Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve the UK's space-based (a) positioning, (b) navigation and (c) timing capabilities, in the context of encrypted and alerting services.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not currently have any UK space-based position, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities, nor any plans for a future space based PNT system. The MOD works closely with the National PNT Office, in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, to develop proposals for the UK Government’s PNT capabilities as part of the cross-Government initiative, concerning future space-based and non-space-based PNT solutions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16963 on Israel: F-35 Aircraft, whether any F-35 components manufactured in Britain are designed specifically for the F-35I Adir variant of the F-35 fighter jet.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

F-35 components produced in the UK are crucial to the production and support of the global F-35 fleet and are present on all three variants of F-35 aircraft. Israel uses the F-35 A variant.

The F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, part of the US Department of Defense, manages the F-35 programme for all F-35 Partner Nations through its global industry supply chain.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the delay to the publication of his Department's annual statistics on armed forces equipment will impact the scheduling of other departmental (a) reports and (b) reviews.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

No. It is not anticipated that this delay will have any impact on the delivery of other departmental reports or reviews. All such reports or reviews would use the latest available published statistics.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many employee settlement agreements there were in his Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

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

The below table details the number of employee settlement agreements and amounts for the years where data is available.

All information prior to 2023 has now been archived and would incur disproportionate cost to obtain.

The year in which a case is settled does not reflect the year in which the claim was made or proceedings on the case started.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the present status of HM Ships Albion and Bulwark; and whether there are plans for the ships to be sold for scrap or used by another navy.

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

HMS Albion and Bulwark are currently laid up awaiting disposal.

The Royal Navy is exploring options to sell both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark in a government-to-government sale. These vessels had, in effect, been retired by the previous Government. Their sale will save £9 million a year in maintenance costs in addition to the receipt from the sale, unlocking as much funding as possible to invest in modernisation, as well as reinforcing relationships with international partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of speeding up the Type 45 Power Improvement Project programme.

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

Completing the Type 45 Power Improvement Project (PIP) work is dependent on the availability of ships to undertake the upgrade, balanced against the Royal Navy’s (RN) current and future operational commitments.

PIP conversions have been aligned to the routine Class Upkeep cycle, which has been optimised where feasible to accelerate delivery and increase availability. This has enabled an increase in the number of ships undergoing PIP Upkeep in parallel at HM Naval Base Portsmouth, where historically there was only a single Type 45 in Upkeep at any one time. Class availability is now maximised to ensure that the RN has been able to fulfil all its operational commitments.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to regulate the use of AI in the defence sector following the deployment of The Nordic Warden System by the Joint Expeditionary Force.

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

The UK and the Joint Expeditionary Force are at the forefront of supporting Allies to protect crucial offshore infrastructure from threats, including using integrated technology with logic flows to identify vessels of interest at the pace of relevance.

The Department has a history of successfully incorporating new technologies and takes its responsibility to use AI safely and ethically very seriously, adhering to legal commitments and societal values.

We continue to collaborate with the Department for Science, Technology and Innovation and Defence Regulators to adapt our strategies to the evolving challenges of AI.

The Dependable AI JSP 936 part 1, published in 2024, gives clear guidance on applying the MOD’s AI ethical principles to create safe, effective AI-enabled capabilities with appropriate human oversight. This policy governs all Defence AI capabilities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK is the largest European NATO contributor of maritime military capability to the Arctic region.

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

The UK makes a leading contribution to European security, and the Armed Forces have a long history of operating in the High North. UK Forces are committed to NATO’s warfighting plans which cover the breadth of Allied territory in the Euro-Atlantic. NATO and the UK dynamically adjust presence in the High North; Forces operating in the High North at any specific time are therefore subject to change.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the eighth Type 26 frigate will join the Royal Navy.

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

The T26 programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver eight world-class anti-submarine warfare frigates in time to replace the anti-submarine warfare T23s. All ships are expected to enter service between 2028 and 2035.

Type 26 will allow the Royal Navy to continue to play a leading role in the anti-submarine theatre in the North Atlantic and beyond.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government when HMS Victorious' refit will be completed.

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

I am withholding details of when HMS VICTORIOUS' Deep Maintenance Period will be completed as to do so would suggest the operational availability of vessels, potentially impacting national security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of volunteer hours put in by non-executive board members and the wider membership of the Reserve Forces and Cadet Associations.

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

The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) is a centrally coordinated national body that delivers its outputs locally, by local people, to support the sustainment and generation of Reserve Forces. The RFCA and the 13 Regional RFCAs purposefully sit outside of the Chains of Command (as an Arm’s Length Body) in order to support better outcomes for the public.

The RFCA has an extensive volunteer membership (numbering around 8,000), bringing a wide breadth of expertise and community links. The RFCAs’ extensive network of volunteer members, based within communities across the UK, enable the RFCAs to better connect to society.

Volunteers assist in providing the RFCAs with the information and knowledge needed to discharge their duties. While the number of hours volunteered is not formally recorded either for the volunteer membership or non-executive board members, it is estimated that this figure is around 69,000 hours per year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many engineers there were in the Army on 1 April 2024; and what the requirement was.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As of 1 April 2024, there were 26,030 Army Trade Trained Regular, Gurkha and Trained Reserve Engineers.

We do not routinely release the workforce requirement figures of Army regiments for reasons of operational security.

The Trade Trained Regular Army only exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Army Reserve and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from Gurkha Trained Army Personnel (GURTAP) to UK Trained Army Personnel (UKTAP).

Reserve figures are for Trained Army Group A Reservists for Army. Group A includes Volunteer Reserves, Mobilised Volunteer Reserves, High Readiness Reserves and University Officer Training Course (OTC) Support & training staff.

The 'Engineering' trades listed above are defined in line with the agreed definition from the Defence Engineer Remuneration Review (DERR).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Army training budget was in each year since 2010.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Department has interpreted training to mean the budget for direct training exercises only. This includes Phase 1 (basic training) and Phase 2 (initial training) costs.

The below table highlights the Army’s budget for training between financial years (FY)2018-19 and 2023-24. As a result of changes in accounting practices, it is not possible to provide figures for the entire period requested.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken with international partners to dispose of legacy marine mines.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Secretary of State for Defence has no direct responsibility for munitions in the marine environment, except for those associated with Ministry of Defence (MOD) wrecks. Environmental stewardship is important to the MOD and we continue to work closely with our international partners and allies to ensure the safety of personnel and the marine environment.

Most legacy naval mines remain in situ in the marine environment, due to non-recovery following deployment during World Wars I and II. In the UK the current position for naval mines is that they are to be left undisturbed unless they become a hazard to public safety and shipping. If they remain undisturbed, they do not pose significant harm to human health or the marine environment. Where mines are identified as a hazard around the UK the MOD provides support to civil authorities to assist with disposal, should they request it.

We work actively within NATO’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Working Group and other allied partnerships on opportunities to improve understanding, methods, and techniques for the management and disposal of naval mines. In April 2024 the MOD supported maritime historic disposal operations through Operation Open Spirit in the Baltic Sea. The purpose of this annual operation is to reduce the risk of mines to civilians through the detection and disposal of World War I and II historic ordnance, much of which is naval mines.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Navy training budget was in each year since 2010.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The below table highlights the Royal Navy’s budget for training between financial years (FY) 202018-19 and 2023-24. This includes Phase 1 (basic training) and Phase 2 (initial training) costs. In accordance with standard financial practice in all public and private organisations, it is not possible to provide figures for the entire period requested.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the RAF training budget was in each year since 2010.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The below table provides the Royal Air Force budget for training between financial years (FY)2018-19 and 2023-24. This includes Phase 1 (basic training) and Phase 2 (initial training) costs. It is not possible to provide figures for the entire period requested.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of participants in university Officer Training Corps complete the (a) Army Reserve Commissioning Course and (b) Commissioning Course for Regular Officers.

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

The information requested is provided below.

Notes/Caveats:

1. Regular officer commissions includes those completing the mainstream Commissioning Course for Regular officers at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). This therefore excludes Professionally Qualified Officers who join and complete the Commissioning Course Short

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) number of and (b) requirement for medical service personnel was on 1 April 2024.

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

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Whilst a statistical release of overall Armed Forces strength is published annually, strength and capability statistics for certain specialisations are not released.

Releasing the current strength and requirement of medical service personnel, or indeed other specialised professions, could be exploited by our adversaries to target, disrupt and degrade an important element of Armed Forces capability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on recruitment consultants in each year since 2016; and how many personnel have been recruited to the (a) RAF, (b) Army, (c) Navy and (d) Marines in each year since 2016.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Since entering Government, we have taken immediate action to stop all non-essential Ministry of Defence consultancy spending. The information requested specifically on external recruitment consultants is not centrally held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The intake to the Armed Forces is published in the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics and can be found online.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Germany’s decision to provide Ukraine with RCH 155 will have an impact on his Department’s approach to certifying RCH 155 for use by the British Army.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Mobile Fires Platform project will deliver the Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) Calibre Wheeled Artillery System through a jointly led collaborative procurement between the UK and Germany.

The project does not anticipate any direct impact to RCH certification following Germany’s decision to provide Ukraine with RCH 155.

Underpinning the collaborative approach of the UK and Germany is the commitment to exchange project related information that may afford a deeper understanding of the capability, to inform wider integration considerations. This may include an assessment of any potential lessons from the training and use of RCH 155 by Ukraine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential lessons that could be learned from the use of RCH 155 by Ukraine.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Mobile Fires Platform project will deliver the Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) Calibre Wheeled Artillery System through a jointly led collaborative procurement between the UK and Germany.

The project does not anticipate any direct impact to RCH certification following Germany’s decision to provide Ukraine with RCH 155.

Underpinning the collaborative approach of the UK and Germany is the commitment to exchange project related information that may afford a deeper understanding of the capability, to inform wider integration considerations. This may include an assessment of any potential lessons from the training and use of RCH 155 by Ukraine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2024 to Question 23156 on Diego Garcia: Military Bases, on what dates each meeting took place; which Ministers in his Department were present at each meeting; and whether the (a) Diego Garcia military base and (b) terms of the proposed Chagos settlement were discussed with people representing the incoming US Administration.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Government looks forward to working with the incoming US Administration in the months and years ahead. The Senate confirmation process is ongoing for members of President Trump's cabinet.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the Defence Medical Services cadre is operationally fit to deploy.

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

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Whilst a statistical release of overall Armed Forces strength is published annually, strength and capability statistics for certain specialisations are not released.

Releasing the current strength and requirement of medical service personnel, or indeed other specialised professions, could be exploited by our adversaries to target, disrupt and degrade an important element of Armed Forces capability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK forces (a) took part and (b) provided support to their Israeli counterparts in the airstrikes on Yemen on Friday 10 January 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The UK did not take part in, or provide support to, Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Friday 10 January 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) internal policy reviews, (b) independent reviews, (c) external reviews, (d) taskforces, (e) public consultations, (f) investigations and (g) other reviews their Department launched between 5 July 2024 and 5 January 2025; what the titles were of those reviews; and how many of those reviews have been (i) completed and (ii) published.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

On 16 July 2024, the Strategic Defence Review was launched by the Prime Minister. This root and branch review - which will put personnel at the heart of our future defence, strengthen our homeland security, and ensure the UK continues to lead in NATO - will report in the spring.

In October 2024 the Defence Secretary launched Defence Reform, the biggest reform programme in defence for 50 years. It will create a stronger UK defence centre that will secure better value for money and better outcomes for our Armed Forces, and be better able to implement the Strategic Defence Review.

Ministers are also focussing on other key issues including the Defence Industrial Strategy, launched on 2 December 2024, which will help secure Britain's growth and create good jobs across the UK. Defence is also participating in a range of national security and other relevant reviews led by other Departments.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether use of dry docks in Gibraltar shipyard could ease present and future docking bottlenecks.

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

The docking capacity to undertake upkeep on 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.

While the dry dock facilities in Gibraltar have recently been used for maintenance of Offshore Patrol Vessels, there is no current plan or policy for the use of Gibraltar in commercial arrangements in the future. The facilities will generally be utilised when there is a specific operational or commercial need.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) how many visits to Israel and (b) for what purpose the (i) Chief of the Defence Staff, (ii) Chief of the Air Staff and (iii) Commander of Strategic Command have made since 1 January 2024.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Since 1 January 2024, the Chief of the Defence Staff has visited Israel twice and the Chief of the Air Staff has visited Israel once, to discuss the longstanding defence relationship, encourage de-escalation and compliance with international humanitarian law, and promote long-term peace in the region.

Commander Strategic Command has not visited Israel since 1 January 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Israeli armed forces personnel are attending training courses in the UK; which courses they are taking; and where those courses are located.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

This information is being withheld in order to protect personal information and to avoid prejudicing relations between the United Kingdom and another State.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) UK and (b) other personnel were in the Joint Expeditionary Force in each year since 2016; and how much the UK has contributed to the Joint Expeditionary Force in the same period.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) HQ is operated through the UK Standing Joint Force Headquarters, which undertakes several commitments. Depending on the activity, the HQ can routinely provide up to 82 people from across 10 nations, with further augmentation from across the forces; for example, JOINT PROTECTOR in November 2024 saw an augmentation of a further 36 UK personnel. The advantage of the JEF is its ability to scale up dynamically in accordance with the requirement by generating forces from across 10 nations to meet the specific need encountered. An additional three personnel in the MOD are also permanently engaged managing the UK’s commitments to the JEF as the Framework Nation, with Participant Nation provided desk officers in each of their own Ministry of Defence (MOD) equivalent strategic HQs.

Numbers of personnel engaged in JEF activity since 2016 have not been overall recorded. However, approximate figures have been captured since 2021:

As for costs, the JEF provides a framework to pool sovereign resources and coordinate their effect but does not routinely retain or command these national assets from across the Participant Nations, therefore costs remain with the relevant Participant Nation providing them for that specific activity. The JEF Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in 2018, outlines the requirements and arrangements for nations contributing and participating in JEF activities, with all costs allocated on a case-by-case basis, with the general principle that costs fall where they lie.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to provide immediate mental support to veterans medically discharged from service.

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

Structured Mental Health Assessments are conducted by Defence GPs as part of the medical discharge process to screen for mental health concerns and enable follow up in primary care or referral to specialist mental health services if required.

Where personnel leaving the Armed Forces have an enduring need for mental healthcare, Defence Medical Services work in partnership with the NHS to ensure continuation of care. Personnel who have been assessed and diagnosed with a mental health need are able to access Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) for up to six months after discharge to provide continuity of care during the transition period until appropriate handover to other services can be completed as required.

All patients who leave the Services through a medical discharge for mental health reasons or are under the care of a DCMH as they transition are offered an assessment with a DCMH Mental Health Social Worker (MHSW) to ascertain their mental healthcare transition needs.

The Veterans Welfare Service and Defence Transition Service deliver additional support to service leavers and their families who are most likely to face challenges as they leave the Armed Forces, including facilitating access to NHS services. Wherever they live in UK, veterans can access bespoke services, including Op COURAGE in England.

The Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland (VWS NI) provides professional help and advice to veterans to help them access specialist healthcare available to eligible veterans who are experiencing conditions related to their military Service.

The through life mental health support now provided to Service personnel will have a positive impact on the veterans of the future; the Ministry of Defence is ensuring that Armed Forces personnel have the psychological resilience training they need to recognise mental ill-health in themselves and those around them and know how to manage it.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what military funding he plans to provide to Ukraine in 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Government is committed to providing £3 billion of military support to Ukraine each financial year for as long as needed.

In addition, over the next two financial years this Government will provide a further £1.5 billion of support from the first part of a £2.26 billion loan through the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration scheme which will enable Ukraine to undertake major procurement projects. The loan will be repaid using the extraordinary profits on immobilised Russian sovereign assets.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of the executive boards of the 13 Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations.

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

The estimated annual projected costs to the Ministry of Defence of the 145 volunteers who are members of an executive board, i.e. the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCA) Executive Boards, the Council of Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (CRFCA) and the CRFCA Board, is a maximum of approximately £45,000.

This estimate is based on 100 per cent of the volunteers claiming 100 per cent of their travel and subsistence costs. In reality, the actual cost of expenditure claims associated with RFCA Executive Boards is likely to be far lower; a number of RFCAs report nil cost. The vast majority of active members make no claims, reflecting their sense of service and deep connection with the UK’s Reserve Forces and Cadets.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to BBC Northern Ireland after it described the Special Air Service in an article published on 11 January as “one of the British Army's most infamous regiments”.

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

While I am unable to comment on UK Special Forces specifically, I can say that our military is respected worldwide for the highest standards of conduct and excellence on operations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce noise pollution from Texan training aircraft in the UK.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Texan T1 aircraft complies fully with relevant international aviation noise standards.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department, will take steps to ensure the workforce that produced the Eurofighter Typhoon is retained for future defence projects.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) values the world class skills demonstrated by the Eurofighter consortium across partner nations in delivering the Typhoon aircraft. The MOD continues to invest in Typhoon to maintain the Royal Air Force's cutting edge military capability, as well as supporting our industry partners in pursuing export opportunities.

The Global Combat Air Programme, which is delivering the next generation combat air capability, is building on the Typhoon skills base. There are already over 3,500 skilled people working on the programme spread right across the UK, within the MOD and our industry partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential dangers posed by explosive ordnance on international exports and imports.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The export of explosive ordnance would require a UK export licence. The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are the UK's strategic licensing authority for such goods.

Imports of civil explosives are administered by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Authorisations are required to import, store, manufacture and transport explosives that are imported from outside the UK.

Imports and exports of such material handled by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are subject to MOD Commercial policy which assures compliance with key UK and foreign customs legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding he is providing for infrastructure projects in the marine protected area.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The protection of Maritime ecosystems is devolved to the four UK nations. There are 178 Marine Protected Areas in English waters alone, covering 51% of inshore and 37% of offshore waters, and there are similar numbers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The information requested 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, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 17490 on Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence: Artificial Intelligence, what the breakdown is between (a) public and (b) private sector involvement in the (i) development and (ii) deployment of (A) machine learning and (B) artificial intelligence technologies within the Armed Forces.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Many AI technologies, including machine learning, have dual uses and are developed across a broad technology ecosystem. Defence needs to leverage expertise from this ecosystem to solve critical military problems and maintain its edge. The Defence AI Centre (DAIC) and CommercialX are leading efforts to engage with technology suppliers through simplified processes and better cross-Ministry of Defence (MOD) coordination.

Most Defence AI and ML projects will use both in-house and external expertise. Differentiating between public and private sector involvement at a pan-Defence macro level is challenging and not currently tracked. AI deployments within the Department must follow MOD's Responsible AI policy, as outlined in Joint Services Publication 936 (Dependable AI).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of GDP is the UK's defence spending excluding Trident.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Nuclear Enteprise, which delivers our nuclear deterrent, is a cornerstone of our national security. Excluding the Defence Nuclear Enterprise investment of £9.4 billion in financial year 2023-24, defence spending would have been 1.9% of GDP.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans that the RCH 155 will reach minimum deployable capability.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 December 2024 to Question 16467 to the right hon. Member for Raleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what purposes (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have used AI in the last 12 months.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is experimenting with a range of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to increase productivity and efficiency across the Department. That includes the use of informational chatbots, machine learning applications and generative AI to manage large volumes of data, automate laborious or repetitive tasks and support policy work (summarising documents, drafting emails, generating meeting minutes etc).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the (a) number of days and (b) proportion of expected lifespans that naval vessels spend in maintenance.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

All Royal Navy ships rotate through planned operating cycles involving maintenance, upgrades, repair, training and deployment. This results in individual ships being at various levels of readiness at any one time in accordance with the Long-Term Operational Programme (LTOP) and operational needs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support veterans in Northern Ireland (a) to access UK-wide veterans' services and (b) in other ways.

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

This Government is committed to ensuring that veterans are able to access the appropriate support they require wherever they live in the UK. In Northern Ireland, the Office for Veterans Affairs, within the Ministry of Defence has established a local presence to support strategic coordination of organisations, programmes and initiatives for veterans wellbeing. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently announced the appointment of David Johnstone as the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner.

Specialist statutory support for veterans resident in Northern Ireland is delivered by the Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland (VWS NI) and a £500,000 Defence Medical Welfare Service pilot supports veterans’ health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland by linking veterans with local services to ensure they are receiving the help available.

Veterans resident in Northern Ireland can also access a range of UK-wide support, including the Career Transition Partnership. The Reducing Veterans Homelessness (RVH) Programme includes the referral pathway OP FORTITUDE supporting veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust supports the Thrive Together Programme, which operates across the UK. In Northern Ireland, this is led by the charity Brooke House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reviewing the rules on request to review ARAP rejections within 90 days of receipt when a person is in (a) a life-threatening situation and (b) has limited access to the internet.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

We understand that Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) applicants often face difficult circumstances where it is not always easy to request a review of a decision finding their application ineligible within 90 days of receiving an outcome letter. Where an individual has compelling circumstances that prevented them from meeting this deadline, a late review request may be considered. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific circumstances of each individual.

This policy remains unchanged following the announcement of the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP), which will draw Afghan resettlement into a single delivery pipeline whilst retaining the current eligibility criteria of individual schemes such as ARAP.

The full policy and process regarding ARAP reviews is published online and can be found on Government web pages.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling a new child into their home and (iii) other support.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) Main Top Level Budget areas offer flexible working to all employees (role permitting), and legislation provides a day-one right to submit a request for flexible working.

Foster Carer’s Leave is available, including up to five days Special Paid Leave (SPL) during assessment for approval as a foster carer; up to five days SPL during the approval process or when the child is in placement, and up to 10 days SPL at the start of a planned permanent placement. If both parents are employed by the MOD, then one can receive 10 days and other a maximum of five days.

Other support (beyond flexible working and Foster’s Carer’s Leave) available to foster carers comes in the form of family leave, other categories of special leave and pastoral provision, such as from line-management, networks and the Employee Assistance Programme.

Paid time off for training and developmental activity is available when it is undertaken in the course of benefiting a MOD role.

For those Arm’s Length Bodies that employ public servants, responsibility for their human resources policies is delegated to the organisation and it has not been possible to confirm each organisation’s policy regarding foster carers in the time available for a Parliamentary Question.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to transfer the management of RAF Odiham from the Army to the Royal Air Force.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There is a joint Army and Royal Air Force (RAF) proposal to adopt an Air Base/Air Wing operating model at Benson and Odiham airbases. This would see the RAF take responsibility for running the Airbases, with helicopters from the Army’s Joint Aviation Command (JAC) continuing to operate from both sites. This will have no effect on operational outputs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the potential cost to the defence industry of lost output arising from protests at (a) Glasgow Govan shipyard, (b) Glasgow Scotsoun and (c) Samlesbury aerospace factory in each of the last 12 months.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 September 2024 to Question 4231.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department issues guidance to the armed forces on the use of barracks to host MP constituency surgeries for serving personnel.

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

Guidance on the use of Ministry of Defence sites to host MP constituency surgeries is set out in Joint Service Publication 850, entitled Infrastructure and Estate Policy, Standards and Guidance.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on (a) media and (b) voice training for Ministers between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024.

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

The Directorate of Defence Communications and Top Office Group in the Ministry of Defence Head Office spend on media and voice training for Ministers between the 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024 is nil.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the AI tool entitled MOD: Textio, published on 17 December 2024, whether the tool has been programmed to (a) avoid unconscious bias and (b) promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

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

Textio is a recruitment AI tool, procured for use within the Ministry of Defence to support recruitment of the best candidates. Whilst Defence is not privy to the specific programming of the software by its developers, we have utilised it over several years to create more appealing and more widely accessible job adverts. Defence utilises the software to highlight the use of jargon and acronyms, as well as to identify opportunities for more inclusive wording, thereby creating attractive adverts for potential applicants.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the 25th anniversary of the lifting of the LGBT+ ban in the armed forces.

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

To commemorate this historic milestone, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Fighting with Pride held events for both Serving personnel and veterans over the weekend of 12 January and have plans to host more throughout 2025.

During the weekend of 12 January, the design for the LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial was announced at an evening reception. The RAF Church St Clement Danes held a service of commemoration to mark the 25^th anniversary and an evening reception with Ministers and all three Service Chiefs was held. Additionally, the pride flag was proudly flown from MOD Main Building throughout the weekend.

Throughout the rest of 2025 all three Services have planned 25^th Anniversary Dinners; Defence and veterans will be participating in various Pride events; and the official unveiling of the LGBT Armed Forces Community Memorial at the National Arboretum will be marked by an event.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his Armenian counterparts on strategic defence cooperation with that country.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Secretary of State has not yet had personal discussions with his Armenian counterparts, but we do have good and growing engagement in the region, including Staff Talks in Yerevan shortly and the announcement of a resident Defence Section, due to open in Armenia later in the year. We are currently exploring the possibility of Ministerial bi-lateral engagement later in the year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20149 on Torpedoes: Procurement, how much of the cost is the through life management of the programme.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The total funds allocated for the Spearfish torpedo programme are approximately £1154 million which includes the approximate cost of £626 million for the through life management of the programme.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the US lease on the Diego Garcia military base expires.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

There is no lease with respect to Diego Garcia. US presence and operations in the British Indian Ocean Territory are governed by a series of international agreements, beginning with a 1966 Exchange of Notes between the US and UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many chefs were in post in the Army in each year since 2010; and what the requirement was in each of those years.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The number of chefs in post for the Army since 2010 are as follows:

*The figure for each year was extrapolated from the number in post on 01 April for each respective year

We do not routinely release the workforce requirement figures of Army regiments or specialist professions as doing so is 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, how many (a) air and (b) ground stewards were in post in the RAF in each year since 2010; and what the requirement was in each of those years.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The number of Logistics (Air Ground Stewards) in the Royal Air Force in each year since 2010 is as follows:

Data is unable to be broken down by Air Steward and Ground Steward specialisation.

I am withholding the information requested for the workforce requirement as its 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, how many veterinary officers were in post in the Army in each year since 2010; and what the requirement was in each of those years.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The number of veterinary officers in post for the Army since 2010 are as follows.

*The figure for each year was extrapolated from the number in post on 01 April for each respective year

We do not routinely release the workforce requirement figures of Army regiments or specialist professions as doing so is 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, how many nurses were in post in the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF in each year since 2010; and what the requirement was in each service in each of those years.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I hope that my Rt Hon friend will understand that I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Whilst a statistical release of overall Armed Forces strength is published annually, strength and capability statistics for certain specialisations are not released.

Releasing the current strength and requirement of medical service personnel could be exploited by our adversaries to target, disrupt and degrade an important element of Armed Forces capability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the E-7 Wedgetail is in operational service with the RAF.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Wedgetail aircraft has yet to enter operational service.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many radar units for the E-7 Wedgetail have been delivered to (a) Boeing and (b) the RAF by Northrop Grumman.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Three Multi-Role-Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radars have been delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the UK production facility.

The remaining two MESA radars are in production with Northrop Grumman and will be delivered to the RAF in Summer 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated whole-life cost is of the E-7 Wedgetail programme.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The estimated whole life cost of the E-7 Wedgetail remains subject to approval of the Full Business Case.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned out of service date for the Royal Navy's Crowsnest AEW helicopter system is.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The CROWSNEST programme delivers the Royal Navy's Merlin Mark2 helicopter Airborne Surveillance and Control capability, which includes Airborne Early Warning. There has been no change to the current out of service date, and the planned retirement date remains 31 December 2029, as the capability was not extended in the 2021 Integrated Review.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied that UK military bases in the Middle East, particularly RAF Akrotiri, have appropriate protection.

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

We take the security of all our bases overseas seriously and take appropriate measures for their protection. This process is continually kept under review.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the established liability for Staff Officer 2 Military posts across the Ministry of Defence; and how many officers from all three services with a substantive rank of major or equivalent are available to fill them.

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

The following table provides a breakdown, by Service, of the numbers of OF-3 UK Regular Armed Forces personnel (Army Major and equivalent), as at 1 October 2024. Please note that we do not routinely release workforce requirement figures for reasons of operational security.

Table notes:

1. UK Regulars comprise Full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service, Locally Engaged Personnel, Non Regular Permanent Staff, High Readiness Reserve and Expeditionary Forces Institute personnel. Figures include trained and untrained personnel.
2. Figures are based on individual's substantive rank.
3. Figures include all personnel at OF-3 regardless of eligibility for Staff Officer 2 posts. This includes personnel on the Resilience Margin.
4. Figures include all personnel regardless of Medical Deployability Status.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Staff Officer 2 Military posts are vacant at (1) Army Headquarters and (2) the Defence Equipment and Support organisation.

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

The Department continues to fill the highest priority roles first in accordance with current and future output requirements. I am withholding the information as its 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, when he decided not to release the workforce requirement figures of Army regiments for reasons of operational security.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

In 2022, with Departmental support, the Army adopted a position not to release the workforce requirement of its internal organisations following the announcement of the Integrated Review and Future Soldier transformation.

I am happy to speak to my hon. Friend about this further.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what protocols are in place over the deployment of US nuclear weapons stored at RAF Lakenheath.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

It remains longstanding UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any given location.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether any decisions have been made to convert the Reserve Forces and Cadets Associations into a non-departmental public body in advance of the strategic defence review; and whether members been asked to agree to such a proposal.

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

The 2019 Review of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCAs) was published on 24 March 2020 and placed in the Library of the House. The Review recommended that the Council of Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (CRFCA) and the 13 RFCAs should be merged into a single Executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), with a National Office and a set of regional organisations. The views of the membership were taken into account as part of the review which can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-reserve-forces-cadets-associations-2019.

The NDPB implementation work was paused in March 2023 due to it failing to obtain a legislative slot in the last Parliament, but this work has now re-commenced.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 16652 on Military Bases, if his Department will now provide a response.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I’d like to thank the hon. Member for her question. As she will understand collating this data is a considerable exercise but I’m pleased to confirm that I wrote to her on 27 January 2025 and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential demand for Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4+ (a) in (b) beyond 2025.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence continually reviews the demand for Combat Aircraft, including through the ongoing Strategic Defence Review. UK Combat Aircraft will be required to operate in increasingly demanding threat environments. The UK Combat Air strategy recognises this changing threat and determines our mix of 4th and 5th generation aircraft mix, in order to provide the UK the most relevant and capable force mix. As part of the four Partner-Nation Eurofighter Programme, the UK is committed to upgrades to ensure the Typhoon aircraft remains competitive into the future, including the introduction of the European Common Radar Standard 2 radar.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20117 on Defence Equipment Expenditure, when his Department plans to send that letter.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The response to Question 20117 on Defence Equipment Expenditure is in the process of being finalised and will be sent shortly.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many overseas army training exercises took place each year since 2010.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Army invests significantly in skills, education and training for its people to build the problem-solving attributes, teamwork, resilience, intellect and creativity needed to be successful now and in the future.

The Army maintains an active overseas training programme that delivers against robust training objectives and supports UK defence engagement efforts overseas, as well as demonstrating our clear commitment to our Allies and partners.

The information requested is not held centrally, but I have provided a broad estimate of approximate figures. An illustrative estimate of the number of overseas training exercises conducted as part of the Overseas Training Exercise (OTX) programme is provided below. Please be aware however that some exercises are not included (such as those for specialist units) in the figures provided and the table represents only a partial picture. Information required to answer the question in full is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

*Detailed information on training activity prior to 2020 is no longer held in accordance with MOD data retention policy, as a result this figure is strictly an estimate of annual activity

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) budget for and (b) amount spent on Defence medical services was in each year since 2015.

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

The table below presents the budget and amount spent by Defence Medical Services in each year since 2016. Figures prior to 2016 are not held in the format requested:

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many medical rank reservists there were in the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF in each year since 2015.

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

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Whilst a statistical release of overall Armed Forces strength is published annually, strength and capability statistics for certain specialisations are not released.

Releasing the current strength and requirement of medical service personnel could be exploited by our adversaries to target, disrupt and degrade an important element of Armed Forces capability.

The Ministry of Defence decided to retire some helicopters in 2025. Although old, I think these helicopters still represent a formidable capability. If Ukraine could use them, I think they should have them and a support package free of charge.

We call on government to address what we view as a longstanding injustice for veterans who served their country and left before April 1 1975 who don’t receive any preserved pension benefits from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS). We would like these made retrospective to include those veterans.

We want the UK Government to reverse spending cuts to the Army Cadet Force (ACF) by increasing their budget to £50 million.

The Government should cancel all Military aid to Ukraine as we believe it is a waste of Economic resources. We think we could instead spend any money saved on our military to help ensure our children's future.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to help (a) Ministers and (b) officials from other departments fully participate in the Inter Ministerial Group on Homelessness.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Deputy Prime Minister chairs an Inter-Ministerial Group which includes Ministers from across government and is focused on developing a long-term strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness, an urgent priority for this Government. Departments include the Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office, Department for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, Ministry of Defence, His Majesty’s Treasury, in addition to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Inter-Ministerial Group is supported by a senior officials' board from the same departments. This is alongside regular bilateral meetings between Ministers on the key issues arising.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to ensure equitable treatment of Armed Forces families.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Child Maintenance Service operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in.

Child Maintenance legislation ensures that paying parents employed by the Armed Forces, at home and abroad, are still required to contribute towards their children.

Where a Paying Parent is not paying or is inconsistent with their payments, Deduction from Earnings Orders (DEO) can be applied as a method of payment, where the Child Maintenance Service deducts maintenance directly from the Paying Parent’s wages. Deduction from Earnings Requests are similar to a Deduction from Earnings Order but used for Paying Parents who are serving members of the Armed Forces.

The Child Maintenance Service can request a deduction to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), but unlike civilian employers they cannot order or enforce payment. MOD policy aims to comply with requests; however if the Paying Parent is committed to operational duties MOD may suspend the collection of debt for a limited period.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the answer of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the urgent question of 14 January 2025 on Drones: High-security Prisons, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using military technology to block drones flying over prisons; and whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on this issue.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones to deliver contraband into prisons. We conduct vulnerability assessments across the estate to identify risks, and to develop and implement plans to manage and mitigate them. HM Prison & Probation Service uses targeted countermeasures such as improvements to windows, netting and grills to stop drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile phones and weapons.

We work across government, including with the Ministry of Defence, to examine options to mitigate the threat of drones to prisons. We are also engaging with international counterparts to develop our learning, support our strategy and share best practice. Due to operational sensitivities, we are not able to discuss in detail the tactics used by HMPPS to disrupt drones, including technologies used, however our response must be specific to a prison setting and tailored to individual prisons.

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Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with (a) Police Scotland, (b) the Ministry of Defence and (c) other agencies in responding to reports of unexploded wartime military ordnance.

Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

Incidents relating to unexploded wartime military ordnance are Police operational matters. Unless unexploded ordnance causes a civil contingencies emergency in Scotland that requires co-ordination on a national level, such incidents are not handled through any Scottish or UK Government mechanisms. In the highly unlikely event of this threshold being met, the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGORR) would activate to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s response to the incident, including by liaising closely with Police Scotland, the Ministry of Defence, and other agencies relevant to the response.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action Police Scotland has taken to review historic military training sites for the presence of unexploded ordnance, and what progress has been made in decommissioning such sites.

Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

It is for the Chief Constable, working with the working with the Scottish Police Authority, to determine how to allocate its budget to meet policing priorities.

You may wish to write directly to Police Scotland on this matter.. Alternatively, as this matter may better sit with the UK Government Ministry of Defence, you may wish to raise the issue directly with the Rt Hon John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has mapped the locations of known wartime military ordnance sites, and how this information is used to inform public safety measures.

Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

It is for the Chief Constable, working with the working with the Scottish Police Authority, to determine how to allocate its budget to meet policing priorities.

You may wish to write directly to Police Scotland on this matter. Alternatively, as this matter may better sit with the UK Government Ministry of Defence, you may wish to raise the issue directly with the Rt Hon John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on the disposal by Police Scotland of unexploded ordnance found in coastal waters, and what discussions it has had with (a) SEPA, (b) the Ministry of Defence and (c) other stakeholders on this matter.

Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

The disposal of unexploded ordnance is an operational matter for Police Scotland.

Unless unexploded ordnance causes a civil contingencies emergency in Scotland that requires co-ordination on a national level, such incidents are not handled through any Scottish or UK Government mechanisms. Consequently, discussions have not taken place with SEPA, the Ministry of Defence or other stakeholders on this matter. In the highly unlikely event of this threshold being met, the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGORR) would activate to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s response to the incident, including by liaising closely with the Ministry of Defence and any other relevant stakeholders.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with (a) the Ministry of Defence and (b) other UK Government departments in responding to unexploded ordnance.

Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

Incidents relating to unexploded ordnance are Police operational matters. Unless unexploded ordnance causes a civil contingencies emergency in Scotland that requires co-ordination on a national level, such incidents are not handled through any Scottish or UK Government mechanisms. In the highly unlikely event of this threshold being met, the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGORR) would activate to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s response to the incident, including by liaising closely with the Ministry of Defence and any other relevant UK Government departments.