Strategic Defence and Security Review: Treasury names the date

Cross-government SDSR to be unveiled two days before the Spending Review


By matt.foster

09 Nov 2015

The Strategic Defence and Security Review will be unveiled two days before the government-wide Spending Review, George Osborne has announced.

The latest review of Britain’s overall defence and security strategy was carried out in 2010, at a time when the Treasury ordered the Ministry of Defence to make a 7.7% real terms cut to its budget over the parliament.

Speaking in London on Monday, the chancellor said the findings of the latest SDSR would be unveiled on November 23, and would include an announcement on plans to "substantially increase" staffing at "all three secret intelligence agencies".


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"More details will be provided by the prime minister when he announces the conclusions to our Strategic Defence and Security Review on November 23," Osborne added.

Following criticism that the previous SDSR was carried out in haste, ministers have promised that the new strategy will be "a truly cross-government effort".

It has been led by the Cabinet Office, with contributions from the Ministry of Defence, the Department for International Development, the Home Office, and the intelligence and security services.

The new strategy is also being carried out against the backdrop of a protected MoD budget, with chancellor Osborne announcing in the summer that the ministry's spending would rise by 0.5% in real-terms over the parliament.

The UK has also pledged to meet a commitment agreed by members of the Nato military alliance to spend 2% of GDP on defence.

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