Ministry of Defence written question – answered at on 28 January 2026.
Caroline Dinenage
Chair, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Chair, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that military memorials are kept in good condition.
Louise Jones
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence
Responsibility for military memorials is split between several organisations, depending on the type and location of the memorial.
Across the globe, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains 23,000 war memorials and war cemeteries commemorating 1.7 million commonwealth casualties who died during the First and Second World Wars. During the Financial Year 2024-25, the Ministry of Defence contributed £56.3 million Grant in Aid funding to support this core commemoration to a high standard, sometimes in inhospitable locations.
Additionally, there are many military memorials, both within the UK and abroad, which have been established, and are owned by institutions such as local authorities, charities, churches, museums, schools, businesses and private individuals. The care and maintenance of such memorials are the sole responsibility of the owner.
Yes0 people think so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.
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.
