Defence Secretary John Healey has declined to say whether the rise in defence spending includes funding being used for the Chagos Islands deal, leading to some concerns the increase could be wiped out by the controversial deal.
The UK is in talks with Mauritius about handing over sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, but leasing back the strategically important Diego Garcia military base which is used by the US.
When asked on LBC if the "£9billion" to lease back the military base would come out of the budget for defence, Healey said: "Well there will be no payments unless and until the deal is struck."
Healey was asked if the agreement being negotiated with Mauritius was also accounted for in the funding increase.
Politics LIVE: Fears defence spending increase could be WIPED OUT by Starmer’s Chagos ‘surrender' dealHealey told Times Radio: “This is about our defence spending. It’s about our mainstream defence budget. It meets an election commitment to meet 2.5 per cent (of GDP spent on defence) at least three years earlier than anyone expected.
"And as far as the Chagos Islands go, that’s a deal that’s in the pipeline. It’s not yet signed and not yet ratified in any treaty that will be necessary before Parliament.”
Pushed on whether any money for the Chagos deal forms part of the defence spending increase, Healey added: "There is no spending on the Chagos Islands unless and until a deal is in place.
"And that’s a deal that we’re looking to strike that will safeguard the operational sovereignty of an absolutely essential base, both for us and for the US for the rest of this century and beyond."
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John HealeyPAAt Prime Minister's Questions earlier, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said that Sir Keir Starmer had failed to answer her question on whether the Chagos Islands agreement will be paid for with the extra cash for defence.
She claimed: "We already pay more on debt interest than defence, and everyone in this House will have heard him not answer the last question, so I will ask him again: Is he paying for the Chagos deal with this defence uplift or not?"
The Prime Minister replied: "I've just dealt with that question.
"The money announced yesterday is going to our capability to put ourselves in a position to defend the security of our country, Europe and the UK."
Shadow justice minister Keiran Mullen
GB NewsMeanwhile, Conservative MP for Bexhill & Battle Kieran Mullan asked if the controversial Chagos deal will be funded using defence funding.
Responding to the Chagos question, the Prime Minister said: "As I said, when the deal is complete I will put it before the House with the costings.
"The money yesterday was allocated to aid our capability, the single biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War."
