Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Louise Sandher-Jones (Labour) on Monday, 14 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence: Secondment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 53 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in introducing secondments for military personnel and civil servants, including into industry, to develop expertise in emerging technologies, cyber skills, and knowledge of best practice in technology adoption.

Answer: Existing Defence policy supports two-way secondments and placements for both Service Personnel and Civil Servants. Following the 2025 Strategic Defence Review recommendation for short-term, informal two-way secondments, Defence reviewed existing policies and processes to identify a more agile approach to delivery. A delivery plan was subsequently developed ahead of the March 2026 deadline, and the Department is now finalising the resources and arrangements required to implement it.

Secondary information