has allocated £288.6 billion on equipment procurement and support over the ten years from 2023 to 2033. However, successive governments have struggled to deliver key equipment capabilities within agreed costs and timescales. There have been many reviews and reforms of procurement over the years.
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Jul 10, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
During the 2023-25 Israel-Hamas conflict, some MPs in the UK Parliament have raised concerns about UK arms exports to Israel, citing a risk that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law. Following several reviews between October 2023 and May 2024 carried out under the UK’s arms export criteria, the Conservative government concluded that no licences needed to be suspended or revoked. Upon taking office in July 2024 the Labour government undertook a fresh review.
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Apr 18, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
In recent years there have been significant changes in the political and security make-up of the Horn of Africa. New leaders have prompted a redrawing of political allegiances across the region. Localised conflicts have resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the displacement of thousands more. Millions of people face acute food insecurity across the region.
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Mar 18, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
In February 2024 the Minister for Defence People and Families paused the rollout of a new accommodation offer to Service personnel after a backlash over plans to change entitlement to family housing from rank to need. The Ministry of Defence says it will now review the elements of the plan relating to service family accommodation, and that other elements of the plan relating to encouraging home ownership and the use of private rental accommodation will proceed as planned from March 2024.
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Mar 14, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
A Transatlantic AllianceThe North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was formed in 1949 with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington. The treaty created an alliance of ten European and two North American states – the UK, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United States. It was formed to ensure their collective security and preservation and intended to counter the perceived threat from the then Soviet Union.
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Mar 14, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
Who can join NATO? NATO says it has an ‘open door’ policy and any European country can join. The only requirement is that they agree to further the principles of the Washington Treaty and contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area. This is set out in Article 10 of the founding 1949 North Atlantic Treaty (also referred to as the Washington Treaty). Aspiring members are also expected to meet certain political, military and economic criteria.
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Mar 8, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
What is AUKUS? In September 2021 the UK, Australia and the United States agreed a trilateral defence and security partnership to “help sustain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.” Known as AUKUS, the agreement reflects the UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific, first articulated in the Government’s 2021 Integrated Review of defence, foreign and security policy and reaffirmed in the 2023 refresh of the review.
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Feb 29, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
The removal of Omar al-Bashir, one of Africa’s longest-serving authoritarian leaders, after months of popular protest in 2019 ushered in the hope of a restoration of democracy and a civilian-led government. When fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023, that restoration looked less likely and fighting continues to this day. Sudan faces a major humanitarian crisis.
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Feb 8, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Louisa Brooke-Holland
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the benefit of NATO’s collective defence agreement prompted Finland and Sweden to end decades of neutrality and non-aligned status and seek membership of the Alliance. NATO invited both countries to join at its Madrid Summit in June 2022; Finland became NATO’s 31st member in April 2023. Turkey and Hungary delayed their domestic ratification for Sweden over concerns about its support for Kurdish groups.
