This Note provides background information on the Defence Reform Bill, which is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 10 December 2013.
Defence Reform Bill (429 KB , PDF)
This Note provides background information on the Defence Reform Bill, which is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 10 December 2013. It summarises the key provisions, background and proceedings in the House of Commons for each of the Bill’s three main parts. Part 1 would enable the Secretary of State to make arrangements for a company to provide defence procurement services under contract, should the Government decide to establish a government-owned contractor-operated entity. Part 2 would create a regulatory framework for single source defence contracts that are not subject to the usual legal obligation to be advertised and tendered competitively. Part 3 would implement proposals set out in the White Paper, Reserves in the Future Force 2020: Valued and Valuable.
Defence Reform Bill (429 KB , PDF)
The ‘Strategic defence review 2025’ (SDR) was published on 2 June 2025. Contending that the UK faces a generational defence and security challenge, the SDR makes 62 recommendations across the armed forces and wider society to meet this threat. The government has pledged to implement all those recommendations. However, critics question where the resources to meet the requirements of the SDR will come from, despite government pledges to raise defence spending levels.
The Chagos Archipelago has been the subject of a long-standing dispute over its sovereignty between the UK and Mauritius. Having been retained by the UK since 1965, the largest island, Diego Garcia, later became the site of a joint UK-US military base. In May 2025, the UK reached an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands back to Mauritius, while maintaining an initial 99-year lease of Diego Garcia. The agreement also includes security and financial provisions.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, events which in 1945 brought an end to the second world war. On those days 80 years ago, celebrations erupted across Britain. However, world leaders and domestic politicians were aware of the numerous problems still to be tackled, such as reconstruction, demobilisation and the legacy of the development and use of the atomic bomb.
