Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with defence companies and advanced manufacturing clusters in Scotland on collaborating with Ukrainian partners on the development of air defence, drone and electronic warfare technologies.

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

I have held multiple discussions with defence companies and Scottish stakeholders on collaboration with Ukrainian partners in air defence, uncrewed systems, and electronic warfare. In March, I led the seventh and largest UK defence trade mission to Ukraine, including Scottish businesses, with support from my Department and ADS. We are also helping UK industry—including Scottish companies—establish a lasting presence via the Business Centre in Kyiv and develop further capabilities in partnership with Ukraine’s defence ecosystem.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Billion-pound helicopter deal secures 3,300 British jobs, boosts battlefield kit and unlocks up to £15 billion in UK exports, published on 2 March 2026, whether he plans to deliver the new medium-lift helicopter as an uncrewed capability in the (a) current or (b) next Parliament.

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

The New Medium Helicopter (NMH) has been procured with an open architecture that will enable integration with crewed and uncrewed systems as future requirements and funding are defined by Defence. This approach is supported by the wider benefits delivered through the £1 billion NMH contract, which secures thousands of skilled UK jobs, significantly increases UK industrial workshare, and establishes Yeovil as Leonardo’s global centre of excellence for autonomous helicopter technology.

These investments strengthen the UK’s long-term capacity to develop and exploit emerging uncrewed aviation capabilities. While this provides a clear pathway for future interoperability, the platform will not be delivered as an uncrewed capability in this Parliament or the next.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Billion-pound helicopter deal secures 3,300 British jobs, boosts battlefield kit and unlocks up to £15 billion in UK exports, published on 2 March 2026, whether he plans to integrate new medium-lift helicopter with uncrewed aircraft in the (a) current or (b) next Parliament.

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

The New Medium Helicopter (NMH) has been procured with an open architecture that will enable integration with crewed and uncrewed systems as future requirements and funding are defined by Defence. This approach is supported by the wider benefits delivered through the £1 billion NMH contract, which secures thousands of skilled UK jobs, significantly increases UK industrial workshare, and establishes Yeovil as Leonardo’s global centre of excellence for autonomous helicopter technology.

These investments strengthen the UK’s long-term capacity to develop and exploit emerging uncrewed aviation capabilities. While this provides a clear pathway for future interoperability, the platform will not be delivered as an uncrewed capability in this Parliament or the next.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to announce his plans to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP (a) before or (b) after the next NATO threat and capability review.

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

The Government has already committed to spending 3% of GDP in the next parliament, when fiscal and economic conditions allow.

Furthermore, in June last year the UK made a historic commitment to spend 5% of GDP on core defence and national security by 2035.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of deploying additional missile defence systems to allies in the Gulf, such as the UAE and Bahrain.

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

This remains an extremely challenging and unsettling time for many across the Middle East. The UK condemns Iran’s role in attempting to draw the region into a wider conflict. Our priority is to protect British nationals, British interests and our partners and allies in the Gulf. We support action that will help bring a swift resolution to this conflict, and an end to Iran's reckless and escalatory response

As part of our contribution, the UK has deployed additional military capabilities to the region. As confirmed by the Prime Minister in his statement on 5 March 2026, an additional four Typhoon aircraft are now deployed to Qatar to provide regional defensive counter air including UAE and Bahrain. RAF Typhoon and F-35 aircraft are continuing air operations over Jordan, Qatar, and Cyprus and the wider Gulf region in defence of British interests and allies.

We continue to assess other assistance requested from our regional partners.

Ministry of Defence are leveraging the expertise of British Defence Industry to enhance our regional partners’ defensive capabilities, particularly regarding C-UAS and Air Defence. Defence Attachés in the region have an updated list of UK companies who have capability to support have been engaging with our partners across the Gulf to understand their requests.

We are working at pace to match Middle East requirements with Industry offers. We are also facilitating Government to Industry (G2I) connections for Middle East countries and UK Industry to hasten support to our regional partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the British Armed Forces are equipped to face current and future threats.

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

The Ministry of Defence employs a rigorous approach to identify and mitigate risks arising from changes in the threat picture or gaps in defence capability, ensuring the coherent delivery of defence's strategic and operational objectives. The Strategic Defence Review sets out recommendations to enhance the readiness, agility and lethality of our armed forces, which will be implemented through the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan, ensuring our armed forces have the capabilities to tackle current and future threats alongside our allies and partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has met with representatives from the defence industry on the potential impact of the time taken to publish the Defence Investment Plan on closures of UK defence firms.

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

The Secretary of State for Defence and other Defence Ministers engage regularly with a wide range of industry stakeholders which make us aware of industry's requirements. These are through established forums, bilateral meetings, and routine commercial engagement, where we comply with market regulation on disclosure of information.

We have signed 4,010 Defence contracts since July 2024, including 1,335 with a value of £1 million or more, and spent more than £31 billion with UK industry last year – an above inflation increase in spending.

This Government has announced a billion-pound helicopter deal which secures 3,300 British jobs, boosts battlefield kit, and supports industry and exports. This demonstrates our commitment to strengthening sovereign industrial capability and modernising key battlefield support assets.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to publish the Defence Investment Plan on the UK defence industry.

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

The Secretary of State for Defence and other Defence Ministers engage regularly with a wide range of industry stakeholders which make us aware of industry's requirements. These are through established forums, bilateral meetings, and routine commercial engagement, where we comply with market regulation on disclosure of information.

We have signed 4,010 Defence contracts since July 2024, including 1,335 with a value of £1 million or more, and spent more than £31 billion with UK industry last year – an above inflation increase in spending.

This Government has announced a billion-pound helicopter deal which secures 3,300 British jobs, boosts battlefield kit, and supports industry and exports. This demonstrates our commitment to strengthening sovereign industrial capability and modernising key battlefield support assets.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the recommendations of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published 8 September 2026, what progress his Department has made on publishing a Defence Finance and Investment Strategy.

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

Good progress is being made on the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy, which will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Afghan nationals who supported British military or civilian staff in NATO and International Security Assistance Force command structures have applied under category 4 of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy; and how many of those applicants were found to be (1) eligible, and (2) ineligible.

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

It is not possible to provide a comprehensive breakdown of figures by employment dates or job roles, including those who worked in NATO and International Security Assistance Force command structures. This is because this information is not presented in a format that is readily available, nor included in published statistics.

Each ARAP scheme application is assessed individually against the eligibility criteria outlined under the Immigration Rules: Appendix ARAP. Applicants cannot directly apply under a particular category. Further information on this can be found in the attached and at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance#eligibility-under-the-arap

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the 13,958 principal applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy found to be ineligible were Afghan nations who served alongside UK forces in roles not directly employed by the UK, including personnel attached to NATO and International Security Assistance Force missions.

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

It is not possible to provide a comprehensive breakdown of figures by employment dates or job roles, including those who worked in NATO and International Security Assistance Force command structures. This is because this information is not presented in a format that is readily available, nor included in published statistics.

Each ARAP scheme application is assessed individually against the eligibility criteria outlined under the Immigration Rules: Appendix ARAP. Applicants cannot directly apply under a particular category. Further information on this can be found in the attached and at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance#eligibility-under-the-arap

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish auditable cost records for Afghan resettlement schemes.

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

Afghan resettlement is a cross-Government effort, with costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and other Government departments including the Home Office, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

On 18 March 2026, the NAO published a report which detailed the costs of the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) in response to the Department’s provision of information on MOD spending to the NAO. Part Three of this report sets out funding for the schemes, the costs incurred to date, and expected future costs. This report can be accessed via the link below:

https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/investigation-into-the-afghan-resettlement-schemes.pdf

The report lays out that, since 2021, His Majesty’s Government (HMG) has spent £3.1 billion on the ARP. HMG estimates a total cost of £5.5-6 billion on Afghan resettlement activity throughout the life of the programme. This figure is kept under review using the latest data available.

The MOD and its cross-Government partners will continue to update Parliament including the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee in line with usual processes throughout the course of the ARP.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assurances they have received from Palantir about the government of the USA's designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) requires all suppliers, including Palantir, to meet UK Government security and supply chain assurance standards. Palantir remains subject to ongoing MOD commercial and security oversight, and the MOD is satisfied that appropriate assurances are in place.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have authorised any strikes on Iranian civilian medical facilities by US planes using UK military bases.

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

For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military operations.

Permissions to utilise UK military bases by foreign partners are considered on a case-by-case basis. All UK operational support to allies and partners is considered in terms of legality.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Navy T45 Destroyers have been upgraded with Sea Ceptor CAMM.

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

Sea Ceptor is already in service on all Type 23 frigates and work is underway to introduce it onto the Type 45 Destroyers, as well as the new Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates. This expansion of Sea Ceptor will further strengthen local air defence capabilities in the surface fleet.

We urge the Government to launch a National Defence Reinvestment Programme, beginning with an initial capital investment equivalent to 5% of GDP. We are concerned the UK has become dangerously underprepared after decades of under-investment in defence (the so-called post–Cold War “peace dividend”).

Match US transparency by releasing all existing UAP records.

The UK claims that it is only taking defensive action in the Israel-US & Iran war. We think that letting the US use British bases does not align with this claim, that it is not in our interest and does not support peace in the region. Stop the US use of bases in all capacities, including defensive.

We ask the UK Government to create a national framework so every UK Armed Forces veteran funeral is offered recognition from the Armed Forces community, such as a standard bearer or veteran representative.

The Red Arrows represent British engineering, skill and national identity. We believe this iconic team should continue to showcase British aerospace excellence by flying a new British-designed and built aircraft when their existing aircraft are retired.

Maintain UK military spending at its current level or reduce it, rather than introducing any increase linked to current tensions in the Middle East.

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Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK government has taken to fulfil its commitment under the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas to promote implementation of the Declaration with the United States.

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

The Government is a strong supporter of the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA Declaration) and the UK was an early endorsing state. Officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence participated in the Second International EWIPA Conference in San José, Costa Rica between 19-20 November 2025. We outlined the number of concerning contexts in which EWIPA are being used with little regard for civilians, our leadership on Civilian Harm Mitigation, and our approach to implementing our commitments. We continue to promote the universalisation and implementation of the Declaration and expect all actors to abide by International Humanitarian Law.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Officials from the department regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence.

The department is actively supporting this work. Officials in the department are in regular discussions with the Ministry of Defence and other government departments about the critical role children and young people play.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure alignment between the Department for Business and Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on critical minerals.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

His Majesty's Government recognises the strategic importance of strengthening the UK's critical minerals security. The Critical Minerals Strategy, published on 22 November 2025, sets out a cross-government approach involving the Department for Business and Trade, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Ministry of Defence and other partners. Ministers and officials already work closely together through established governance structures to ensure policy alignment and effective coordination. We continually review whether these arrangements remain proportionate and effective. At present, we believe the existing cross government ministerial oversight provides the appropriate mechanism for coordinating critical mineral security policy.

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