Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 2.6 of the report entitled The UK’s F-35 capability, HC 989, published by the National Audit Office on 11 July 2025, what steps are being taken to address personnel shortfalls within the F‑35 programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We inherited a retention and recruitment crisis from the last Government and are determined to fix it.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has introduced a programme of surging recruitment for the RAF so that it returns to workforce balance across every specialisation.

This activity includes a significant focus on the engineer profession where, over the last two years, the RAF has offered joining bonuses and increased the capacity of Technical Training Schools to enable more recruits to be trained.

To improve retention, the RAF has implemented a Financial Retention Incentive for engineers.

The recruitment and retention of personnel remains one of the top two priorities for the Chief of the Defence Staff.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with his US counterpart to ensure that advanced F-35 fighter jet technology is not utilised by the Chinese Government.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence works closely with the F-35 Joint Program Office to protect sensitive defence technologies associated with the F-35 programme.

There are comprehensive security, counter-intelligence, and export-control arrangements in place to prevent any unauthorised access, transfer, or exploitation of advanced capabilities by third parties, including the Chinese Government.

We continue to engage regularly with our US counterparts to ensure these protections remain robust, up to date, and fully aligned with our shared national-security priorities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 22 of the report entitled The UK’s F-35 capability, HC 989, published by the National Audit Office on 11 July 2025, if he will set out the updated estimate of the whole‑life cost of the (a) equipment, (b) personnel, (c) infrastructure, (d) fuel, (e) ammunition and (f) total cost of the F‑35 programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The F-35 programme reports costs to the Departments and National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) policy as a Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). My Department will address the Public Accounts Committee recommendations in the formal Government response to the Committee in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the response of 21 October 2025 to Question 81717, what the level of funding per service user was for (a) Defence Transition Services, (b) Personal Recovery Units and (c) the Veterans Welfare Service in each year since 2023.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold this information. Each case is unique, and the MOD spends as necessary to support each individual.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer to question 86550 answered on 7 November 2025, whether he will publish the dates of meetings that took place between his Department and the Home Office to enable the establishment of MILLWEC as an alternative to SACMILL.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Surgeon General advised the Executive Committee of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons (SACMILL) which includes Home Office representation, of the Public Bodies Review at a meeting in December 2024. A series of meetings were held between Ministry of Defence and Home Office officials between January 2025 and October 2025. This included representatives from Public Bodies teams and the Cabinet Office and enabled the establishment of an alternative mechanism within the Home Office.

As outlined in the previous response, the closure of SACMILL is an important step in Defence’s Arm’s length Body reform journey and the closure and standing up of MILLWEC was agreed by Ministerial write round.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a survey or other feedback provision has been conducted on the implementation of Defence Reform.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We have actively engaged personnel throughout the Defence Reform activity to build awareness and understanding across the Department. The July 2025 Internal Communications survey showed that 76% of respondents had some level of awareness of the reform activity. Feedback is captured through established mechanisms, including the annual People Survey and the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS). These provide comprehensive data on how personnel are responding to reform activity and wider organisational change. Results will be reviewed when published in December 2025. Listening to feedback from both military and civilian personnel remains central to ensuring the reform activity delivers its full potential in strengthening defence capability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many notices to quit have been issued by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to service families in Service Family Accommodation properties in the UK in each month since January 2023.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation does not issue Notices to Quit to Service families living in Service Family Accommodation. Instead, it issues Notices to Vacate to Service personnel.

Notices to Quit are only issued – where and when appropriate – to civilian sublet tenants, Afghan Resettlement Programme tenants, and farming tenants occupying Ministry of Defence properties and land.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has extended the deadline for signing the Army Collective Training Service contract.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The competition for the Army's Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) remains ongoing and is currently in the final stages. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has closed bidding on the Army Collective Training Service contract.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The competition for the Army's Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) remains ongoing and is currently in the final stages. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for the implementation of the Home Defence Programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Cabinet Office leads the Home Defence Programme, with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a key contributor. Implementation is guided by the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review, the National Security Strategy, and the Resilience Action Plan, each setting distinct timelines for projects within the programme.

Defence of the homeland is an ongoing responsibility for the MOD, ensuring the safety and resilience of the United Kingdom in accordance with the threat. Accordingly, the MOD will maintain up-to-date plans in coordination with NATO and wider Government.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Home Defence Programme will be fully implemented.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Cabinet Office leads the Home Defence Programme, with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a key contributor. Implementation is guided by the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review, the National Security Strategy, and the Resilience Action Plan, each setting distinct timelines for projects within the programme.

Defence of the homeland is an ongoing responsibility for the MOD, ensuring the safety and resilience of the United Kingdom in accordance with the threat. Accordingly, the MOD will maintain up-to-date plans in coordination with NATO and wider Government.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the urgent question response made by the Minister for the Armed Forces on 20 November 2025, what percentage of the 100,000 drones produced this year were made by British companies.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Where the UK's drone industry can meet Ukraine's requirements, the Ministry of Defence sources equipment from UK suppliers. A significant proportion of the drones procured for Ukraine this year have been produced by British companies, supporting hundreds of highly skilled jobs across the country and contributing to local economies.

At the last Ukraine Defence Contact Group in October 2025, the Defence Secretary confirmed that £600 million has been invested by the UK this year to accelerate drone delivery to Ukraine, with more than 85,000 military drones delivered in just six months.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to deploy British service personnel to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As the Prime Minister has said previously, the UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees to achieve a lasting peace for Ukraine. This includes further support for Ukraine's military, where the UK has already committed £3 billion a year until at least 2030. But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground after the ceasefire if necessary.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support has he provided to Lebanon in the development of its armed forces.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a wide range of support to Lebanon in the development of the Lebanese Armed Forces' capacity as the legitimate defender of Lebanon's sovereignty. This includes providing equipment, training on both maritime and counter-terrorism activities, and the contracted construction of infrastructure to enhance their border security. The Department also co-ordinates bilateral support with international partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Operation CROSSWAYS.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The scope of Operation CROSSWAYS is to provide military support to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, primarily focused on training and tailored military advice to the Saudi armed forces. It also includes a phased deployment of air defence equipment to Saudi Arabia.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the UK’s space funding model.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to developing the Defence Space Portfolio and wider space requirements to harness space for national and military advantage. The recent publication of the Strategic Defence Review served to reinforce the importance of the domain and the need to invest appropriately. The level of investment is being tested and confirmed against current and future requirements through the development of the Defence Investment Plan which will provide the strategic capability direction for the next decade.

Defence and other Government Departments will ascertain space synergies, create a common demand signal with which to develop investment options for both the military and national advantage. Aligned to the Own, Collaborate, Access framework, the most effective mix of sovereign owned, collaboration with allies, and access though existing and new partnerships will be determined with which to deliver Defence and wider UK needs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June to Question 53596 on European Union: Military Alliances, whether he has held discussions with his EU counterparts on the participation of the UK in common procurement under SAFE since 2 June 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK is committed to resetting our relationship with the EU. We continue working to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership – which includes exploring UK participation in the EU’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument.

As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely across the whole of Government, and in cooperation with industry partners and all our European allies, to inform our approach to enhancing Europe's defence industrial capacity and production and deliver critical capabilities required to support Ukraine.

SAFE negotiations are ongoing andwe will not provide a running commentary on talks.This Government has been clear that we would only agree to a deal if we were satisfied it provided value for money to UK taxpayers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June to Question 53596 on European Union: Military Alliances, whether there has been any enhanced cooperation between the European Union and the UK through the proposed SAFE instrument since 2 June 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK is committed to resetting our relationship with the EU. We continue working to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership – which includes exploring UK participation in the EU’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument.

As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely across the whole of Government, and in cooperation with industry partners and all our European allies, to inform our approach to enhancing Europe's defence industrial capacity and production and deliver critical capabilities required to support Ukraine.

SAFE negotiations are ongoing andwe will not provide a running commentary on talks.This Government has been clear that we would only agree to a deal if we were satisfied it provided value for money to UK taxpayers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June to Question 53596 on European Union: Military Alliances, whether the European Union has formally invited the UK to join the proposed SAFE instrument.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK is committed to resetting our relationship with the EU. We continue working to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership – which includes exploring UK participation in the EU’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument.

As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely across the whole of Government, and in cooperation with industry partners and all our European allies, to inform our approach to enhancing Europe's defence industrial capacity and production and deliver critical capabilities required to support Ukraine.

SAFE negotiations are ongoing andwe will not provide a running commentary on talks.This Government has been clear that we would only agree to a deal if we were satisfied it provided value for money to UK taxpayers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June to Question 53596 on European Union: Military Alliances, whether he has held discussions with Cabinet ministers on the participation of the UK in common procurement under SAFE since 2 June 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK is committed to resetting our relationship with the EU. We continue working to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership – which includes exploring UK participation in the EU’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument.

As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely across the whole of Government, and in cooperation with industry partners and all our European allies, to inform our approach to enhancing Europe's defence industrial capacity and production and deliver critical capabilities required to support Ukraine.

SAFE negotiations are ongoing andwe will not provide a running commentary on talks.This Government has been clear that we would only agree to a deal if we were satisfied it provided value for money to UK taxpayers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June to Question 53596 on European Union: Military Alliances, whether the European Union has formally issued the UK with a proposed fee to participate in the proposed SAFE instrument.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK is committed to resetting our relationship with the EU. We continue working to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership – which includes exploring UK participation in the EU’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument.

As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely across the whole of Government, and in cooperation with industry partners and all our European allies, to inform our approach to enhancing Europe's defence industrial capacity and production and deliver critical capabilities required to support Ukraine.

SAFE negotiations are ongoing andwe will not provide a running commentary on talks.This Government has been clear that we would only agree to a deal if we were satisfied it provided value for money to UK taxpayers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June to Question 53596 on European Union: Military Alliances, did the European Union request payment to allow UK participation in the proposed SAFE instrument.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK is committed to resetting our relationship with the EU. We continue working to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership – which includes exploring UK participation in the EU’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument.

As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely across the whole of Government, and in cooperation with industry partners and all our European allies, to inform our approach to enhancing Europe's defence industrial capacity and production and deliver critical capabilities required to support Ukraine.

SAFE negotiations are ongoing andwe will not provide a running commentary on talks.This Government has been clear that we would only agree to a deal if we were satisfied it provided value for money to UK taxpayers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what the status is of the New Medium Helicopter programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Officials continue to consider the New Medium Helicopter business case as part of the Government’s approval process, with a decision to be made shortly as part of the upcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has has with relevant stakeholders regarding the recent hacking of MOD software at RAF and Royal Navy bases.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

This was an incident within the supply chain and not an attack on Ministry of Defence (MOD) systems.

We take a robust and proactive approach to cyber attacks against MOD and our suppliers. Our initial assessment of the Dodd Group incident indicates that the data involved is largely routine and does not pose a significant security threat. For all investigations, the MOD has a well-tested incident coordination process led by the Defence CISO liaising across our Military Commands (including RAF and Royal Navy) to understand and mitigate any impact.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential benefit of forward mounting Royal Marines from the Fleet Contingency Troop to HMS Somerset in order to provide interdiction options for the tracking of the Russian ship Yantar.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence continually evaluates the most appropriate options and resources to address the evolving threats faced by the United Kingdom. For security reasons, we cannot disclose specific assessments or operational decisions publicly. However, we can confirm that the Ministry of Defence maintains robust and responsive capabilities to safeguard the UK’s territorial waters and ensure national security as required.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what level of readiness is 42 Commando’s Fleet Contingency Troop held at in order to conduct maritime interdiction operations in UK territorial waters.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence continually evaluates the most appropriate options and resources to address the evolving threats faced by the United Kingdom. For security reasons, we cannot disclose specific assessments or operational decisions publicly. However, we can confirm that the Ministry of Defence maintains robust and responsive capabilities to safeguard the UK’s territorial waters and ensure national security as required.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press conference he gave on 19th November 2025 regarding the use of lasers by the Russian ship Yantar, what changes has he made to the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence continuously assess our Rules of Engagement to ensure our Armed Forces can act appropriately in response to malign activities and evolving threats, including unsafe or unprofessional behaviour by foreign vessels and aircraft.

For reasons of national security, I am not able to disclose specific detail on Rules of Engagement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent the Veterans Strategy, published on 10 November, applies to reservists.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Veterans' Strategy applies to all those who have previously served in HM Forces, Regular and Reserve. The Strategy is an important milestone in this government's work to renew the UK's contract with those who serve and have served.

It resets the narrative around the remarkable men and women who have served in our Armed Forces, ensuring all veterans' service is celebrated, their potential to make further contributions is realised and, for those that need it, that the right support is available to them.

The strategy is aligned with key Ministry of Defence priorities, the Strategic Defence Review and the extension of the Armed Forces Covenant, together with the government's wider Plan for Change.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, following the use of lasers by the Russian ship Yantar to disrupt a Royal Air Force Poseidon P-8, what is the threshold needed to necessitate offensive action by the UK military if a foreign vessel is operating in a) UK territorial waters b) our Exclusive Economic Zone and c) international waters off the UK coast.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence continuously assess its response options to ensure our Armed Forces can act appropriately against malign activities and future threats.

For reasons of national security, I am not able to disclose specific details of military operations or response options. To do so would be beneficial to our adversaries.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to expand the number of digitalised MOD history records held by government and third party organisations to support the study and research into military family history.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence has a comprehensive programme to transfer its historical physical Service personnel records to The National Archives. The decision to digitise these records rests with The National Archives.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure complaints in his Department exceeded the required 50-working-day timeframe for issuing an outcome in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Between 1 January and 31 October 2025, a total of 86 Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP) complaints were processed. Of these, 71 (83%) were resolved within the 50-working-day timeframe, while 15 (17%) exceeded this timeframe.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the post of Chief of Defence People has been abolished or re-titled.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Significant reforms are being implemented within the Ministry of Defence (MOD), fundamentally transforming its operations. This is the biggest transformation of the MOD in over 50 years. Defence is now led by a strengthened Department of State, a fully-fledged Military Strategic Headquarters, a new National Armaments Director Group, and the Defence Nuclear Enterprise.

Under Defence Reform, the post of Chief of Defence People has been disestablished. The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Force Development) will play a key role in supporting our Military people, working with the Director General, People, to improve accountability, efficiency, and clarity in our people policy and strategy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 20,000 UK jobs secured as Türkiye buys 20 Typhoon jets in biggest fighter jet deal in a generation, published on 27 October 2025, when he plans to place a contract for a Phase 4 Enhancement electronics upgrade.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Phase 4 Enhancement capability package (P4E) is an essential enabler for the implementation of the next generation radar enhancement for the UK's Typhoon fleet.

The System Definition Contract for P4E was signed in June 2024 and since then the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy have been working closely alongside NETMA and our industry partners to agree on the final P4E capability package, which will then move into the Design, Development and Demonstration phase.

Additionally, the Core Nations have agreed to begin early design work on long lead activities, ensuring that critical path activities for P4E capability are protected. The delivery of the P4E package is planned to take place by the end of this decade.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 20,000 UK jobs secured as Türkiye buys 20 Typhoon jets in biggest fighter jet deal in a generation, published on 27 October 2025, whether he has a proposed timetable for the procurement of E-Scan radar.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK has already made significant investment into the development of the next generation radar system for our Typhoon Aircraft, including over £200 million released earlier this year by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for initial production and which followed the successful completion of initial flight trials in February.

We remain committed, alongside our partners in Industry, NETMA and the other Core Nations, to the delivery of the next generation radar capability to the UK's Typhoon fleet by the end of this decade.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the companies his Department has contracts with under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I am withholding the list of companies that the Ministry of Defence has contracts with under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) as its disclosure would prejudice the commercial interests of the Ministry of Defence; and the information is operationally sensitive in nature.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of protection of sensitive military documents from online hacking.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the security of its information very seriously. Our policies set out a range of technical and procedural controls applied to systems and content throughout their lifecycle and we use a range of assurance measures. We do not comment on details as these could provide a potential adversary with information which could help them to craft a cyber attack against the MOD, which would adversely impact Defence and National Security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Russian drones have been identified as being within 50 miles of the UK coast in each quarter of the past year.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Navy continuously monitors UK waters and stands ready to respond to the presence of Russian drones. For reasons of national security, we cannot disclose the specific number of incidents of Russian military activity recorded during any given period.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, based on the £34.7 billion cost of the deal for the Chagos Islands calculated by the Government Actuary’s Department, how much of the total figure will be paid by his department (a) each year and (b) in total.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The £34.7 billion figure is incorrect. The correct figure is £3.4 billion, which reflects the real costs of a treaty that lasts 99 years, with an average cost of £101 million per year.

The treaty payments will be split between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84339 on RAF Brize Norton: Palestine Action, what delivery forecast is for the return of each engine to serviceability.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The two engines have now arrived at RAF Brize Norton and have been returned into service.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2025 on question 83063 on Warrior Vehicles: Procurement, when the concept phase of Project Atilla is due to end.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Project ATILLA is now in the early stages of commercial competition. This means that the project has progressed from considering conceptual elements such as evaluating project feasibility. The project is now preparing to move into the Invitation to Tender aspect of the commercial competition.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the estimated cost to his Department for the implementation of Defence Reform.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department is currently working to determine the estimated cost of implementing Defence Reform across Defence. At present, a total cost figure is not yet available.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any British armed forces officers have studied or trained at Israeli military colleges since October 2023.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Fewer than five British Armed Forces personnel have studied on educational staff courses in Israel since October 2023.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has authorised changes to the Army Collective Training Service contract since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

In accordance with the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011, there have been no changes to the Army Collective Training Service contract that have required Ministerial approval since 5 July 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the current status of all MOD sites listed within the Defence Estates Optimisation Programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Defence Estates Optimisation (DEO) has completed construction at 17 sites and has disposed of 30 Ministry of Defence sites. The status for the remaining disposal sites is listed in the House of Commons Defence Disposal Database report on the Gov.UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disposal-database-house-of-commons-report

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the Army Collective Training Service contract to be signed.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The competition for the Army's Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) remains ongoing and is currently in the final stages. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status is of the Army Collective Training Service contract.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The competition for the Army's Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) remains ongoing and is currently in the final stages. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Type 45 Destroyers will DragonFire be installed on in 2027.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Initially, DragonFire, a state-of-the-art laser weapon, will enhance the capabilities of the Type 45 fleet with the first DragonFire unit being delivered in 2027.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 75196, whether he expects the contract between GCAP International Government Organisation and Edgewing to be announced and operational by the end of 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The first international Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) contract between the GCAP International Government Organisation and Edgewing is subject to ongoing Commercial Negotiations. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on levels of funding for training conducted by the (a) British Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force in the current financial year.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

There have been no discussions around funding for training specifically. Spend on training continues to be a Departmental priority.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the budget is for the British Army's RAPSTONE Task Force.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Task Force RAPSTONE has a budget of £150 million over three years. The upcoming Defence Investment Plan will provide more information around the UK’s defence procurement investment plans.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the statement by the Chief of the Air Staff in the foreword to the 2025 Royal International Air Tattoo programme on the number of major equipment programmes planned for the next 15 years.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Chief of the Air Staff's comments highlighted the critical role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and the ongoing investment in modern ISR platforms for the RAF with cutting edge technology. The Government is taking steps to ensure we have the right blend of novel and traditional technologies, including with a £400 million UKDI fund and 10% novel tech ringfence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential for delays to orders of new investments in (a) defence equipment, (b) weaponry and (c) infrastructure in the (a) current financial year and (b) next financial year.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of routine Departmental planning processes, both for in-year and future years spend, The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continually reviews balance of priorities against available funding. The MOD remains focused on delivering the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). A full ten-year plan on how the MOD will deliver the vision of the SDR will be set out in the Defence Investment Plan, which will be published later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 41 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, how much funding his Department plans to provide for the mission to becoming a defence industrial leader by 2035 in (a) British Pound Sterling and (b) as a proportion of the annual defence budget.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government has boosted defence spending by £5 billion this year alone, as part of the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. This will see defence spending increase to 2.6% of GDP from 2027 with an ambition of hitting 3% by the end of next Parliament

The Defence Investment Plan, which will be published later this year, will set out how we will align our funding to deliver the vision set out in the Strategic Defence Review, including a new partnership with industry.

Future funding beyond the current Spending Review period will be subject to further Spending Reviews.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his Ministerial colleagues on the £9.2 million Scottish Government funding for (a) skills and (b) training in BAE.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I welcome Scottish Government‘s support for this vital investment into skills and training in BAES and the contribution it will make to shipbuilding on the Clyde.

The Ministry of Defence announced £182 million of skills funding as part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, which will be used across Scotland and the rest of the UK to support the growth of skills in the defence sector.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 127 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published in June 2025 how much his Department plans to spend on Defence Intelligence in each year of this Parliament.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

This Government has made a historic commitment to defence investment – rising to 2.6% in 2027. Future budgets for Defence Intelligence are being finalised as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 September 2024 to Question 1555 on Ministry of Defence: Equality and with reference to the Freedom of Information Act response with reference FOI2025/21409, disclosed on 12 September 2025, if he will publish that response.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is content for this Freedom of Information request response to be published, and a copy is provided below.

Request:

“How many staff in the MOD have job titles that includes at least one of the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT or (f) race?

How many staff in each of the armed forces have job titles that includes at least one of the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT or (f) race?”

Following an internal review on 27 August 2025, this was refined to:

“In your letter of 12 August you state that if I am:

“willing to accept a response to your request that was based on the searchable data held in MOD’s two human resources databases: MyHR, for civilians and the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA), for military personnel, we would be able to provide this to you.”

I would be happy to receive the information on that basis – thank you.”

Response:

In a competitive age, our advantage derives from the talent and skills of our people. We must attract, recruit, and retain the best people drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background. Roles flagged as LGBT are predominantly working on implementing the LGBT Veterans Review and Financial Recognition Scheme.

Civil Service (data taken from MyHR):

*7 of the 18 are also included in the position title section and/or additional related position title (section 1 and 2).

Caveats/explanations as follows:

• Only the MOD Main and core employees were searched.
• Data supplied is for staff in a position as of 31 August 2025.
• Only personnel who are currently in a position have been counted so vacant posts are not included.
• MyHR position title was searched for the requested terms a-f.
• Additional searches were carried out in position title for known abbreviations relating to the requested terms (section 2).
• Additionally, the job code description field was searched and found an additional 18 positions relating to Diversity and Inclusion, 7 of which also had a position title with one of the above descriptions (section 3).
• The actual total number of people within a post relating to one of the descriptions is 55.

Armed Forces (data taken from JPA):

Caveats/explanations as follows:

• Some position names contain more than one of the above words, as shown in the table above.
• These details are all held under 'Position Name' and not 'Job Name'. Military job titles do not contain this information as it is held in the position title.
• The figures above only show personnel in a position name containing one of the words, there may be additional personnel who undertake these roles under a differently named Position.
• Data supplied is for staff in a position as of 4 September 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department is offering to people affected by alleged sexual abuse relating to medical checks carried out between the 1970s and 2016 British Army recruitment processes.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

There is no place in Defence for sexual abuse or misconduct, and we are fully supporting Wiltshire Police’s investigation. I urge anyone who has more information to contact Wiltshire Police as soon as possible, we will stand with the survivors.

For those personnel still serving, every unit has a comprehensive welfare system, ready to support them. . The network of agencies includes Unit Welfare Officers, Welfare Services, chaplains, Equality and Diversity Advisers, and Women’s Royal Voluntary Service. Personnel also have access to the Army confidential helpline, SpeakOut, and the Samaritans helpline, Combat Stress 24-hour mental health helpline (0800 138 1619) for serving personnel and veterans.

For veterans, the MOD provides an MOD Veterans Service, which offers bespoke advice and assistance following a holistic assessment of needs tailored to each individual's specific circumstances. Welfare Managers provide free and confidential advice and work closely with voluntary organisations, local authorities and all areas of the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure veterans and their families are offered the best possible help and advice. Further information on this service can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/veterans-welfare-service

Victims and survivors of sexual assault can access information and support via the Government’s site https://sexualabusesupport.campaign.gov.uk/

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Army have taken to improve interoperability.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review states that the Armed Forces must compete the journey from 'joint' to 'integrated'. On 1 April 2025, the Chief of the Defence Staff became head of the new Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) with command over the Service Chiefs. This change ensures that authorities for force design and activity delivery now flow top-down from a single point of military authority. The MSHQ has also appointed an interoperability champion to support NATO in its development of its own interoperability plan. We have already seen tangible progress in improving interoperability with allies, for example, the UK's Carrier Strike Group has recently been under NATO Command, integrated into both Alliance operational and tactical command and control Systems.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by when is his target to reduce the average times to contract for (a) major projects of six years, (b) pace-setting modular upgrades to two years and one year respectively and (c) a target of three-month cycles for rapid commercial exploitation.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Reducing the time taken to deliver capability is a key driver of our acquisition reforms. Our new segmented approach to procurement, supported by accelerated commercial pathways, is designed to enable programmes to get to contract faster.

No timescale for achieving the targets has been set; however, we are making progress towards the target date of 1 April 2026 for establishment of the segmented approach in line with the Strategic Defence Review. It will start with an initial phase of pilot projects aimed at realising opportunities early on.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many affordable homes he plans to build on surplus military land in the next three years.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The recently announced Defence Housing Strategy sets out a vision for the future renewal of the Service family estate, and is backed by a 10-year programme of investment to deliver its recommendations in full, with savings from the Annington Deal put back into fixing Defence family homes and delivering for the nation.

The number of affordable homes delivered on surplus land will depend upon a number of factors including macroeconomic conditions, the appetite of development partners and planning decisions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what future air-to-air refuelling requirements will be considered as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Investment Plan will consider the UK's future air-to-air refuelling requirements to ensure we meet our commitments to NATO and the nation. The outcome will be included in the Defence Investment Plan, which is due to be published this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 33505 on Jaysley Beck, what recent progress he has made on implementing measures to build a safer and more inclusive environment for women serving in the armed forces.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Sexual harassment and sexualised behaviours undermine the wellbeing of our people and operational effectiveness and have no place in Defence. Last year, Defence launched the Raising Our Standards programme, under direct Ministerial oversight through a Steering Board which I chair, as well as external scrutiny through an External Challenge Panel to hold Defence leaders to account. Raising our Standards is central to Defence’s response and is driving the cultural change we need, and is therefore a long-term programme of reform.

By commissioning the UK’s first ever comprehensive military sexual harassment survey, this Government is establishing, for the first time, a no holds barred baseline to fully confront and address the root causes of the issue, and set new standards in transparency and accountability across our Armed Forces. While the survey represents a small sample—around 17% of regulars and 5% of reserves—these findings provide new, detailed, and unprecedented insights to help combat unacceptable behaviour and target immediate areas of focus:

We’re implementing a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) taskforce – for all Servicewomen and men – with physical hubs supporting the breadth of the Defence footprint, with initial locations in Catterick and Plymouth. With prevention at its core, this taskforce aims to tackle the root causes of harmful behaviour rather than simply responding to incidents.

Other initiatives include a Kings Counsel review of cases of unacceptable behaviours, and the application of zero tolerance policies, and the set-up of a new Tri-Service Complaints Unit to handle the most serious complaints outside of Service Chains of Command. The pilot for this new Unit is already underway. An Armed Forces Commissioner will also be appointed shortly.

We will continue to deliver Whole Force educational and behavioural campaigns. Recently, a new mandatory training package was introduced for all senior military leaders on how to recognise and respond to unacceptable behaviour and support victims. We have also already launched a new Service Complaints App to make it easier for personnel to raise concerns, and strengthened external oversight through the Service Police Complaints Commissioner to provide impartial scrutiny of complaints.

Defence remains committed to decisive, evidence-based action to protect our people and uphold the highest standards for everyone.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April to Question 33505 on Jaysley Beck, whether any new substantive measures have been introduced since 17 April 2025.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Sexual harassment and sexualised behaviours undermine the wellbeing of our people and operational effectiveness and have no place in Defence. Last year, Defence launched the Raising Our Standards programme, under direct Ministerial oversight through a Steering Board which I chair, as well as external scrutiny through an External Challenge Panel to hold Defence leaders to account. Raising our Standards is central to Defence’s response and is driving the cultural change we need, and is therefore a long-term programme of reform.

By commissioning the UK’s first ever comprehensive military sexual harassment survey, this Government is establishing, for the first time, a no holds barred baseline to fully confront and address the root causes of the issue, and set new standards in transparency and accountability across our Armed Forces. While the survey represents a small sample—around 17% of regulars and 5% of reserves—these findings provide new, detailed, and unprecedented insights to help combat unacceptable behaviour and target immediate areas of focus:

We’re implementing a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) taskforce – for all Servicewomen and men – with physical hubs supporting the breadth of the Defence footprint, with initial locations in Catterick and Plymouth. With prevention at its core, this taskforce aims to tackle the root causes of harmful behaviour rather than simply responding to incidents.

Other initiatives include a Kings Counsel review of cases of unacceptable behaviours, and the application of zero tolerance policies, and the set-up of a new Tri-Service Complaints Unit to handle the most serious complaints outside of Service Chains of Command. The pilot for this new Unit is already underway. An Armed Forces Commissioner will also be appointed shortly.

We will continue to deliver Whole Force educational and behavioural campaigns. Recently, a new mandatory training package was introduced for all senior military leaders on how to recognise and respond to unacceptable behaviour and support victims. We have also already launched a new Service Complaints App to make it easier for personnel to raise concerns, and strengthened external oversight through the Service Police Complaints Commissioner to provide impartial scrutiny of complaints.

Defence remains committed to decisive, evidence-based action to protect our people and uphold the highest standards for everyone.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 139 of the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, how was the retirement of the Albion and Bulwark landing platforms calculated at a constructive loss of £428,459,000.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The decision to decommission both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark was announced in November 2024. In the period from 2022 to 2024, a total of £72.1 million has been spent on refitting HMS Bulwark. Neither HMS Albion nor HMS Bulwark were due to go to sea ahead of their out-of-service dates in 2033 and 2034. Their disposal shows that we are delivering for defence by divesting ourselves of old capabilities to make way for the future. These ships were effectively mothballed by the previous Government.

As part of disposal procedures, we have calculated the write-down costs, in line with Managing Public Money and Ministry of Defence accounting policies. The constructive loss of £428,459,000 reflects the write-down of remaining value of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark and their associated capital works, spares and consumables following the decision to bring forward their out-of-service dates.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled MOD response to the first Armed Forces Sexualised Behaviours and Sexual Harassment Survey, published on 13 November 2025, what new measures he will be implementing in the armed forces to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Sexual harassment and sexualised behaviours undermine the wellbeing of our people and operational effectiveness and have no place in Defence. Last year, Defence launched the Raising Our Standards programme, under direct Ministerial oversight through a Steering Board which I chair, as well as external scrutiny through an External Challenge Panel to hold Defence leaders to account. Raising our Standards is central to Defence’s response and is driving the cultural change we need, and is therefore a long-term programme of reform.

By commissioning the UK’s first ever comprehensive military sexual harassment survey, this Government is establishing, for the first time, a no holds barred baseline to fully confront and address the root causes of the issue, and set new standards in transparency and accountability across our Armed Forces. While the survey represents a small sample—around 17% of regulars and 5% of reserves—these findings provide new, detailed, and unprecedented insights to help combat unacceptable behaviour and target immediate areas of focus:

We’re implementing a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) taskforce – for all Servicewomen and men – with physical hubs supporting the breadth of the Defence footprint, with initial locations in Catterick and Plymouth. With prevention at its core, this taskforce aims to tackle the root causes of harmful behaviour rather than simply responding to incidents.

Other initiatives include a Kings Counsel review of cases of unacceptable behaviours, and the application of zero tolerance policies, and the set-up of a new Tri-Service Complaints Unit to handle the most serious complaints outside of Service Chains of Command. The pilot for this new Unit is already underway. An Armed Forces Commissioner will also be appointed shortly.

We will continue to deliver Whole Force educational and behavioural campaigns. Recently, a new mandatory training package was introduced for all senior military leaders on how to recognise and respond to unacceptable behaviour and support victims. We have also already launched a new Service Complaints App to make it easier for personnel to raise concerns, and strengthened external oversight through the Service Police Complaints Commissioner to provide impartial scrutiny of complaints.

Defence remains committed to decisive, evidence-based action to protect our people and uphold the highest standards for everyone.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's government response entitled Statements following the sentencing of Michael Webber, published on 31 October 2025, when the new cultural reform programme will (a) begin and (b) be fully implemented.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Sexual harassment and sexualised behaviours undermine the wellbeing of our people and operational effectiveness and have no place in Defence. Last year, Defence launched the Raising Our Standards programme, under direct Ministerial oversight through a Steering Board which I chair, as well as external scrutiny through an External Challenge Panel to hold Defence leaders to account. Raising our Standards is central to Defence’s response and is driving the cultural change we need, and is therefore a long-term programme of reform.

By commissioning the UK’s first ever comprehensive military sexual harassment survey, this Government is establishing, for the first time, a no holds barred baseline to fully confront and address the root causes of the issue, and set new standards in transparency and accountability across our Armed Forces. While the survey represents a small sample—around 17% of regulars and 5% of reserves—these findings provide new, detailed, and unprecedented insights to help combat unacceptable behaviour and target immediate areas of focus:

We’re implementing a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) taskforce – for all Servicewomen and men – with physical hubs supporting the breadth of the Defence footprint, with initial locations in Catterick and Plymouth. With prevention at its core, this taskforce aims to tackle the root causes of harmful behaviour rather than simply responding to incidents.

Other initiatives include a Kings Counsel review of cases of unacceptable behaviours, and the application of zero tolerance policies, and the set-up of a new Tri-Service Complaints Unit to handle the most serious complaints outside of Service Chains of Command. The pilot for this new Unit is already underway. An Armed Forces Commissioner will also be appointed shortly.

We will continue to deliver Whole Force educational and behavioural campaigns. Recently, a new mandatory training package was introduced for all senior military leaders on how to recognise and respond to unacceptable behaviour and support victims. We have also already launched a new Service Complaints App to make it easier for personnel to raise concerns, and strengthened external oversight through the Service Police Complaints Commissioner to provide impartial scrutiny of complaints.

Defence remains committed to decisive, evidence-based action to protect our people and uphold the highest standards for everyone.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of results found by the Armed Forces Sexualised Behaviours and Sexual Harassment Survey published on the 13 November 2025.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Sexual harassment and sexualised behaviours undermine the wellbeing of our people and operational effectiveness and have no place in Defence. Last year, Defence launched the Raising Our Standards programme, under direct Ministerial oversight through a Steering Board which I chair, as well as external scrutiny through an External Challenge Panel to hold Defence leaders to account. Raising our Standards is central to Defence’s response and is driving the cultural change we need, and is therefore a long-term programme of reform.

By commissioning the UK’s first ever comprehensive military sexual harassment survey, this Government is establishing, for the first time, a no holds barred baseline to fully confront and address the root causes of the issue, and set new standards in transparency and accountability across our Armed Forces. While the survey represents a small sample—around 17% of regulars and 5% of reserves—these findings provide new, detailed, and unprecedented insights to help combat unacceptable behaviour and target immediate areas of focus:

We’re implementing a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) taskforce – for all Servicewomen and men – with physical hubs supporting the breadth of the Defence footprint, with initial locations in Catterick and Plymouth. With prevention at its core, this taskforce aims to tackle the root causes of harmful behaviour rather than simply responding to incidents.

Other initiatives include a Kings Counsel review of cases of unacceptable behaviours, and the application of zero tolerance policies, and the set-up of a new Tri-Service Complaints Unit to handle the most serious complaints outside of Service Chains of Command. The pilot for this new Unit is already underway. An Armed Forces Commissioner will also be appointed shortly.

We will continue to deliver Whole Force educational and behavioural campaigns. Recently, a new mandatory training package was introduced for all senior military leaders on how to recognise and respond to unacceptable behaviour and support victims. We have also already launched a new Service Complaints App to make it easier for personnel to raise concerns, and strengthened external oversight through the Service Police Complaints Commissioner to provide impartial scrutiny of complaints.

Defence remains committed to decisive, evidence-based action to protect our people and uphold the highest standards for everyone.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen UK civil defence and resilience.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government is clear on the importance of implementing a whole-of-society approach to strengthen defence and our resilience to the threats we face, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack. The Ministry of Defence, together with the Cabinet Office led cross-Whitehall Home Defence Programme, is delivering the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recommendations supporting this approach. This includes drafting legislative measures to improve defence readiness; making better use of the reserves; increasing public engagement and understanding of defence; and improving the defence and resilience of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

Through the UK Government's Resilience Action Plan, we outline how we will enable the whole of society to increase their resilience, including taking action to prepare for emergencies as set out on the GOV.UK/Prepare website.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps the Royal Marines and the United States Marine Corps have taken to improve interoperability.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Royal Marines and the United States Marine Corps have an enduring partnership forged through decades of shared operations and tested in demanding environments. This ensures that they can operate seamlessly together. The United Kingdom and United States have permanent exchange positions in operational and capability organisations, and set shared priorities for interoperability across doctrine, training and capability development annually. Recent joint exercises include BALTOPS and BOLD QUEST, which advanced UK/US digital integration to improve command and control.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support military chaplains in Ukraine to receive training and development from UK armed forces chaplains.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre (AFCC) at Shrivenham has been providing training for Ukrainian chaplains since May 2023, with planned programmes scheduled until at least November 2026.

The centre offers two distinct two-week courses: a foundational programme and an advanced course designed for chaplaincy leaders. The curriculum focuses on spiritual leadership, ethical leadership, and pastoral care, and is delivered by UK Defence personnel in collaboration with academic partners. Enduring links have been established between UK Chaplaincy and Ukrainian colleagues and the relationships established at AFCC have enabled alumni to develop stronger mutual support networks.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will make it his Department's policy to reinstate the two-power standard as applied to the Royal Navy Fleet.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The 'two-power standard' was set out by the Naval Defence Act 1889 and dictated that the Royal Navy (RN) should maintain a fleet at least as strong as the next two powerful navies combined. Today our security is underpinned by NATO's collective defence, where capabilities are shared across 32 allies.

Modern naval warfare still demands mass, presence, and resilience. For that reason, The Royal Navy is transforming to a hybrid fleet, moving to a dispersed but digitally connected fleet of crewed, uncrewed, and autonomous platforms. This restores mass and power in a cost-effective way whilst ensuring we retain the cutting-edge capabilities expected of a leading NATO navy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the role of the jHub is within Strategic Command.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

JHub delivers numerous innovation workstreams in support of operations to users across Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (formerly UK Strategic Command) and works closely with the new UK Defence Innovation organisation. These innovation projects spearhead the rapid adoption of new technologies, processes, and ideas which accelerate and reduce risk within the force development cycle and deliver valuable capabilities directly into the hands of the Warfighter.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timescales are for applications for Veterans Support Hubs; whether (a) match funding is required by devolved administrations in Scotland and (b) there is a (i) maximum or (ii) minimum capital spend required ifor the Veterans Support Hubs; and what crietria his Department plans to use for site selection.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

This Government is renewing the nation's contract with those that serve and have served, with over 1.8 million veterans and their families across the UK benefiting from a new network of VALOUR Recognised Centres. These centres, spread across the UK, will fundamentally transform how support is provided to veterans and the wider Armed Forces community, offering the first coordinated national network of support centres as part of the VALOUR programme.

Applications for the first round of development funding for VALOUR Recognised Centres opened on 10 November and closes on 14 January 2026. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust will administer grants on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to existing organisations or consortiums of between £500,000 and £1,000,000 for each centre. There will be no requirement for matched funding from Devolved Governments.

Additional information on criteria and the application process, including capital spend, can be found at the following website https://covenantfund.org.uk/programme/valour-recognised-centres-development-fund/

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure & Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024/25, published on 11 August 2025, what are the significant remaining challenges faced in delivering the European Common Radar System Mk 2.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The significant remaining challenges faced in delivering the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk 2 centre principally around the international Eurofighter capability programme, known as Phase 4 Enhancements, which will deliver the significant changes to the aircraft's avionics system required to integrate the UK Radar.

Work is in hand with NETMA and Eurofighter Partner Nations to ensure that the international programme scope includes all essential UK features, and that these are prioritised to deliver in time for the RAF to test and field the ECRS Mk2 radar by 2030. This is in line with the mandate confirmed by all four Partner Nations' Ministers in May 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of resources allocated to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's human resources function (a) to address parental policy concerns raised by trade unions (b) in general.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Department keeps the allocation of resources under regular review to ensure it is able to meet its obligations. A targeted programme to develop the lived experience within the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is underway, and this is balanced against wider civil service headcount considerations. The RFA routinely consults with Trade Unions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase levels of funding for veteran support centres in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

VALOUR is a new national programme designed to make it easier for veterans across the UK to access the care and support they deserve. Led by the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA) within the Ministry of Defence, it aims to improve how services are coordinated at national, regional and local levels, ensuring veterans get the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

A network of VALOUR recognised centres across the UK will facilitate access to multiple services for veterans in one place. £27 million in development funding for VALOUR recognised centres has been made available, with funds being issued on behalf of the OVA through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. I encourage organisations in Northern Ireland to apply to for this funding.

Veteran support organisations in Northern Ireland already benefit from other Government funding streams. Beyond the Battlefield has received £325,000 through the Veterans Capital Housing Fund and Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme to support its wraparound care service and facilitate the provision of a 24/7 support network. The Northern Ireland Thrive Together Programme, meanwhile, which is led by Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre, has received a grant of £765,000 to support its Veterans' Pathway Project and the establishment of six locality-based hubs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel returning from maternity leave being required to (a) return to sea-based duties within a specified timeframe and (b) take unpaid leave to cover gaps in shore-based assignments.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Managers have latitude to consider individual needs when scheduling working patterns at sea. This includes recognising family circumstances, parental obligations and employee requests. It also necessarily means ensuring that this flexibility protects Defence outputs and maximises training opportunities while allowing all personnel to take leave and benefit from existing Civil Service terms and conditions of service.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) does not have any permanent onshore posts and there is no facility to provide bespoke roles adapted to individual circumstances. There are 100 rotational shore jobs that support RFA and Defence output, with clear key skills and experience requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many meetings his Department has held with the European Union to negotiate UK access to the Security Action for Europe programme since May 2024.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 November 2025 to Question 90640. The UK is committed to a broad and constructive relationship with the EU. We are working to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership – which includes taking forward discussions on a bilateral participation agreement for enhanced cooperation under the EU’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument. As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with Government departments, including the His Majesty’s Treasury and the Department of Business and Trade, and in cooperation with industry partners and all our European allies, to inform our approach to enhancing Europe's defence industrial capacity and production and deliver critical capabilities required to support Ukraine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of securing UK access to the EU's Security Action for Europe Fund.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 November 2025 to Question 90640. The UK is committed to a broad and constructive relationship with the EU. We are working to implement the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership – which includes taking forward discussions on a bilateral participation agreement for enhanced cooperation under the EU’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument. As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with Government departments, including the His Majesty’s Treasury and the Department of Business and Trade, and in cooperation with industry partners and all our European allies, to inform our approach to enhancing Europe's defence industrial capacity and production and deliver critical capabilities required to support Ukraine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has (a) implemented a domestic abuse policy for staff and (b) trained line managers to effectively respond to staff who are experiencing domestic abuse.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Defence is fully committed to supporting staff affected by domestic abuse and will continue to do so through dedicated awareness campaigns and training. Addressing domestic abuse is a ministerial priority and a shared responsibility for Defence leaders, as detailed in the Ministry of Defence Domestic Abuse Action Plan 2024-2029.

Defence has a dedicated whole force policy on domestic abuse, Joint Service Publication (JSP) 913, which provides specific guidance for line managers. JSP_913_Whole_Force_Policy_on_Domestic_Abuse_-_Part_2_Guidance.pdf

While Defence does not yet formally train line managers to respond to domestic abuse, we are undertaking work aligned to this approach. In our current action plan, we have committed to developing a staff briefing to further promote workplace support and set out line manager actions. This work is well underway and near completion. Defence is also an active member of the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his Department's policy to reinstate compulsory chapels on Royal Navy vessels.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Navy Chaplaincy Service (RNCS) provides spiritual, pastoral and moral support to all personnel, regardless of faith and belief. Chaplains are routinely embarked on Royal Navy vessels, particularly major warships and deployed task groups, and will use and suitable quiet space for services, prayers and one-to-one support.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on implementing the next generation fixed communication network.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The next generation fixed communication network programme has made good progress towards delivering its outcomes.

Acceleration of programme benefits is now underway with opportunities being taken to expedite the closure of the legacy BT Network, and associated DFTS Contract.

This will incrementally deliver financial savings to the department, culminating in a significant cost reduction for Defence.

Concurrently the delivery of new support contracts that will enable transition to the future state are in development. This will enable detailed planning to commence with Fujitsu for the transition to modern network support arrangements.

Demonstratable progress has also been made through the development and implementation of a modern technical architecture solution and supporting operational model design that will transform how network services are procured and managed into the future.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes have been made to Royal Fleet Auxiliary shore-based assignment policies for personnel on maternity leave in the last two years; and what assessment he has made of the impact of those changes on (a) recruitment and (b) retention of female officers and ratings.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is committed to the principles of the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). We are enormously grateful for the vital contribution the RFA makes to the defence of the nation by supporting the Royal Navy.

While we recognise the needs of individuals within the RFA will vary, employment policies and processes are designed to promote fairness, equality and inclusivity. Fixed-period assignments are created based on Defence need rather than personal circumstances.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 105 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, updated on 8 July 2025, what his planned timeframe is for changing the Royal Navy’s personnel balance between (a) regulars and (b) reservists.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The outputs of the Strategic Defence Review including the recommendation to increase the size of the Active Reserve by 20% are being reviewed through the Defence Investment Plan, with future strategic workforce planning to be modelled into the Royal Navy's structures through next year's strategic planning cycle.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 109 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what level of readiness the UK contribution to the Strategic Reserve Corps is held at.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

NATO requires the Strategic Reserve Corps (SRC) to be held at graduated levels of readiness to meet the requirements of the Defence and Deterrence of the Euro Atlantic family of plans. The UK holds the SRC at readiness in line with this and communicates its specific readiness levels with NATO.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many new pilots completed training and entered front-line service with the RAF in each of the last five years by (a) aircraft and (b) service type.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

For each training year, the number of pilots that undertake training and commence Operational Conversion Units is based upon the front-line demand for qualified pilots. The Royal Air Force (RAF) actively manage the pilot training pipelines to ensure that trainee flowthrough is kept to an optimum and meets the front-line requirements. The specific number of pilots that have completed training and commenced front-line Operational Conversion Units in each of the last five years is not released into the public domain as this level of detailed information may provide tactical advantage to hostile forces causing operational and personnel security risks.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 33 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the Single Source Contract Regulations.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

In accordance with recommendation 33 of the Strategic Defence Review a comprehensive review of the Single Source Contract Regulations has been commissioned. The initial consultation will run from October 2025 through to January 2026 with recommendations drafted and approved by 31 March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the McCloud Pension Remedy for Armed Forces veterans will be implemented in time for March 2026.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2025 to Question 80011.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to improve the sonar capabilities of the Royal Navy surface fleet.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Innovation Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Spearhead Programme has focussed on accelerating the Navy's understanding of advanced capabilities. Key areas progressed include sensor optimisation, machine learning and artificial intelligence, to improve the sonar capabilities within the surface fleet.

Investment in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Sonar 2087 system has led to improvements to Type 23 capabilities. These improvements will also be pulled through to the Type 26 programme.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft contract since 2008.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The RAF Voyager fleet provides value for money by serving as a versatile asset for air-to-air refuelling, strategic airlift, and VIP transport.

Under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, Air Tanker is required to provide the Department with their performance data.

This gives the Department complete transparency, ensuring regular monitoring and compliance with the terms of the agreement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on cancelled programmes in the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Army in each year since 2010.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department's spend on cancelled programmes of over £300,000 is published as part of its Annual Report and Accounts.

As would be expected of any responsible organisation, the Ministry of Defence regularly reviews its programmes and assets to determine how best to meet future threats including taking appropriate action to address changes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that defence companies in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor are able to (a) recruit staff, (b) receive investment and (c) expand.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we announced a £182 million skills package that will attract, develop and retain the high-skilled workforce required to meet the objectives of the Strategic Defence Review. This investment in skills, in addition to the creation of the Defence Office for Small Business Growth, will help defence companies across the UK, including those in the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor. Further details will be announced with the publication of the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy in 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimates his Department has made of the time it will take to get all service family accommodation up to the Decent Homes Standard.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As set out in the recommendations of the Defence Housing Strategy, the Defence Housing Service will develop proposals to address the condition and standards of overseas family homes. As a baseline, we are using the 2006 Government’s Decent Homes Standard for all Defence family homes in the UK, regardless of location. Where needs differ as a result of property location, proposals will be developed as part of the ongoing work of the Defence Housing Strategy.

This Government’s historic £9 billion Defence Housing Strategy will deliver a generational renewal of military homes, with nine in 10 Defence homes modernised or upgraded.

Work to raise the minimum standard of 1,000 of the worst military family homes has proceeded at pace across the UK since April 2025, with works due to complete by the end of December 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 29 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, by when he plans to create an always on munitions production capacity.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The SDR committed to invest £1.5bn in an 'always on' pipeline for munitions and to build at least 6 new energetics and munitions factories in the UK this parliament. The Ministry of Defence is currently developing a plan to deliver this commitment alongside our wider Defence Industrial Strategy, delivering long-term investment to boost UK growth and generating skilled UK jobs and export opportunities. The MOD is carefully considering arrangements for 'always on' and we have announced that at least 13 sites across the UK have been identified as potential energetics and munitions factories. We are inviting industry to submit proposals to meet the government’s requirements for energetics production.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of drones, including IOTs (small communicating modular devices), procured by the MOD are made with Chinese components.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We do not procure Chinese manufactured drones for use in operations, and we review our critical supply chains regularly to identify and mitigate potential risks to our National Security.

The MOD does not routinely comment on the relative percentages on the origin or percentages of specific components of our planned or in service capabilities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October to Question 80377 on Armed Forces: Health, and the Answer of 17 November to Question 89590 on Armed Forces: Health Services, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of collecting these metrics for Wales.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Defence uses a Hospital Referral System (HRS) to make and track referrals to the NHS and private healthcare providers. The HRS was introduced in 2024 to centralise and manage all referrals generated by Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) Medical and Dental Centres.

Currently not all DPHC Medical Centres in Wales use the HRS in order to make a referral. The Department is working to incorporate this data into the system to ensure there is accurate and consistent reporting across all four nations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to expand support for armed forces cadet units in England.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 September 2025 to Question 76173 to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Al Pinkerton).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reports of redundancies on the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s ability to recruit and retain scientists and engineers.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

AWE notified the Ministry of Defence last year of its intent to conduct a reorganisation to strengthen the company as it embarks on the challenge of designing and manufacturing the next generation of the UK’s sovereign nuclear warhead.

The ongoing restructuring will not reduce the overall number of employees, as the company will continue to hire appropriately qualified skilled professionals, including scientists and engineers. This activity will ensure AWE has the right people with the right skillsets in place to deliver defence outputs, both now and in the future.

The precise nature of the reorganisation is an operational matter for AWE. AWE will work closely with the trade unions throughout the consultation period and are committed to approaching the process with fairness, care and respect for its employees.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what directions his Department has given to the Atomic Weapons Establishment on changes to its Distinguished Scientist cohort.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

AWE notified the Ministry of Defence last year of its intent to conduct a reorganisation to strengthen the company as it embarks on the challenge of designing and manufacturing the next generation of the UK’s sovereign nuclear warhead.

The ongoing restructuring will not reduce the overall number of employees, as the company will continue to hire appropriately qualified skilled professionals, including scientists and engineers. This activity will ensure AWE has the right people with the right skillsets in place to deliver defence outputs, both now and in the future.

The precise nature of the reorganisation is an operational matter for AWE. AWE will work closely with the trade unions throughout the consultation period and are committed to approaching the process with fairness, care and respect for its employees.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has issued guidance to the Atomic Weapons Establishment on proposed restructuring.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

AWE notified the Ministry of Defence last year of its intent to conduct a reorganisation to strengthen the company as it embarks on the challenge of designing and manufacturing the next generation of the UK’s sovereign nuclear warhead.

The ongoing restructuring will not reduce the overall number of employees, as the company will continue to hire appropriately qualified skilled professionals, including scientists and engineers. This activity will ensure AWE has the right people with the right skillsets in place to deliver defence outputs, both now and in the future.

The precise nature of the reorganisation is an operational matter for AWE. AWE will work closely with the trade unions throughout the consultation period and are committed to approaching the process with fairness, care and respect for its employees.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what date he expects to have a full fleet of Ajax armoured vehicles.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

On current plans, Full Operating Capability for the Armoured Cavalry Programme is expected to be achieved by the end of 2029.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 70779 on Defence: Intelligence Services.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

I responded to the hon. Member on 20 November 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Armed Forces Commissioner is expected to be appointed; and when the Commissioner's office is expected to be fully operational.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

We are in the process of recruiting an Armed Forces Commissioner . It is expected that a Commissioner will be appointed in early 2026, with plans for their office to be fully operational in April 2026. The role is subject to scrutiny in accordance with the principles of the Governance Code on Public Appointments and overseen by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. We remain committed to appointing the right person for this critical role, which is central to delivering a trusted and effective service for our people.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to respond to the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee 2025 report; and if he will meet representatives of regional Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees following that response.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As the new Minister for Veterans and People, I am currently reviewing and understanding my portfolio, which includes the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees. This includes reviewing previous advice also provided to my predecessor. This forms part of a much wider and far-reaching review to streamline and improve the offer to our people, which remains ongoing. A response will be issued in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list all named exercises that have been cancelled by the (a) British Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

This information is not held centrally and is taking time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the Defence Committee's report entitled The UK contribution to European security, published on 19 November 2025, HC 520.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The government welcomes the Committee’s report.

NATO is the bedrock of our defence, with the UK committed alongside our Allies to our collective security. With our NATO First approach, the UK is stepping up to strengthen European security further, and will continue to do so. Backed by the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, the outcomes of our Strategic Defence Review will ensure our Armed Forces are moving to warfighting readiness, so that Britain is secure at home and strong abroad.

We will respond to the Committee’s recommendations in full in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had formal discussions on reducing the amount of training conducted by the (a) British Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force in the current financial year.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

On current plans, the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force have not reduced planned training for the current financial year. We have defined training to mean Phase 1 (basic training) and Phase 2 (initial profession training) only.

The Royal Navy has increased training delivery this year in response to increased recruitment and continues to modernise and streamline training pathways to meet operational needs. The amount of training conducted by the British Army and Royal Air Force remains unchanged.

Found: This is work that is led by the MOD.

Found: Specific issues contributing to this include (i) the Ministry of Defence (MoD) procurement process,

Found: Recommendations: Launch a Development-Security Strategy Unit (DSSU) within FCDO–MoD to coordinate cross-budget

Found: As the Ministry of Defence has pointed out, food yields globally could decrease by 30%.5 Given that

Found: Launch a Development-Security Strategy Unit (DSSU) within FCDO–MoD to coordinate cross-budget planning

Found:  Farnborough Airshow works with DBT, MoD, and the Home Office.  Most venues engage via local authorities

Found: police forces that are the British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the Ministry of Defence

Found: On the model of the MoD reviews8 which integrate security, defence, development and foreign policy into

Found: three specialist forces: the British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and the Ministry of Defence

Found: Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence relating to an update on recommendations

Found: Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence relating to the MoD’s Equipment Plan 2023

Found: See also Ministry of Defence, Defence Industrial Strategy 2025: Making Defence an Engine for Growth,

Found: See also Ministry of Defence, Defence Industrial Strategy 2025: Making Defence an Engine for Growth,

Found: The 2022 MoD data breach was one of these cases, but had additional complexity due to the handling

Found: have seen for many decades, if not generations, in the defence industry, for example, through the MOD

Found: Trust, RSPB, Woodland Trust, Wildlife Trust are significant landowners, as are the Government through MoD

Found: Scottish Police Authority, Forensic Science Northern Ireland, the Metropolitan Police Service, the MoD

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the response received to written question 44482 answered on 23 April 2025, what progress she has made on recruiting Driving Examiners at i) Arbroath Test Centre and ii) Dundee Test Centre.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DVSA has agreed with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that 36 defence driving examiners (DDE) will carry out driving tests. The DDEs will be based at the driving test centre (DTC) with the highest demand near either their MOD base location or where they live. These locations are in England.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

Alongside military support, DVSA is introducing new rules to tackle unfair booking practices that have allowed bots and resellers to profit at learners’ expense.

Further details on the steps announced 12 November, can be found on GOV.UK: Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog - GOV.UK

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

For Arbroath and Dundee DTCs, whilst one candidate did not successfully complete their training earlier this year, DVSA successfully recruited an additional DE for Dundee DTC during the summer.

DVSA is launching a new recruitment campaign for DE positions at Dundee in the coming weeks, with the aim for successful candidates to be in place by early 2026.

Additionally, to further support test availability in Dundee & Arbroath, DVSA are transferring an examiner to Dundee DTC. DVSA anticipate that their transfer will be finalised by early 2026 as well.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to deploy defence driving examiners in Scotland to help reduce the backlog of learners waiting for a driving test.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DVSA has agreed with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that 36 defence driving examiners (DDE) will carry out driving tests. The DDEs will be based at the driving test centre (DTC) with the highest demand near either their MOD base location or where they live. These locations are in England.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

Alongside military support, DVSA is introducing new rules to tackle unfair booking practices that have allowed bots and resellers to profit at learners’ expense.

Further details on the steps announced 12 November, can be found on GOV.UK: Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog - GOV.UK

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

For Arbroath and Dundee DTCs, whilst one candidate did not successfully complete their training earlier this year, DVSA successfully recruited an additional DE for Dundee DTC during the summer.

DVSA is launching a new recruitment campaign for DE positions at Dundee in the coming weeks, with the aim for successful candidates to be in place by early 2026.

Additionally, to further support test availability in Dundee & Arbroath, DVSA are transferring an examiner to Dundee DTC. DVSA anticipate that their transfer will be finalised by early 2026 as well.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help prevent companies adding premiums to third party booking of driving tests.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DVSA has agreed with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that 36 defence driving examiners (DDE) will carry out driving tests. The DDEs will be based at the driving test centre (DTC) with the highest demand near either their MOD base location or where they live. These locations are in England.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

Alongside military support, DVSA is introducing new rules to tackle unfair booking practices that have allowed bots and resellers to profit at learners’ expense.

Further details on the steps announced 12 November, can be found on GOV.UK: Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog - GOV.UK

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

For Arbroath and Dundee DTCs, whilst one candidate did not successfully complete their training earlier this year, DVSA successfully recruited an additional DE for Dundee DTC during the summer.

DVSA is launching a new recruitment campaign for DE positions at Dundee in the coming weeks, with the aim for successful candidates to be in place by early 2026.

Additionally, to further support test availability in Dundee & Arbroath, DVSA are transferring an examiner to Dundee DTC. DVSA anticipate that their transfer will be finalised by early 2026 as well.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the national security considerations relevant to renewable energy developments in proximity to defence sites.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government takes the security and resilience of UK energy infrastructure very seriously.

The Department collaborates with government departments – including the Ministry of Defence – other agencies and industry partners on a regular and ongoing basis to understand, assess and mitigate threats to both energy infrastructure and sensitive sites.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when MOD driving instructors will be deployed to driving test centres across the UK.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has accepted the resource of Defence Driving Examiners (DDEs), to be based at the driving test centres with the highest demand near their MOD base or home location.

Before DDEs can start testing they will require familiarisation training. DVSA will provide further information when they will start testing, as soon as it is able.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who are currently trying to book a driving theory test in Dumfries and Galloway.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a key performance indicator (KPI) to provide theory test candidates with a test appointment within 28 days of their preferred date which is measured as a regional average. Despite unprecedented levels of demand for theory tests this KPI is consistently met.

The average waiting time for a practical driving test at Dumfries driving test centre is currently 15.5 weeks.

It is not possible to confirm how many people are trying to book a driving theory test. DVSA only holds data on the number of tests booked.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

• Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

• Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

• Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including in the Southeast to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

During 2025, DVSA has recruited three new driving examiners for Carlisle test centre, which will help to provide additional resource and cover for Dumfries driving test centre. DVSA is continuing to review recruitment on a regular basis and although Dumfries driving test centre is currently at capacity, DVSA will review options to increase test availability, including offering overtime to examiners.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average wait time is for 1) a driving theory test and 2) a driving test in Dumfries and Galloway constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a key performance indicator (KPI) to provide theory test candidates with a test appointment within 28 days of their preferred date which is measured as a regional average. Despite unprecedented levels of demand for theory tests this KPI is consistently met.

The average waiting time for a practical driving test at Dumfries driving test centre is currently 15.5 weeks.

It is not possible to confirm how many people are trying to book a driving theory test. DVSA only holds data on the number of tests booked.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

• Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

• Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

• Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including in the Southeast to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

During 2025, DVSA has recruited three new driving examiners for Carlisle test centre, which will help to provide additional resource and cover for Dumfries driving test centre. DVSA is continuing to review recruitment on a regular basis and although Dumfries driving test centre is currently at capacity, DVSA will review options to increase test availability, including offering overtime to examiners.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of (a) driving theory tests and (b) driving tests in Dumfries and Galloway constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a key performance indicator (KPI) to provide theory test candidates with a test appointment within 28 days of their preferred date which is measured as a regional average. Despite unprecedented levels of demand for theory tests this KPI is consistently met.

The average waiting time for a practical driving test at Dumfries driving test centre is currently 15.5 weeks.

It is not possible to confirm how many people are trying to book a driving theory test. DVSA only holds data on the number of tests booked.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

• Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

• Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

• Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including in the Southeast to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

During 2025, DVSA has recruited three new driving examiners for Carlisle test centre, which will help to provide additional resource and cover for Dumfries driving test centre. DVSA is continuing to review recruitment on a regular basis and although Dumfries driving test centre is currently at capacity, DVSA will review options to increase test availability, including offering overtime to examiners.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the causes of driving test waiting times, including the impact of block-booking and examiner shortages; and what steps she plans to take to improve Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency performance, strengthen oversight of its complaints processes, and implement a recovery plan for the driving test system.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Waiting times are still high for learner drivers. Car practical test waiting times remain high due to sustained increased demand and reduced learner driver confidence in the availability of driving tests. This has contributed to some learners choosing to book their test much earlier in their learning journey before having had any lessons.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

• Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

• Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

• Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners who are now in post and delivering driving tests. However, 118 prospective driving examiners failed or resigned during training. Currently, there are 71 people in training, 63 booked onto a future course and 79 applicants who have received offers from DVSA

Despite DVSA’s recruitment efforts, the number of full-time equivalent driving examiners has only increased gradually since July 2024 (1,439) with net increase of 46 full-time equivalent driving examiners in October 2025 (1,485).

DVSA has a robust complaints process in place. Complainants can ask DVSA to pass their complaint to an independent complaints assessor if they have been through the final stage of the Agency’s complaints process and are not happy its response.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the measures included in her Department's joint press release entitled Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog, published on 12 November 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has agreed with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that 36 defence driving examiners (DDE) will carry out driving tests for one day a week for 12 months. MOD has charged DVSA estimated marginal costs in line with HM Treasury guidelines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with (a) NHS England and (b) integrated care boards to ensure that NHS dental provision is effectively delivered under the Armed Forces Covenant Duty; and whether he has considered increasing levels of (i) guidance and (ii) oversight in this area to help prevent disadvantage for service families following relocation.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that Armed Forces families may move more frequently than the civilian population in support of our service personnel. Data on dental access does not suggest that Armed Forces families are being disadvantaged when compared to the civilian population. We are taking steps to improve access to dentistry and members of the armed forces community will also benefit from the improved access these changes bring about, in the same way as the civilian population.

NHS England is working proactively with the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Families Federations to provide guidance to integrated care boards in relation to local dental access for families relocating to the area and guidance for families. Signposting for Armed Forces Personnel on dentistry access for their families has been improved through the ‘Discover My Benefits website’, and A “Myth Busting” paper has been prepared by the Armed Forces Families Federation. This includes a link to the Single Point of Contact for NHS England dedicated to Armed Forces access issues.

Free NHS dental care is available to people receiving War Pension Scheme payments, or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments, and the treatment is for your accepted disability. We are also supporting more than 1,500 children in British military families overseas through our supervised toothbrushing programme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the £200m National Wealth Fund allocation to Grangemouth could be used for Ministry of Defence projects.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

As set out in the Chancellor’s Statement of Strategic Priorities to the National Wealth Fund, it should consider the role it can play in supporting the delivery of the wider Industrial Strategy, including in defence.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what evidence the DVSA based its decision to withdraw Approved Driving Instructors’ ability to book driving tests on behalf of their pupils; and whether the DVSA has assessed the likely impact of this change on (a) test readiness, (b) road safety and (c) test centre administration.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what modelling her Department undertook to inform its decision to remove instructor-booked driving tests to reduce waiting times.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will set out which driving test centres will benefit from the help of military driving examiners under the partnership with the Ministry of Defence.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the DVSA has made of the effect of the current 10-day cancellation period for driving tests on no-show rates.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the DVSA has made of the regional impact of its proposed booking system changes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.

The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.

The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 30 October (HL Deb cols 1501-2), whether they will provide further detail of the way in which asylum seekers will be phased into housing in Ministry of Defence barracks.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Alternative Home Office sites are populated with a phased and incremental approach to full occupancy.

Consideration of both sites is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of when the average waiting time for driving tests will be below seven weeks.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are several factors driving higher demand for tests, and it is not currently possible to say when waiting times will reduce to 7-weeks or fewer. The Secretary of State will be working closely with DVSA in addressing this important issue.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

• change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

• introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

• make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has made on implementing its plan to reduce driving test waiting times in the South East.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) fully acknowledges car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this continues to have on learner drivers. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times. In the coming months, DVSA will:

• Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests
• Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.
• Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including in the Southeast to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

For test centres serving learner drivers in the Southeast, DVSA has recruited and trained 52 DEs who are now in post and delivering driving tests. There are currently 24 new entrant DEs undertaking training, 32 booked on a training course and DVSA has made offers to 26 new entrants.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many additional driving examiners have been recruited to test centres in the South East since May 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) fully acknowledges car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this continues to have on learner drivers. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times. In the coming months, DVSA will:

• Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests
• Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.
• Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including in the Southeast to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

For test centres serving learner drivers in the Southeast, DVSA has recruited and trained 52 DEs who are now in post and delivering driving tests. There are currently 24 new entrant DEs undertaking training, 32 booked on a training course and DVSA has made offers to 26 new entrants.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 130 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what recent progress he has made on undertaking a sprint review.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The sprint review is initiated and led by the Ministry of Defence, working with the Department of Health and Social Care and other Governmental and private organisations. A series of meetings are planned for late 2025 which will explore and progress the joint plans to meet the recommendations outlined in the Strategic Defence Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's joint press notice entitled Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog, published on 12 November 2025, which areas the military driving examiners will be deployed to.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has accepted the resource of Defence Driving Examiners (DDEs), to be based at the driving test centres with the highest demand near their MOD base or home location.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has submitted the required information under section 293B(7) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in relation to an application by the Ministry of Defence concerning the use of Crowborough Training Camp for asylum seeker accommodation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Discussions are underway to use the Crowborough site for asylum accommodation. Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.

The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, the NHS, the Police, and local partners, including via Multi Agency Forums pre-delivery and post-Go Live of the proposed site to address the concerns of those most impacted and to identify ways to keep them informed.

The Home Secretary will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate and compliant with the relevant planning regulations and processes where required.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to reopen (a) military and (b) non-military government training opportunities to Israelis following the ceasefire in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a long history of providing assistance to other nations in the security and justice fields and continues to do so around the world. UK training courses promote British values, including human rights, democracy, and compliance with international humanitarian law.

The Ministry of Defence decided to pause future Israeli participation on UK training and education courses until the situation in Gaza and the West Bank had been satisfactorily addressed. Since the ceasefire we have continued to monitor the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, and the Government will keep this decision under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time is for a driving test in Aylesbury; and when the backlog for those tests will be cleared.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The average waiting time in weeks, as of October 2025, at Aylesbury driving test centre (DTC) was 19 weeks.

The average waiting time in weeks, as of October 2025, for other DTC’s that might serve customers in the area, are shown below:

Bletchley – 24 weeks

High Wycombe – 5 weeks

Leighton Buzzard – 24 weeks

Oxford – 24 weeks

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests that will break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

At the Transport Select committee on 12 November 2025, the Secretary of State for Transport confirmed the latest DVSA modelling shows it is not possible to meet a 7-week waiting time by summer 2026. There are several factors driving higher demand for tests, and it is not currently possible to say when waiting times will reduce to 7-weeks or fewer. The Secretary of State will be working closely with DVSA in addressing this important issue.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

• change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests
• introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.
• make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

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Found: Funded by the Ministry of Defence, the centre now provides over 30 different educational programmes

Found: (s) Parties Remit Group Size Annual Paybill National Coverage AFPRB  Non-Statutory  Ministry of Defence

Found: The MOD has several specific capability requirements that focus the RGNS technical solution on GNSS receivers

Found: Facilitating MOD representation at events connecting Defence to industry through industry and trade body

Found: MOD is requesting proposals from industry for the manufacture of the following energetic materials:

Found: It builds on a similar programme run by the Ministry of Defence to support armed forces leavers into

Found: MOD showcases integrated wargaming expertise at NATO’s Premier Concept Development Conference

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