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Written Question
Uncrewed Systems: Manufacturing Industries
Tuesday 27th January 2026

Asked by: Lord Stirrup (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the resilience and readiness of supply chains for critical components used in uncrewed systems, including whether it maintains strategic reserves of key parts, and the criteria used to designate components as critical.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) sets out steps to develop a more resilient UK industrial base and policies capable of adapting and surging to address emerging priorities and demands. It details steps to enhance the resilience of the industrial base and improve the readiness of supply chains. This includes regularly assessing the scalability and resilience of production for all major procurements and strengthening supply chain data and enhancing resilience of critical and cross-cutting supply chains (page 76, policies 6.2.2.3 and 6.2.3.1). Central to this is the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP) which is pivotal to ensuring operational readiness and resilience across Defence and has scoped the work required to address critical minerals and component supply within Defence.

The autonomous systems are identified as a priority sub-sector in the DIS which include combat air, complex weapons, directed energy weapons and next-generation land and maritime capabilities.

Written Question
Uncrewed Systems: Manufacturing Industries
Tuesday 27th January 2026

Asked by: Lord Stirrup (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the United Kingdom’s ability to surge domestic production of uncrewed systems in the event of a conflict, including the principal industrial, workforce and supply-chain constraints identified.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) sets out steps to develop a more resilient UK industrial base and policies capable of adapting and surging to address emerging priorities and demands. It details steps to enhance the resilience of the industrial base and improve the readiness of supply chains. This includes regularly assessing the scalability and resilience of production for all major procurements and strengthening supply chain data and enhancing resilience of critical and cross-cutting supply chains (page 76, policies 6.2.2.3 and 6.2.3.1). Central to this is the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP) which is pivotal to ensuring operational readiness and resilience across Defence and has scoped the work required to address critical minerals and component supply within Defence.

The autonomous systems are identified as a priority sub-sector in the DIS which include combat air, complex weapons, directed energy weapons and next-generation land and maritime capabilities.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 22 Jan 2026
Artificial Intelligence: UK Preparedness

"My Lords, the United States and China, among others, are working at pace to leverage AI in military capability. Meanwhile, in this country, high-technology companies are in despair at the lack of progress towards the kind of innovative capabilities set out in the Government’s own strategic defence review. Is this …..."
Lord Stirrup - View Speech

View all Lord Stirrup (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Artificial Intelligence: UK Preparedness
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 15 Jan 2026
Exercise Pegasus 2025

"My Lords, Exercise Pegasus 2025 was clearly extremely useful. However, the Chief of the Defence Staff was recently reported as saying that we do not have a holistic plan for the mobilisation of the NHS in the event of a large-scale conflict. What action is being taken to assess the …..."
Lord Stirrup - View Speech

View all Lord Stirrup (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Exercise Pegasus 2025
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 15 Jan 2026
Ministry of Defence: Budget Shortfall

"My Lords, the Minister is quite right, but he knows as well as the rest of us that those are meaningless figures: what really matters is how much you can buy for the money you are spending. Given the accounting changes that have taken place over the intervening years, we …..."
Lord Stirrup - View Speech

View all Lord Stirrup (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Ministry of Defence: Budget Shortfall
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 14 Jan 2026
Boarding of Sanctioned Vessels

"My Lords, shadow fleets pose a threat not just to the effectiveness of sanctions but to critical undersea infrastructure, and therefore require a more robust response than they have had hitherto. That requires not just expert, trained personnel, which we absolutely have, but the necessary maritime and air support assets, …..."
Lord Stirrup - View Speech

View all Lord Stirrup (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Boarding of Sanctioned Vessels
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 06 Jan 2026
Defence Spending

"My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Livermore, who I am pleased to see has just taken his place, said in answer to a previous Question in this House that any increase in the defence budget beyond 2.5% is a matter for the next Parliament and anything beyond 3% is a …..."
Lord Stirrup - View Speech

View all Lord Stirrup (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Defence Spending
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 16 Dec 2025
US National Security Strategy

"My Lords, does the Minister agree that, while we might strongly contest some of the claims made in this strategy, it would be wrong to dismiss it totally out of hand, not least because it reflects deeper shifts in American opinion, not just an aberration of a single presidency, and …..."
Lord Stirrup - View Speech

View all Lord Stirrup (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: US National Security Strategy
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 16 Dec 2025
NHS: Winter Preparedness

"My Lords, one of the biggest winter pressures on the NHS is the forthcoming strike, which will have an impact on patients, of course, but it will also have a further extremely damaging impact on the crucial consultant cohort which has to cover throughout these periods, many of whom are …..."
Lord Stirrup - View Speech

View all Lord Stirrup (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: NHS: Winter Preparedness
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 10 Dec 2025
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference 2026

"I endorse the Minister’s comments about the tragic loss of Lance Corporal Hooley and express sympathy to the lance corporal’s family and friends. What analysis have the Government made of the likely impact on non-proliferation efforts of the wholly inadequate response of the international community to Russia’s violation of the …..."
Lord Stirrup - View Speech

View all Lord Stirrup (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference 2026