Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 65 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, from where the UK Defence Innovation Rapid Innovation Unit will access below market rate loans.

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

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) will continue invest in structures to support business growth and to increase investment into SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional defence and security suppliers to support a diverse and agile supply chain and ensure delivery of pioneering capability to national security and defence.

The UKDI - Defence and Security Accelerator (UKDI_DASA) is a Special Partner in the delivery of The Defence and Security (D&S) Seed Fund portfolio, which is funded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and sits within UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S). UKI2S is a Pre seed and Seed fund for defence and Security SMEs with investment from MOD for SME innovation looking for private equity funding.

The UKDI - Defence and Security Accelerator (UKDI_DASA) supported by Innovate UK Loans Ltd (Innovate UK) delivers a Defence funding competition: the Defence Innovation Loan. This service provides an opportunity for single Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with solutions to defence themed problems to apply for a Defence Innovation Loan of between £100,000 and £1 million with a below market interest rate of 7.4% per annum

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 65 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what seed grants he plans to use to fund the UK Defence Innovation Rapid Innovation Unit.

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

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) will continue invest in structures to support business growth and to increase investment into SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional defence and security suppliers to support a diverse and agile supply chain and ensure delivery of pioneering capability to national security and defence.

The UKDI - Defence and Security Accelerator (UKDI_DASA) is a Special Partner in the delivery of The Defence and Security (D&S) Seed Fund portfolio, which is funded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and sits within UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S). UKI2S is a Pre seed and Seed fund for defence and Security SMEs with investment from MOD for SME innovation looking for private equity funding.

The UKDI - Defence and Security Accelerator (UKDI_DASA) supported by Innovate UK Loans Ltd (Innovate UK) delivers a Defence funding competition: the Defence Innovation Loan. This service provides an opportunity for single Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with solutions to defence themed problems to apply for a Defence Innovation Loan of between £100,000 and £1 million with a below market interest rate of 7.4% per annum

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, what recent progress he has made in helping support the creation of a defence tech start-up company that could be valued at over $1 billion.

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

One of the goals set out in the Government's Defence Industrial Strategy is to encourage the growth of the next UK-based defence technology company valued at over US$1 billion, to be achieved through a range of measures that will make defence a more attractive investment for private capital.

Chief amongst these is the development of the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS), which will identify barriers to investment in defence, and recommend how these may be overcome to make the defence sector a more attractive investment for private capital.

The Defence Investors Advisory Group has recently been established to help develop the DFIS. This body includes a number of individuals with extensive experience in the financial sector.

The DFIS is due to be published in Spring 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 65 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what the (a) scope and (b) criteria are of the new competitions to create long range, cheap and mass-produced one-way attack drones.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is working with the Front-Line Commands (FLCs) and across the ecosystem to build on existing uncrewed systems (UxS) delivery. There is significant work ongoing across Defence on the development of UxS as we look to rapidly iterate novel capabilities, learn lessons from Ukraine, support the Government's growth agenda and grow the UK technology sector. A competition for novel uncrewed aerial systems will launch in early 2026.

There is a wide spectrum of UxS requirements from across Defence, some are complementary whilst others are bespoke to each Service. The scope and requirement of competitions for will primarily look at range, payload, size and survivability of UxS as required by the FLCs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 69 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, where he plans to establish the Defence Energy and Capability Resilience Centre of Excellence.

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

The Defence Energy and Capability Resilience Centre of Excellence (DECX) is being established initially as a virtual entity, with Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) acting as the custodian.

The final decision regarding location will be confirmed once DECX reaches full operating capability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which units will receive (a) ARES and (b) Athena; and how many each will receive.

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

I can confirm that 93 ARES and 112 ATHENA will be fielded to armoured units within the Deep Recce Strike and Armoured Brigades.

This information is not broken down further as this would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 65 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to launch the competitions for novel uncrewed aerial systems.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is working with the Front-Line Commands (FLCs) and across the ecosystem to build on existing uncrewed systems (UxS) delivery. There is significant work ongoing across Defence on the development of UxS as we look to rapidly iterate novel capabilities, learn lessons from Ukraine, support the Government's growth agenda and grow the UK technology sector. A competition for novel uncrewed aerial systems will launch in early 2026.

There is a wide spectrum of UxS requirements from across Defence, some are complementary whilst others are bespoke to each Service. The scope and requirement of competitions for will primarily look at range, payload, size and survivability of UxS as required by the FLCs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department plans to spend in the Rapid Commercial Exploitation procurement segment in the 2025-26 financial year.

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

The Rapid Commercial Exploitation Procurement Segment is still in the process of being defined to meet the establishment date of 1 April 2026 in-line with the Strategic Defence Review. There are therefore no current plans to spend on the subject Segment during this Financial Year.

We are looking to pilot some projects within this Financial Year. The details of the pilots will be finalised before the end of 2025, within which we will look for in-year opportunities wherever possible.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will allocate funding to support mental health services for armed forces (a) personnel and (b) reservists in the Autumn Budget 2025.

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

The mental health and wellbeing of our Armed Forces is a priority for the Government and will continue to be funded.

All Service personnel have access to mental health support throughout their career, including medical and non-medical services. This includes, but is not limited to, preventative support such as wellbeing services, digital content, access to trained mental health first aiders, interventional support, and appointments with clinical staff.

For Armed Forces personnel requiring dedicated mental healthcare, the Defence Medical Services provides a responsive, flexible, accessible, and comprehensive treatment service.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what financial support the Government has provided the Commonwealth War Graves Commission since July 2024.

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

The Government provided £59.24 million to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission during the Financial Year 2024-25.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for the appointment of the National Armaments Director.

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

The National Armaments Director (NAD) was appointed on 13 October 2025 and started the role on 14 October 2025.

The hon. Gentleman met him on 27 October in the House and I hope he found it useful.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 85 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he is taking to improve the demand signal.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is strengthening how it communicates its demand signal to industry through the establishment of a new Market Engagement (ME) Coordinating Authority within the NAD Group. This new authority will set the standard for how the MOD engages with industry during the early ‘options’ phase of the defence capability development cycle.

The ME Authority will lead structured, early engagement with suppliers, to help refine the MOD’s requirements ahead of procurement and support the development of capability roadmaps that clearly communicate the Department’s long-term needs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of his Department's expenditure with industry groups was spent in each region in the latest period for which data is available.

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

The Ministry of Defence publishes annual statistics on expenditure by region, with the latest publication for the 2024-25 period available GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mod-regional-expenditure-with-industry-index.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the share of the global defence export market held by UK-based companies.

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

The UK publishes annual Official Statistics on defence exports. The five-year moving average of UK defence exports orders has shown a trend of modest growth since 2018 and stands at approximately £10 billion. Market intelligence on other countries’ exports is also published. But because Official Statistics and market intelligence use different methodologies, respective results are not comparable. There are publicly available defence export datasets, such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which make their own assessments independent of His Majesty's Government.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the level of venture capital investment there is within UK defence companies that sit within the Defence Industrial Strategy.

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

This Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) (published on 8 September 2025) sets how we will deliver a more competitive, innovative, resilient and integrated defence sector to make defence an engine for growth. To assess progress against the priority outcomes of the strategy we will consider a range of indicators, including levels of venture capital investment in UK defence companies. This is being considered as part of our DIS implementation plan, ensuring that we improve the data we hold on venture capital investment in defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made with his EU counterparts on further military cooperation between the UK and Common Security and Defence Policy exercises.

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

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union on 19 May 2025 is an example of this Government delivering on our manifesto commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.

We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy as set out in the Security and Defence Review.

The Security and Defence Partnership outlines that the UK will consider its participation in EU CSDP civilian and military crisis management activity. This cooperation can take many forms and officials are in discussions with the EU to explore potential options.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty to include all (a) (i) UK and (ii) devolved government Departments and (b) policy areas.

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

The Government’s election manifesto committed to placing the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law. During Armed Forces week in June, the Prime Minister announced that Service personnel, Veterans, their families and the bereaved are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central and devolved Governments for the first time under new plans to extend the Covenant Legal Duty to more policy areas and across the UK. It is our ambition to include these statutory changes in the next Armed Forces Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty amongst service personnel.

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

Defence has made a concerted effort and is absolutely committed to raising awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty through our election manifesto commitment to fully extend the duty into law. This includes the creation of a Duty toolkit which explains the practical implications for the Armed Forces community and outlines the key policies that it encompasses. The toolkit is held on the Covenant’s dedicated website, available at the following link: https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/

Questions concerning the Duty are embedded within both the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey and Families Continuous Attitude Survey, helping to assess awareness levels and identify areas where Service personnel and families may face disadvantage. Through the implementation of the Covenant Legal Duty Extension, we will be producing and providing educational and communications’ resources to support understanding further.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 110 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what funding he has provided for (a) attack drones, (b) surveillance drones and (c) counter-drone-systems.

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

Drones and counter drone systems are integral to the modern way of warfighting, exemplified in the lessons gleaned from the war in Ukraine. The Strategic Defence Review announced an increase in autonomy investment of £2 billion in this Parliament, taking total Defence investment in autonomy to circa £4 billion. The funding provided for attack drones, surveillance drones and counter-drone systems will be announced as part of the Defence Investment Plan in Autumn 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 43 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, which projects are in scope of the £4 billion funding for autonomous systems.

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

A wide breadth of autonomous systems are under consideration for autonomous funding as described in the National Security Strategy and will be subject to prioritisation to ensure optimum operational benefit. The projects to be included within the £4 billion funding for autonomous systems will form part of the Defence Investment Plan in Autumn 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 70 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he expects the Defence Tech Scaler pilot be fully operational.

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

Defence Tech Scaler is at Minimum Viable Product phase as of September 2025 while the marketplace and processes are under development.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to expanding and improving Defence Tech Scaler with a view to make it fully operational in 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 69 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what recent progress the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has made with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency to help support generation-after-next innovation.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a longstanding relationship and regular conversation with for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Staff engagement is regular and pre-dates the Strategic Defence Review.

Building on this, officials from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) have begun initial conversations with their counterparts in the Advanced Research and Innovation Agency in relation to specific areas of technology with potential defence interest.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 69 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what national security issues the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory plans to prioritise.

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

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory plans to prioritise national security issues aligned with the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group organisational design as part of Defence Reform, which remains in progress.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, this list will include chemical and biological defence, novel and unconventional weapons systems, counter-terrorism technology and manufacturing, including specialist munitions, and other areas where the Ministry of Defence requires to be an intelligent customer for Science and Technology.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 51 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to commission the Competition and Markets Authority to support his Department in monitoring (a) competition and (b) supply chain structures in the defence industrial base.

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

In accordance with the Defence Industrial Strategy the Department is already engaged with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Public Policy Team to provide subject matter expertise on the review of the single source contracting regulations. The CMA are also working with the Department in reviewing the state of defence competition.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what criteria would need to be met to define a bank as part of the defence industrial base.

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

Work on this matter is ongoing and as a result it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, how the members of the Defence Industrial Joint Council are selected.

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

Membership of the Ministerially chaired council comprises a diverse group of defence sector partners, including SMEs, primes, tech, investors, trade associations, academia and Trade Unions. This signals a significant step in establishing the MOD’s new approach to partnerships; one focused on collaboration across the breadth of the UK’s defence ecosystem.

All members of the DIJC have been appointed, via HMG’s Public Appointments Process, based on the expertise and insight they bring. Spaces allocated to different sector groups have, through necessity, been limited to ensure a Council with a diverse membership from across the defence landscape and of a suitable size to drive pace and support delivery of the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). All appointments to the DIJC top Council are made for an initial period of 12 months after which they will be reviewed, ensuring a principle of rotation is built into the membership and to provide opportunities for new organisations to participate.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, which trade unions will be designated as being part of the defence industrial base.

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

Through the Defence Industrial Strategy we are taking a ‘whole of society’ approach, where both traditional defence and dual use manufacturers are included in a broader UK defence industry.

Therefore, individual Trade Unions are not being classified as either inside or outside this new definition.

This approach encompasses all elements of the UK defence enterprise including major defence contractors, SMEs, academia and defence workforce.

At the Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) the interests of the workforce are represented by a number of Trade Unions. In line with other members of the DIJC, the Trade Unions representatives are appointed through HMG’s Public Appointments Process, based on the expertise and insight they bring.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 24 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, what steps he has taken to ensure that cryptography capability is UK-based.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that Crypt-Key is fundamental to the defence and security of the UK. The ability to develop Crypt-Key technologies and capabilities is a strategic imperative for the United Kingdom’s (UK) national security.

The National Crypt-Key Strategy and the Crypt-Key Industrial Strategy were approved by the National Security Council (NSC) in May 2022. The MOD has implemented the core strategy outcomes such as the Cabinet Office Spent Control measures for Crypt-Key and continues to support their full implementation.

The Defence Industrial Strategy (2025) continues to recognise Crypt-Key as a critical sub-sector where strategic imperative requires full, or majority, industrial capability to be UK-based.

The MOD has taken the appropriate steps to ensure alignment to the Crypt-Key strategies.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of Project Loca.

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

For reasons of operational security, I am unable to provide details relating to Project Loca.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of Project drone academy.

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

Project DRONE ACADEMY was an innovation project delivered by Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (formerly UK Strategic Command) innovation team, the jHub. The project sought to explore novel learning pathways to rapidly deliver uncrewed systems (UxS) training, namely on First Person View (FPV) drones, to personnel across Defence.

The outputs from Project DRONE ACADEMY have been used to inform longer term Defence training requirements, while concurrently providing Defence with a base level of FPV operators to build upon.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they have put in place to support members of the armed forces with their mental health following retirement.

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

Throughout the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Defence Veterans’ Welfare Service (VWS) provides advice and support to veterans, anyone supporting a veteran, their families and dependants. The VWS works with the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, local authorities, voluntary organisations and service charities and will routinely assign a case manager and assist with engagement with other services where needed. In England, Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE provide a broad range of specialist mental health, physical and wellbeing care services to veterans, with similar services available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Earlier this year, we announced VALOUR, a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support, which will ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans across the country.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of the Light Protected Mobility project.

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

The Light Protected Mobility sub programme, as part of the Land Mobility Programme, will deliver high mobility protected vehicles that fill the requirements currently met by Foxhound, Jackal, Husky and Panther. This will likely be achieved by modernising existing platforms to deliver greater utility and ability to operate as the host platform for new mission systems.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out-of-service date is of the L121A1 rifle.

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

On current plans, the Out of Service Dates (OSD) for the L115A3 and L121 rifles are 2030. An OSD enables future planning, however, it is ultimately a guideline which can be subject to change.

The UK Armed Forces continually assesses its current capabilities to ensure that it is appropriately equipped to face any adversary. If it remains an effective and required capability at the time of the planned OSD, it is possible that the OSD will be extended.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out-of-service date is of the L115A3 rifle.

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

On current plans, the Out of Service Dates (OSD) for the L115A3 and L121 rifles are 2030. An OSD enables future planning, however, it is ultimately a guideline which can be subject to change.

The UK Armed Forces continually assesses its current capabilities to ensure that it is appropriately equipped to face any adversary. If it remains an effective and required capability at the time of the planned OSD, it is possible that the OSD will be extended.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of the Heavy Protected Mobility project.

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

The Heavy Protected Mobility sub-programme, as part of the Land Mobility Programme, will deliver a new Heavy Protected vehicle to Army front line forces replacing existing Protected Mobility platforms.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 52 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what progress he has made on implementing a bespoke commercial pathway for SMEs.

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

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hold a crucial place in UK defence. They are the backbone of the UK economy and are vital to delivering the innovation, expertise and agility that we need now and in the future. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy, as well as the Department’s Social Value policy.

We work with our largest suppliers through a network of their SME Champions, trade associations and SME representatives to ensure that smaller companies have access to opportunities in our supply chain and that our prime contractors are adopting policies, such as fair payment practices, that support small businesses working in defence. We are also introducing a new SME Commercial Pathway as part of our broader acquisition transformation. Through this pathway, Defence will increase the number of opportunities for SMEs, and make our contracting processes simpler, less onerous and faster.

This Government has already announced an ambitious but achievable target to spend £7.5 billion with SMEs by 2028 which will see direct spend increase by approximately £700 million during the next three years, and we will launch a new Office For Small Business Growth to provide SMEs with better access to the defence supply chain, ensuring that thousands of small businesses in the UK, continue to lead the way in developing the world-beating technologies and services that we will need.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 28 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, what progress he has made in reducing the regulatory burden for defence suppliers.

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

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hold a crucial place in UK defence. They are the backbone of the UK economy and are vital to delivering the innovation, expertise and agility that we need now and in the future. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy, as well as the Department’s Social Value policy.

We work with our largest suppliers through a network of their SME Champions, trade associations and SME representatives to ensure that smaller companies have access to opportunities in our supply chain and that our prime contractors are adopting policies, such as fair payment practices, that support small businesses working in defence. We are also introducing a new SME Commercial Pathway as part of our broader acquisition transformation. Through this pathway, Defence will increase the number of opportunities for SMEs, and make our contracting processes simpler, less onerous and faster.

This Government has already announced an ambitious but achievable target to spend £7.5 billion with SMEs by 2028 which will see direct spend increase by approximately £700 million during the next three years, and we will launch a new Office For Small Business Growth to provide SMEs with better access to the defence supply chain, ensuring that thousands of small businesses in the UK, continue to lead the way in developing the world-beating technologies and services that we will need.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of the Land Mobility Programme.

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

The Land Mobility Programme (LMP) is a 20-year pan-Defence programme that seeks to deliver a fleet of over 13,000 digitally enabled, adaptable utility and protected mobility vehicles to the Joint Force. The programme comprises of three sub-programmes: Heavy Protected Mobility, Light Protected Mobility and Light Mobility Vehicle.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of Project Atilla.

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

Project Atilla will look to deliver an Uncrewed Ground Vehicle Minefield Breaching capability. The Project is currently in its concept phase.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he has taken to reform his Department's (a) procurement and (b) acquisition systems.

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

Implementation of the procurement and acquisition reforms set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy is underway, under the new National Armaments Director who took up post on 14 October 2025.

We are introducing service-agnostic capability portfolios, aligned with wider departmental reforms. The portfolio-driven approach will increase pace and adaptability, enabling us to maximise the output from our investment, reduce waste and be more market aligned.

Five commercial pathways have been launched for Spiral, Urgent, Design to Cost, Digital & Technology and Low Complexity Procurement. These pathways underpin the new segmented approach to procurement. A new Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) commercial pathway is being introduced to increase the number of opportunities for SMEs and make our contracting processes simpler, less onerous and faster.

The Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme will create greater resilience, speed and adaptability in the supply chain to underpin our warfighting edge and help to drive economic growth in the context of increasing global instability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 52 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what recent steps he has taken to better cohere UK Defence Sector Supplier Development.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that SMEs seeking to work in defence face unique challenges. The department is committed to simplifying access to UK defence for SMEs removing unnecessary barriers and making it easier for small businesses to find the right support and guidance.

Work on delivering the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth is well underway, and MOD has consulted widely with small businesses and across UK industry to ensure that the new service meets defence SMEs needs.

The exact detail of how the Office for Small Business Growth will operate, including the scope of services is being developed in close consultation with industry but will include more coherent access to existing supplier development programmes and a range of direct services to SMEs enabling them to better navigate the UK defence environment.

Initial operating capability will be achieved in the spring of 2026

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 52 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he has taken to help support SMEs to access (a) financial and (b) growth capital.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 4 September 2025 to Question 70206 to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Ms Slade).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 52 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what recent progress he has made in establishing the Defence Office for Small Business Growth.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that SMEs seeking to work in defence face unique challenges. The department is committed to simplifying access to UK defence for SMEs removing unnecessary barriers and making it easier for small businesses to find the right support and guidance.

Work on delivering the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth is well underway, and MOD has consulted widely with small businesses and across UK industry to ensure that the new service meets defence SMEs needs.

The exact detail of how the Office for Small Business Growth will operate, including the scope of services is being developed in close consultation with industry but will include more coherent access to existing supplier development programmes and a range of direct services to SMEs enabling them to better navigate the UK defence environment.

Initial operating capability will be achieved in the spring of 2026

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 52 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what support he plans to provide to (a) small businesses and (b) start-ups.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that SMEs seeking to work in defence face unique challenges. The department is committed to simplifying access to UK defence for SMEs removing unnecessary barriers and making it easier for small businesses to find the right support and guidance.

Work on delivering the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth is well underway, and MOD has consulted widely with small businesses and across UK industry to ensure that the new service meets defence SMEs needs.

The exact detail of how the Office for Small Business Growth will operate, including the scope of services is being developed in close consultation with industry but will include more coherent access to existing supplier development programmes and a range of direct services to SMEs enabling them to better navigate the UK defence environment.

Initial operating capability will be achieved in the spring of 2026

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, what recent progress he has made in halving the gap with US venture capital funding into defence.

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

The Defence Finance and Investment Strategy announced in the Defence Industrial Strategy and at the Defence Investment Summit is under development and due to be published in early 2026. It will look at the entire spectrum of defence companies, from start-ups through to primes, and provide recommendations to the Defence Secretary on how barriers to investment in defence can be removed while making the sector more attractive for private investment, including venture capital, private equity and pension funds.

Development of the strategy is supported by a new Defence Investors’ Advisory Group who will bring their industry expertise to our central mission to boost high-growth, high-tech companies of the future and build the next unicorn defence company in the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 42 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to publish the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy.

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

The Defence Finance and Investment Strategy will be published in early 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 52 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to publish the SME Action Plan.

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

We are focused on ensuring that more SMEs can access opportunities throughout the defence supply-chain.

We are committed to publishing our SME Action Plan which will focus on delivering a step-change in SME engagement both directly and indirectly. The action plan will be published as soon as practicable after the conclusion of the Defence Investment Plan process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 63 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, to what structures UK Defence Innovation plans to provide funding to help support non-traditional defence suppliers.

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

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence approaches innovation. We recognise that innovative companies, start-ups and non-traditional defence suppliers have long faced significant barriers when engaging with defence innovation programmes.

UKDI will invest in frameworks and initiatives to foster business growth and attract increased investment into SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional defence suppliers. This approach aims to cultivate a diverse and agile supply chain, ensuring the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to support national security and defence. Simultaneously, these efforts will align with the UKDI's strategic objectives of advancing the technology sector and driving economic growth.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 44144 on Armed Forces: Training, what recent steps his Department has taken to help improve the Britannia Royal Naval College’s OFSTED rating to Outstanding.

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

The Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring the highest standards of training and welfare across all its establishments, including the Britannia Royal Naval College, which was rated GOOD following Ofsted’s most recent inspection.

The Royal Navy has reflected on the recommendations made by Ofsted following their inspection of Britannia Royal Naval College, and continues to invest in all areas recommended by the Ofsted report. This continues to make Britannia Royal Naval College a safe place for living, studying and working.

This has included: enhancing staff training and support; the renovation and refurbishment of trainee accommodation and facilities; and establishing processes to better identify learning needs and introduce the tailored support needed so that all trainees have an equal opportunity to learn.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 44144 on Armed Forces: Training, what recent steps his Department has taken to help improve HMNB Clyde’s OFSTED rating to Outstanding.

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

The Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring the highest standards of training and welfare across all its establishments, including HMNB Clyde which was rated GOOD following Ofsted’s most recent inspection.

The Royal Navy has reflected on the recommendations made by Ofsted following their inspection of HMNB Clyde and continues to implement improvements as recommended by the Ofsted report. This continues to make HMNB Clyde a safe place for living, studying and working.

This has included: implementing new governance structures for learning, as well as care and welfare, and the continued renovation and refurbishment of trainee accommodation and facilities, complementing the wider works to improve HMNB Clyde.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support armed forces personnel who have experienced intimate partner violence and abuse.

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

Defence will not tolerate domestic abuse in any form and will respond to any formal allegations and take necessary action against perpetrators. Addressing domestic abuse is a ministerial priority and a shared responsibility for defence leaders, and providing support and care to victims and survivors is a priority for me and those in Defence tasked with tackling this issue.

Our efforts to combat domestic abuse include a robust, consistent and persistent response, informed staff, and the fostering of an open and understanding culture, where support is offered and seeking support is encouraged. We aim to create a culture where every person feels empowered to report instances that are perpetrated against or by Defence personnel, regardless of seniority or position.

The Ministry of Defence Domestic Abuse Action Plan 2024-2029 was formally published in March 2024 and details key actions Defence is taking to tackle domestic abuse. These include how we will prevent, intervene, and partner to support those affected and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.

For victims and survivors, we not only offer practical and emotional support from our own welfare organisations and the Victim Witness Care Unit, but we also partner with external specialists such as Aurora New Dawn and Mankind. Both of these organisations receive funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and provide support to Armed Forces personnel and their families.

Our efforts also include Raising Our Standards (ROS), which exists improve culture and tackle all unacceptable behaviours, which includes initiatives that are preventative in nature.

Defence is committed to playing our part in this government’s commitment to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade, and we are taking a public health approach to addressing VAWG. This means taking a preventative approach to tackle the drivers of offending, whilst expanding victim support and ensuring swift and certain enforcement after an incident takes place. Other work underway through ROS also includes a King’s Counsel Review of Defence Zero Tolerance policies, a tri-Service complaints unit removing complaints from the single Service chain of command for the first time and funding for a new military appraisal system.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 37 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what progress he has made in developing an autonomous air dominance system capable of integrating with (a) directed energy weapons and (b) connectivity with integrated air and missile defence system assets.

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

Integrated Air and Missile Defence investments will be prioritised appropriately against the threat as part of the future Integrated Force. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be set out in the Defence Investment Plan to be published this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 64 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, how his Department plans to identify growth opportunities for the defence innovation portfolio operated by UK Defence Innovation.

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

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence approaches innovation. We recognise that innovative companies, start-ups and non-traditional defence suppliers have long faced significant barriers when engaging with defence innovation programmes.

UKDI will invest in frameworks and initiatives to foster business growth and attract increased investment into SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional defence suppliers. This approach aims to cultivate a diverse and agile supply chain, ensuring the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to support national security and defence. Simultaneously, these efforts will align with the UKDI's strategic objectives of advancing the technology sector and driving economic growth.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 64 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he expects UK Defence Innovation to establish a defence innovation portfolio.

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

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence approaches innovation. We recognise that innovative companies, start-ups and non-traditional defence suppliers have long faced significant barriers when engaging with defence innovation programmes.

UKDI will invest in frameworks and initiatives to foster business growth and attract increased investment into SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional defence suppliers. This approach aims to cultivate a diverse and agile supply chain, ensuring the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to support national security and defence. Simultaneously, these efforts will align with the UKDI's strategic objectives of advancing the technology sector and driving economic growth.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 71 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what his planned timetable is for reducing the burden of Defence Standards and Conditions by at least 50%.

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

As this work is still in its early stages, a definitive timeline cannot be confirmed at this time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 71 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to begin the targeted sprint on autonomous systems.

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

The targeted sprint on autonomous systems has already begun, with the initial sprint stage due to conclude in November 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 78 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, who the UK’s regional partners are in the South China Sea.

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

The UK's regional partners listed in the Strategic Defence Review include Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The UK also has a long-standing partnership with Brunei, where we have recently renewed our agreement to maintain the Garison, which is home to a battalion from the Royal Gurkha Regiment. Alongside New Zealand and Australia, Singapore and Malaysia, the UK is a member of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, which promotes cooperation and interoperability in the region. The UK also regularly collaborate with our remaining Five Eyes partners Canada and the United States.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of Project Brakestop.

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

In response to a Ukrainian demand for additional long-range effectors, the Ministyry of Defence initiated Project BRAKESTOP, which is the development of a new, low-cost, ground launched, 200kg+, cruise missile for Ukraine, with a 600km+ range.

The project was initiated in October 2024 with industry engagement followed by an invitation to tender. Full details of the specifications for BRAKESTOP are available via the publicly accessible Defence Sourcing Portal.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 42 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, last updated on 18 September 2025, CP 1388, what his planned timetable is for the establishment of the Defence Investors Advisory Group.

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

The Defence Investors Advisory Group has been established, and its co-chairs have been announced as Kerry Baldwin and Sharon White.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Groundbreaking Ukraine tech sharing agreement to deliver drones and support jobs, published on 10 September 2025, what proportion of the manufacture of drones will take place in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Ukraine.

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

The advanced new air defence interceptor drone, named Project Octopus, will be mass produced in the UK with a target to produced thousands per month to provide to Ukraine to support its ongoing fight for freedom against Russia’s illegal full scale invasion. No decision has yet been made on the proportion of manufacturing to be conducted in the UK and in Ukraine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 46 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what progress has he made on investing in cutting-edge teaching and university facilities to increase places in defence-related courses.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is investing £80 million in our world leading universities so they can invest in cutting edge facilities and expand places in defence related courses, including in engineering and computer science disciplines. The MOD is working closely with the Department for Education on plans for the delivery of this funding, and further details will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what discussions his Department has had with the Mayoral Strategic Authority of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough on this strategy.

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

Prior to the publication of the Defence Industrial Strategy, significant regional engagement took place across the United Kingdom, including with the Mayoral Strategic Authority of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, which helped shape the development of this strategy.

Ministry of Defence representatives also attended a Senior Place Session with the Mayoral Strategic Authority of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough on 29 September, which discussed obstacles to growth in the region and how these could be overcome.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he is taking to increase funding in (a) priority sub-sectors, (b) places and (c) resolving skills challenges.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy sets out how the Ministry of Defence will direct funding to support national security sub-sectors such as AI, cyber, energetics and shipbuilding. Five Defence Growth Deals are being established across the UK, backed by a £250 million investment and will support those priority sub-sectors. The Defence Industrial Strategy is supporting skills with an investment of £182 million to resolve skills challenges across the UK, working with devolved and local Government to do this. The Defence Investment Plan, which will be published this autumn, will work to ensure that defence is investing in these sub-sectors to deliver growth for the whole of the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 80771 on Defence: Industry, whether he has had decisions with (a) the Northern Ireland Economy Minister and (b) Invest Northern Ireland on the Northern Ireland Defence Growth Deal.

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

Ministry of Defence officials have engaged several stakeholders in Northern Ireland regarding the proposed Defence Growth Deal that was announced in the Defence Industrial Strategy. This has included officials in the Northern Ireland Executive as well as industry and academia. Engagement on the development of the growth deal will continue over the coming months.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 46 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to launch a new Apprenticeship and Graduate Clearing System.

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

Dates have not been confirmed for the launch of the Apprenticeship and Graduate Clearing System. We will work closely with industry, including through the Defence Industrial Joint Council, to develop and pilot this system. Further information will be released in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who is the responsible Minister for the Team Plymouth partership.

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

The responsible Minister for the Team Plymouth partnership is the Minister of State in the House of Lords, my noble. Friend, The Lord Coaker.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, what the UK’s reformed commercial model is.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), makes a commitment to transform our acquisition system, taking a broad view of measures and approaches, including streamlining decision-making, a segmented approach to procurement, digitally enabled acquisition, and accelerated commercial pathways. Work is already underway to deliver against these ambitions, helping to ensure our acquisition system is fit for the future.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 48 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what his Department's planned timetable is for broadening the range of employers it supports through the Jobs and Careers Service.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions through the new Jobs and Careers Service is taking steps to broaden its support for employers by engaging over 8,000 strategic and local businesses, tailoring services to regional labour market needs, and collaborating with trade bodies and Government Departments to deliver inclusive recruitment campaigns, sector-specific training, and modernised job-matching tools. This is as a result of the Get Britain Working White Paper published in November 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 51 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to publish the new approach to applying social value to incentivise industry to support the objectives within the Defence Industrial Strategy.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) makes a commitment to establish a Social Value Model that works for defence. This includes adopting a new approach to applying social value in defence to incentivise industry to support DIS objectives of driving growth and a more thriving industrial sector and require delivery of social value in the UK to the greatest extent possible. While it is estimated this work will be completed by the end of 2025, and implemented in 2026-27, it will build on the existing Social Value opportunities that support DIS objectives.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) SMEs and (b) non-traditional suppliers are involved in his Department's innovation programmes.

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

Defence is focussed on exploiting new and innovative ideas and technologies to secure a competitive edge for our Armed Forces. Within the scope of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), there are currently 49 programmes funded through investment vehicles such as the Defence Innovation Fund (DIF) and the Exploitation Fund (ExF). The number of SMEs and non-traditional suppliers involved in these programmes is not currently defined.

Furthermore, the UKDI Defence and security accelerator (UKDI-DASA) has launched 12 themed competitions and ran five cycles of the Open Call for Innovation. UKDI-DASA has funded 123 projects, of which 73% were with SMEs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what innovation programmes managed by his Department are in progress.

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

Defence is focussed on exploiting new and innovative ideas and technologies to secure a competitive edge for our Armed Forces. Within the scope of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), there are currently 49 programmes funded through investment vehicles such as the Defence Innovation Fund (DIF) and the Exploitation Fund (ExF). The number of SMEs and non-traditional suppliers involved in these programmes is not currently defined.

Furthermore, the UKDI Defence and security accelerator (UKDI-DASA) has launched 12 themed competitions and ran five cycles of the Open Call for Innovation. UKDI-DASA has funded 123 projects, of which 73% were with SMEs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of his Department's suppliers are registered on the central procurement platform.

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

The Department has a total of 20,690 active unique suppliers with live contracts

The Department has a total of 131,172 unique suppliers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, what the scope is of the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme.

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

The Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP) is a multi-year transformation programme aimed at building resilient, agile, and collaborative supply chains underpinning both national security and economic growth.

It is a central delivery vehicle for the Defence Industrial Strategy and the Strategic Defence Review, aligning priorities to safeguard operational and UK sovereignty, industry and warfighting readiness; embedding resilience, and a more transparent, innovative partnership with industry.

The programme is shifting from reactive to proactive supply chain risk management, underpinned by digital innovation. Capabilities including scenario modelling and supply architecture will help anticipate disruptions and assess operational impact. Early industry involvement in capability development—through the Defence Joint Industrial Council—will strengthen collaboration, by providing industry with much more visibility of Ministry of Defence future plans.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the refit of HMS Victorious will be completed and when will it re-join the nuclear submarine fleet.

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

I am withholding details of when HMS VICTORIOUS will complete her refit and re-join the Fleet as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of Project Replicator 2.

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

REPLICATOR 2 is a US Department of War initiative delivered through the US Defense Innovation Unit (US DIU) to Counter threats from Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS). Under this initiative UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has entered into a joint project with the US DIU to rapidly develop Low Collateral Defeat (LCD) solutions to counter small-Unmanned Aerial Systems (CsUAS) within the US or UK homeland.

The project is being run by the US DIU utilising their Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process. Phase 1 took place in May 2025, and saw over 200 US and UK companies apply to the Area of Interest issued by the USDIU. Following a period of evaluation, which included UK participation, 18 potential solutions were down-selected to present their solutions to a joint US-UK evaluation board. Upon completion of this board in September 2025, eight companies, including two UK options, were selected for Phase 2 – Prototyping. Following this, any successful protypes, will be considered for procurement by UK and US transition partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps his Department is taking to help support British tech companies to scale up.

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

One of the top priority outcomes in the Defence Industrial Strategy, published on 8 September 2025, is to put the UK at the leading edge of defence innovation. To support tech companies to scale up we have launched the new UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), supported by a ringfenced annual budget of at least £400 million. UKDI will support and grow the UK technology sector, including improving companies’ access to innovation funding and advice, and drive pace and agility of defence innovation (Section 5.2). In addition, we are also streamlining the regulatory environment to make it fit for the current era of threat, removing barriers limiting faster delivery, scale up and innovation at wartime pace (Section 5.2.4).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he has taken to help reduce barriers to innovation within the defence industry.

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

As of July 1, 2025 UK Defence Innovation has reached initial operating capability.

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) approaches innovation. We recognised that for too long, innovative companies and start-ups faced significant barriers when trying to engage with defence innovation programmes. The previous landscape was fragmented, slow, and difficult to navigate, which prevented promising companies from scaling their solutions and securing the investment they needed to grow.

The Establishment of UKDI consolidates and simplifies structures, creating a clearer pathway for innovation that aligns with the Government's agile state agenda and ensures we can harness the best of British innovation for our defence capabilities.

Sat at the heart of the National Armaments Director Group, UKDI will accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge commercial technology in support of Defence’s most pressing strategic challenges. We are drawing upon the success of the US Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) model relevant to the UK Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he is taking to increase innovation in the defence sector.

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

As of July 1, 2025 UK Defence Innovation has reached initial operating capability.

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) approaches innovation. We recognised that for too long, innovative companies and start-ups faced significant barriers when trying to engage with defence innovation programmes. The previous landscape was fragmented, slow, and difficult to navigate, which prevented promising companies from scaling their solutions and securing the investment they needed to grow.

The Establishment of UKDI consolidates and simplifies structures, creating a clearer pathway for innovation that aligns with the Government's agile state agenda and ensures we can harness the best of British innovation for our defence capabilities.

Sat at the heart of the National Armaments Director Group, UKDI will accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge commercial technology in support of Defence’s most pressing strategic challenges. We are drawing upon the success of the US Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) model relevant to the UK Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 28 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, when he plans to establish a defence competition index.

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

This Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) (published on 8 September 2025) sets how we will deliver a more competitive, innovative, resilient and integrated defence sector to make defence an engine for growth. To assess progress against the priority outcomes of the strategy we will consider a range of indicators, including a competition index. This is being considered as part of our DIS implementation plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to facilitate the return of the anchor of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales to the United Kingdom to be placed in the National Memorial Arboretum.

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

The Ministry of Defence are currently exploring various options regarding the anchor from HMS Prince of Wales, but no final decisions have yet been made. The Malaysian authorities continue to have primacy over the investigation into the illegal salvage of the ship.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, of making a dry dock in Gibraltar available for use by Royal Navy nuclear submarines.

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

Analysis of docking capacity for the maintenance of Submarines and Warships is the subject of ongoing analysis as part of the Royal Navy’s planning process - the Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) Programme is an integral part of this.

There are no current plans to mandate the use of Gibraltar for Submarine Dry Docking.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what criteria would need to be met to define an academic institution as part of the defence industrial base.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy adopts a whole of society approach to the defence sector and redefines the UK defence industrial base to include academic institutions based on the contribution they make to defence Research and Development and the provision of skills and education needed in the workforce that defence relies upon.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to encourage the setting up of combined cadet force units in state schools.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Department for Education (DfE) recognise the vital work of Cadet Forces in schools, membership of which is proven to help develop self-confidence, teamwork, leadership and resilience in young people. Since 2012 the two Departments have been working together on the joint Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) in schools. This has seen a significant increase in the number of Cadet Units in schools – the vast majority being Combined Cadet Force contingents – with the focus on improving provision in the state sector. Prior to the CEP, 75% of School Cadet Units were in independent schools; now around 60% are in the state sector.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recommended an expansion of in-school and community-based Cadet Forces across the UK of 30% by 2030, an increase of some 40,000 new Cadets, backed by an investment of £70 million. The CEP will form a key component of this initiative. Expanding the Cadet Forces, which provide skills and qualifications to young people from diverse backgrounds, and support economic growth, will benefit all areas of the UK, and work is already underway to establish where the 30% increase will be realised. The SDR is clear on the need for a whole of society approach to defence and the ongoing relationship between the MOD and the DfE is an important element of that plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to identify and honour the remains of Royal Naval sailors lost with the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.

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

Investigations into the illegal salvage are still ongoing. The Ministry of Defence is unable to provide a response regarding the presence of human remains until these investigations have concluded.

Should any remains of British Service personnel be identified, the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) will ensure that they are afforded a dignified military funeral and final resting place.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the level of venture capital investment is within UK defence companies within the Defence Industrial Strategy.

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

This Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) (published on 8 September 2025) sets how we will deliver a more competitive, innovative, resilient and integrated defence sector to make defence an engine for growth. To assess progress against the priority outcomes of the strategy we will consider a range of indicators, including levels of venture capital investment in UK defence companies. This is being considered as part of our DIS implementation plan, ensuring that we improve the data we hold on venture capital investment in defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK defence scale-ups are being tracked by his Department.

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

UK Defence Innovation track relevant UK defence scale-ups. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Business Growth and Finance team tracks approximately 300 high-growth SMEs in real time using the Beauhurst platform. Around 70% of these companies are demonstrating scale-up potential, evidenced through annualised growth rates, revenue, equity investment and other signals.

The Business Growth and Finance team focuses on supporting SMEs with scale-up potential.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what the nature is of the support he plans to provide to businesses.

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

This Defence Industrial Strategy (published on 8 September 2025) emphasises the importance of supporting UK-based businesses, to build a thriving, resilient and competitive UK industrial base. The nature of the support we are providing UK-based businesses is set out in Section 4 and includes a comprehensive review of defence contracting, establishing a new Defence Office for Small Business Growth and dedicated SME Commercial pathway, and transforming the way we export through the new Office for Defence Exports and new Government-to-Government exports offer. There are further measures throughout the strategy to create the business environment needed to the UK defence industry to thrive and grow in priority areas.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what recent steps he has taken to increase the competitiveness of the defence sector.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy, published on 8 September 2025, sets out our vision to make the UK defence sector more competitive, integrated, innovative and resilient. To do this, we are backing UK based businesses (Section 4), fixing defence procurement (Section 7) and putting the UK at the leading edge of defence innovation (Section 5), to make defence an engine for growth. Recent steps include the launch of UK Defence Innovation, the launch of an offset regime consultation, and progress towards the establishment of the Defence Office for Small Business Growth in Spring 2026. The Defence Investment Plan will include economic growth considerations and offer long-term procurement signals to encourage investment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Groundbreaking Ukraine tech sharing agreement to deliver drones and support jobs, published on 10 September 2025, what the in-service date is for the new air defence interceptor drone.

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

The new industrial partnership between UK and Ukraine has already made significant progress.

We have agreed project arrangements and we expect to start UK manufacturing of OCTOPUS drones within weeks.. Through project Octopus, our Ukrainian friends will share the technology and intellectual property with the UK – in turn we’ll develop this further and mass produce it to supply thousands of interceptor drones back to Ukraine monthly.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Groundbreaking Ukraine tech sharing agreement to deliver drones and support jobs, published on 10 September 2025, what his planned timeframe is for delivering Project Octopus.

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

The new industrial partnership between UK and Ukraine has already made significant progress.

We have agreed project arrangements and we expect to start UK manufacturing of OCTOPUS drones within weeks.. Through project Octopus, our Ukrainian friends will share the technology and intellectual property with the UK – in turn we’ll develop this further and mass produce it to supply thousands of interceptor drones back to Ukraine monthly.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Groundbreaking Ukraine tech sharing agreement to deliver drones and support jobs, published on 10 September 2025, whether Project Octopus will solely produce interceptor drones.

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

As part of the groundbreaking new technology sharing agreement with Ukraine, the first project, Octopus, will focus solely on the joint development of an advanced new air defence interceptor drone.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 42 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, last updated on 18 September 2025, what are the existing financing options available for the defence sector.

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

The UK defence sector has several existing options aimed at supporting innovation, resilience and growth across supply chains. Government options include the National Wealth Fund, the British Business Bank and National Security Strategic Investment Fund.

As part of the Defence Investors Advisory Group and the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy Ministry of Defence will work with these entities and as well as wider investment and finance community to find further opportunities for the Defence sector and how barriers to investment in defence can be removed while making the sector more attractive for private investment, including venture capital, private equity and pension funds.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 46 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what progress has he made on establishing a Defence Universities Alliance.

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

The Defence Universities Alliance (DUA) will form a more strategic relationship between defence and the Higher Education sector to support national security and UK growth, building on existing collaborative relationships between the sectors.

The Ministry of Defence is currently engaging with Universities UK and the UK’s Higher Education Sector to develop the DUA. There have been a number of workshops with Vice Chancellors of various Universities in the week commencing 21 October which have developed our understanding of the DUA. Further details will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Groundbreaking Ukraine tech sharing agreement to deliver drones and support jobs, published on 10 September 2025, how many UK jobs will be created as a result of that partnership.

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

UK support to Ukraine has already generated hundreds of new British jobs. The partnership will enable the UK to manufacture and jointly develop cutting-edge military equipment in collaboration with Ukrainian industry. This will continue to support hundreds of British jobs and strengthen the national security of both the UK and Ukraine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many men and women entered the submarine service in each of the past 10 years and how many departed in each of those years.

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

I cannot provide specific detail for the numbers of men and women who entered the submarine service as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 30 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to launch the consultation on the UK offsets regime.

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

The offsets consultation was launched on 23 October 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 54 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what his planned timetable is for identifying a pipeline of projects for the next five to ten years that may be eligible.

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

It is too early at this time to identify a pipeline of projects over the next five to ten years that may utilise the new planning routes.

Ministry of Defence (MOD) Officials are currently drafting updated procedures to enable the use of these new routes. The intent is this guidance will be incorporated into MOD procedure by April 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 51 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, which experts he plans to consult as part of the review and test of options for a new offsets regime.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy set out measures to generate greater value from the Ministry of Defence’s procurement spend to boost UK investment, growth and employment making defence an engine for growth. An offset policy is being explored as a means to achieve this which will include consultations with expert stakeholders from across the UK defence industrial base including suppliers of all sizes, the Trade Associations, the Trade Unions, Think Tanks and academic institutions. Consultations will also include international suppliers and our key allies and partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Groundbreaking Ukraine tech sharing agreement to deliver drones and support jobs, published on 10 September 2025, how many drones will be manufactured as part of that partnership.

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

As part of the groundbreaking new technology sharing agreement with Ukraine, an advanced air defence interceptor drone, named Project Octopus, will be mass-produced in the UK. The programme targets the production of thousands of drones each month to support Ukraine in its ongoing fight for freedom against President Putin’s illegal full-scale invasion, while also strengthening the UK defence industry.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 50 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to establish an offsets model to help attract inward investment.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy set out measures to generate greater value from the Ministry of Defence’s procurement spend to boost UK investment, growth and employment making defence an engine for growth. We have launched an offsets consultation on 23 October. It runs for 12 weeks.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of protection of British satellites from (a) stalking and (b) disruption.

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

The Strategic Defenvce Review reinforced this Government's commitment to increasing defence spending and strengthening the UK's space capabilities, with clear recommendations to invest in nationally separable capability to control the domain at a time and place of our choosing, global decision advantage, and space-based sensors to understand and act.

Owing to the sensitive nature of UK Space Command's mission and work, we cannot disclose details on its capabilities or assessments on the resilience of UK military space systems.

The Ministry of Defence cannot comment on the decisions made by other British satellite manufacturers and operators regarding measures to protect against stalking and disruption.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.

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

In this instance, ‘disciplinary process’ has been defined as a misconduct and discpline case and ‘officials’ as Civil Servants. The table below shows the total number of misconduct cases over the last five years.

The total numbers of misconduct cases that had full investigations is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with (a) NATO allies and (b) European counterparts on the deployment of British service personnel to Israel to monitor the ceasefire in Gaza.

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

A small team of UK planning officers, led by a 2* deputy commander, have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Israel to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protections in place for British service personnel deployed to Israel to monitor the ceasefire in Gaza.

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

A small team of UK planning officers, led by a 2* deputy commander, have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Israel to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the rules of engagement for British service personnel deployed to Israel to monitor the ceasefire in Gaza.

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

A small team of UK planning officers, led by a 2* deputy commander, have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Israel to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there is a formal timeframe for the deployment of British service personnel to Israel to monitor the ceasefire in Gaza.

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

A small team of UK planning officers, led by a 2* deputy commander, have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Israel to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Groundbreaking Ukraine tech sharing agreement to deliver drones and support jobs, published on 10 September 2025, how many drones have been manufactured as part of that partnership since 10 September 2025.

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

We expect manufacture of the advanced new air defence interceptor drone, named Project Octopus, to begin within weeks. This Project will see the mass production of these drones with a target to produce thousands per month for Ukraine.

At the latest Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting on 15 October, it was announced that over 85,000 military drones have been delivered to Ukraine in the past six months with £600 million invested by the UK to accelerate drone delivery.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 71 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what the scope is of the test and evaluation transformation programme.

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

To achieve the Strategic Defence Review’s vision of the UK as a leading tech-enabled defence power, with an Integrated Force that deters, fights, and wins through constant innovation at wartime pace, Defence must transform to become more integrated by design, innovation-led, and industry backed.

One of the ways we will achieve this transformation is by making it easier for everyone developing UK military equipment, to rapidly assess if their systems are safe, fit for purpose, and capable of contributing to the success of UK military operations. Operations which will increasingly rely on advanced technology, rapid and reliable integration of new systems into complex capabilities, and a faster feedback loop from the frontline to the factory floor.

This is the scope of the Test and Evaluation Transformation programme, to build the world’s most productive, relevant, and responsive, military test and evaluation enterprise here in the UK. The programme will focus on delivering the common technical, commercial, and architectural enablers required to make this a reality by the early 2030s, with several initiatives already underway and others announced recently in the Defence Industrial Strategy. Future levels of funding in the programme are subject to the outcome of the Defence Investment Plan, and its delivery will be guided by the ideas set out in ‘Future Advantage Through Evaluation’ (FATE), MOD’s concept for future test and evaluation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-test-and-evaluation-future-advantage-through-evaluation-fate

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British service personnel are deployed to Israel to monitor the ceasefire in Gaza by rank.

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

A small team of UK planning officers, led by a 2* deputy commander, have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Israel to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.

Found: military personnel of all branches of the armed forces have an umbrella organisation in the Ministry of Defence

Found: In a letter to Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry at the Ministry of Defence

Found: Cross-departmental coordination  Extend the existing DCMS-MOD Memorandum of Understanding on underwater

Found: In response to the 2025 National Audit Office report the MoD published a whole-life cost of almost

Found: By way of example, it was disclosed in August of this year that the Israel Ministry of Defence has

Found: Recommendation: Ensure continued support to the work of the MoD Cultural Property Protection Unit (CPPU

Found: Recommendation: Ensure continued support to the work of the MoD Cultural Property Protection Unit (CPPU

Found: engagement between the new Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom and Ministers from the Ministry of Defence

Found: engagement between the new Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom and Ministers from the Ministry of Defence

Found: You will be aware of the industrial benefits as in the NAO report: from £11 billion of MoD spending,

Found: If we were in the Ministry of Defence, and the Committee agreed on one set of strategic objectives, and

Found: If we were in the Ministry of Defence, and the Committee agreed on one set of strategic objectives,

Found: If we were in the Ministry of Defence, and the Committee agreed on one set of strategic objectives,

Found: it does not fall under my direct responsibility, and the cross-department work between the Ministry of Defence

Found: India’s Ministry of Defence has ordered a screening of its defence systems for Chinese parts and technologies

Found: The MoD has always tried to create good defence jobs and support the British defence industry.

Found: Market development: Further reports launched this week, regarding public procurement (NHS, schools, MOD

Found: Afghanistan in exposed or meaningful roles and may include an offer of relocation to the UK by the Ministry of Defence

Found: ensure that those who serve in uniform, their families and civilian personnel operating within the MoD

Found: nuclear power station there, where we put in very significant defences recently and we also have the MOD

Found: essentially input from across the UK Government, primarily through the FCDO, but also from DCMS, DBT and MOD

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking ensure the continuity of independent medical advice to the National Police Chiefs Council's Less Lethal Weapons Working Group, following the replacement of the Science Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons with the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons Expert Committee.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The provision of a robust medical assessment of the effects of any less lethal weapon is critical to ensuring that when police use less lethal weapons, they use them safely and effectively to protect the public and prevent harm. The Scientific Advisory Council on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (SACMILL) has played an important role in this to date and plans are in place to ensure robust independent medical advice continues under the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons Executive Committee (MILLWEC), in line with the Code of Practice for Armed Policing and Police Use of Less Lethal Weapons.

The Home Office has been working closely with the Ministry of Defence to manage the transition and ensure no disruption to the provision of independent scientific advice. MILLWEC will be established from 30 November and SACMILL will continue in their advisory function until then. A framework, which will support the independence and accountability of the new committee, has been developed and is publicly available on the gov.uk website Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons Expert Committee - GOV.UK

Processes are in place to ensure Home Office management of the committee retains their independence at every level, in line with the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees and Councils.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of relocating asylum seekers from hotel accommodation to Ministry of Defence sites in mitigating tensions with local communities.

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

The Home Office works closely with local authorities, police, and health partners to ensure that military sites operate safely, with secure perimeters, on-site services and regular Multi-Agency Forums to address local concerns. This self-contained approach helps reduce pressures on local services and supports community cohesion.

The Home Office works closely with local authorities and statutory partners to ensure that all asylum accommodation sites operate safely with regular engagement to address local concerns, reduce pressure on local services and support community cohesion.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has with the Secretary of State for Defence on the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array, in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Defence, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) have worked closely together on how best to unlock the development of up to 3 gigawatts of further onshore wind capability in the Eskdalemuir area. This would contribute up to £2 billion of investment in UK based companies.

Options to unlock this capacity – including through regulations pursuant to powers granted by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill – are subject to joint consultation due to be launched by the DESNZ and the Scottish Government.

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 progress he has made with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that the NHS is prepared for mass military casualties in the event of a major war.

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

There is a strong foundation of cross-government working between the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

A series of joint Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response exercises have taken place, and planning continues so that the National Health Service and the MOD can respond to a wide range of incidents and emergencies which could affect health or patient care. As part of this planning, the MOD and DHSC are exploring the United Kingdom’s ability to manage various combat scenarios and the treatment of casualties.

MOD is also participating in DHSC’s cross-government Exercise PEGASUS, the national Tier 1 pandemic preparedness exercise set to assess the UK’s ability to respond to a pandemic. Both activities focus on understanding system-wide capacity and capability, potential future need and shared plans for delivery.

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 creating integrated crisis plans.

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

The creation of integrated crisis plans are broader than health and will consider the recommendations identified in the NATO Medical Action Plan. These recommendations and the creation of integrated crisis plans will be discussed as part of the ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 54 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, when he plans to issue updated procedures to enable the use of the (a) Crown Development and (b) Urgent Crown Development routes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Crown Development planning regulations in England came into force on 1 May 2025. The government has no current plans to change those regulations.

The reference to updated procedures in the Defence Industrial Strategy relates to how the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Defence will work together when the latter identifies potential applications for Crown development routes. Further details will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether careers in the armed forces will be included in the Youth Guarantee.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee to ensure young people are either learning or earning. This includes access to high-quality training, apprenticeships, and personalised support to find work.

In PQ 38965 the Department for Work and Pensions confirmed its commitment to working closely alongside the Ministry of Defence to identify and support anyone in receipt of benefits with transferable skills to move into careers within the Armed Forces, with a particular focus on younger customers.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made provision in her departmental budget for the cost of payments to Mauritius under the UK-Mauritius Treaty in 2025-26.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The payments to Mauritius will be split between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence. They will be published in the normal manner alongside other departmental spend in the annual accounts.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK-Mauritius Treaty, whether payments to Mauritius will be accounted for as day-to-day spending.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The payments to Mauritius will be split between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence. They will be published in the normal manner alongside other departmental spend in the annual accounts.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which of the six protections, rights and safeguards announced by the Ministry of Defence on 19 September for veterans who served in Northern Ireland are featured in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill; which will not feature in the legislation; which will be exclusive to soldiers and police officers; and which will have universal application.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

All of the protections that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.

Measures set out in the legislation, including the right to give evidence remotely and having regard to the welfare of witnesses, will necessarily apply to others. This will ensure, for example, that former police officers are able to avail of these measures.

Some other non-legislative measures will apply only to veterans, including the protection from cold calling and the new safeguard that ensures veterans do not have to give unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of compliance of fishing vessels with (a) AIS, (b)VMS and (c) iVMS; what steps he is taken ensure there is full compliance with these systems; and what steps he is taking to provide additional resource to strengthen enforcement efforts.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, each Devolved Administration is responsible for enforcement capacity in their waters. Defra is committed to maintaining a robust and adaptive enforcement system to protect English waters from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and works closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, and other organisations to make sure the appropriate arrangements to enforce fisheries regulations are in place to protect our waters.

Additionally, Defra and the MMO work actively with the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) to utilise available maritime surveillance and enforcement resources for fisheries enforcement in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and other relevant departments and agencies including from the Devolved Administrations.

Although there is no direct metric for assessing compliance of fishing vessels with the vessel monitoring systems mentioned, overall performance is monitored through annual reports required under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. These reports, published online, at the GOV.UK and individual IFCA websites such as Eastern IFCA, highlight each body's contributions, successes and challenges in a wide variety of areas including enforcement.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen enforcement capacity in UK territorial waters.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, each Devolved Administration is responsible for enforcement capacity in their waters. Defra is committed to maintaining a robust and adaptive enforcement system to protect English waters from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and works closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, and other organisations to make sure the appropriate arrangements to enforce fisheries regulations are in place to protect our waters.

Additionally, Defra and the MMO work actively with the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) to utilise available maritime surveillance and enforcement resources for fisheries enforcement in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and other relevant departments and agencies including from the Devolved Administrations.

Although there is no direct metric for assessing compliance of fishing vessels with the vessel monitoring systems mentioned, overall performance is monitored through annual reports required under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. These reports, published online, at the GOV.UK and individual IFCA websites such as Eastern IFCA, highlight each body's contributions, successes and challenges in a wide variety of areas including enforcement.

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 progress his Department has made in rebuilding medical capabilities for warfighting.

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

A series of joint wargame exercises have taken place that have been used to identify gaps in medical warfighting capabilities. These exercises continue to inform planning between the National Health Service and the Ministry of Defence to ensure both can respond to a wide range of warfighting scenarios that might affect health and patient care.

The Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS have actively worked alongside the Ministry of Defence to rebuild medical capabilities for warfighting through the introduction of the digital extraction of redacted patient notes from general practice surgeries. This has reduced the recruitment process significantly for medically trained warfighting personnel. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS are also reviewing how military medical staff operate across the NHS in clinical placements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the risk of (a) harm and (b) disruption from unauthorised drone activity to (i) UK commercial airports and (ii) commercial air traffic operating in UK airspace.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

UK aviation operates in the private sector. It is therefore the responsibility of industry to ensure there are appropriate contingency plans in place to minimise potential disruption.

The Department for Transport, Home Office and Ministry of Defence engage regularly with the aviation sector to gain assurances of their security plans, including in response to drone incursions at UK airports.

The Department for Transport is going further by mandating the use of Remote Identification (RID) for drones allowing them to be tracked and identified. RID will protect the airspace, its users and the public from unlawful and unsafe drones operating without adequate permissions, including around UK airports.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions on disruption by drones at airports with (a) pilots, (b) other aviation professionals (c) the Ministry of Defence and (d) governments of other European countries that have experienced such disruption; and what steps her Department plans to take to counter such risks to commercial aviation.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

UK aviation operates in the private sector. It is therefore the responsibility of industry to ensure there are appropriate contingency plans in place to minimise potential disruption.

The Department for Transport, Home Office and Ministry of Defence engage regularly with the aviation sector to gain assurances of their security plans, including in response to drone incursions at UK airports.

The Department for Transport is going further by mandating the use of Remote Identification (RID) for drones allowing them to be tracked and identified. RID will protect the airspace, its users and the public from unlawful and unsafe drones operating without adequate permissions, including around UK airports.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty on his Departmental responsibilities.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice adheres to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty. The principles inform a range of work across the Department. For example, in 2021, the Ministry of Justice was one of the first Departments to participate in the now civil service-wide initiative Great Place to Work for Veterans. Additionally, we introduced Advance into Justice in March 2022 as a fast-track scheme for service personnel leaving the Armed Forces to become prison officers. The scheme has since been expanded to include a wider range of roles across His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and for all those who have served in the Armed Forces, as well including spouses and legal partners of service personnel.

Across the prison estate, almost all prisons have a Veterans in Custody Support Officer to provide tailored support to veterans who find themselves in prison. HMPPS also delivers services via many third sector organisations (including military charities such as SSAFA) who provide a prison in-reach service offering resettlement advice to veterans whilst in custody and guidance in preparation for release. We also have 2 Veterans Activity Hubs at HMP/YOI Holme House and HMP Risley which provide safe and supportive spaces for former service personnel in custody.

The Department will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence on the Covenant’s Statutory Guidance and implementation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Ministry of Defence on the use of surplus military infrastructure for temporary detention and processing.

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

As part of our commitment to close all asylum hotels, we are looking at a range of more appropriate sites including disused accommodation, industrial and ex-military sites so we can reduce the impact on communities.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have met with abortion providers since July 2024.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published by Departments quarterly in arrears on their departmental pages on gov.uk. The most recent data - for the period April 2025 to June 2025 - was published on 25 September.

Special Advisers are required to comply with the Special Adviser Code of Conduct at all times and are required to make declarations on meetings with senior media figures in line with published transparency guidance.

Government proposals for mandatory digital ID

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