A Bill to make provision about the meeting by the United Kingdom of the target for defence expenditure to constitute a minimum of 2% of Gross Domestic Product; to make provision that the definition of defence expenditure is subject to independent verification; and for connected purposes.
This Bill would make it a legal requirement for the UK to meet the NATO defence spending target of at least 2% of GDP. It would also require that how defence expenditure is defined and counted is independently verified, with provisions for related purposes.
The bill is currently at the 2nd Reading in the House of Commons. If it progresses, it would move to committee stage for scrutiny and then on to further readings in both Houses.
Generated 21 February 2026
This Bill was presented to Parliament on 7 July 2014. This is known as the first reading and there was no debate on the Bill at this stage.
This Bill began its second reading debate on 9 January 2015 but the debate was then adjourned.
The 2014-15 session of Parliament has prorogued and this Bill will make no further progress.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
