Ministry of Defence written question – answered at on 21 July 2026.
Richard Holden
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with the Government of New Zealand to ensure the UK Armed Forces play a present and active role in the Indo-Pacific region over the next 20 years.
Louise Jones
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK and New Zealand maintain a strong defence partnership and are committed to working together to enhance security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Through the Joint Statement on Enhanced Defence Cooperation, signed in September 2025 between UK-New Zealand Defence Ministers, the UK and New Zealand have committed to cooperate on regional security challenges, enhance interoperability, and strengthen defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Pacific.
The UK and New Zealand continue to exercise and train together through multinational activity, including the Five Power Defence Arrangements, exercises, and through bilateral engagement with the New Zealand Defence Force. Between April and June 2026, the UK Armed Forces also recently conducted joint training activities in New Zealand alongside New Zealand Defence Force counterparts.
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.
