Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD or MoD) is the department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by His Majesty's Government, and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces.

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Ministry of Defence

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MoD Main Building, Westminster
Department overview
Formed	1 April 1964 (as modern department)
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	Main Building, Whitehall, Westminster, London 51°30′14″N 0°07′30″W
Employees	60,000 (FTE) civilian staff (April 2021)[1] 198,940 military personnel[2]
Annual budget	£55 billion; FY 2021[3]
Secretary of State responsible	The Rt Hon. Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Defence
Department executives	Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff David Williams, Permanent Secretary
Child agencies	Defence Electronics and Components Agency Defence Science and Technology Laboratory United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
Website	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence

The MOD states that its principal objectives are to defend the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its interests and to strengthen international peace and stability.[4] The MOD also manages day-to-day running of the armed forces, contingency planning and defence procurement.

The expenditure, administration and policy of the MOD are scrutinised by the Defence Select Committee,[5] except for Defence Intelligence which instead falls under the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.[6]