Ministry of Defence written question – answered at on 22 January 2026.
Jeremy Corbyn
Independent, Islington North
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the factors that his Department take into account when deciding on a case-by-case basis whether to approve the United States' use of its military bases in the UK for operational purposes.
Alistair Carns
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Due to operational security reasons, the specific factors of consideration cannot be disclosed. However, all decisions on whether to approve foreign nations’ use of military bases in the UK for operational purposes considers the legal basis and policy rationale for any proposed activity.
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.