Lord West of Spithead

The Government Property Agency does not hold the Royal Naval Division War Memorial within its property portfolio. It is located outside the Agency’s freehold title.

Whilst a direct assessment has not been made, evidence indicates that badgers are not considered to be a major reason for the decline in hedgehog numbers.

The main activities linked to the decline in hedgehogs are habitat loss, the use of pesticides and road traffic accidents.

The Government currently has no plans to add hedgehogs to Schedule 5 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. While we are concerned about the conservation of hedgehogs, there is no clear evidence to indicate recovery will be supported by protection under the Act as it does not regulate the main activities linked to its decline, namely habitat loss, the use of pesticides and road traffic accidents.

Our Environmental Land Management Schemes provide funding for habitat creation and management for threatened species, including the maintenance and creation of hedgerows, an important habitat for hedgehogs. Additionally, Biodiversity Net Gain and Local Nature Recovery Strategies will drive the creation and restoration of habitats that will benefit a range of species, including hedgehogs.

The Agreement reached on 3 October will ensure the continued full, long-term, secure and effective operation of the Joint UK/US base on Diego Garcia. The Agreement is subject to the finalisation of a treaty, which will address the specific issues raised by the Noble Lord. The UK and Mauritius have committed to finalising and signing such a treaty as quickly as possible following Mauritian elections. After signature, the treaty is required to be ratified by both the UK and Mauritius before entry into force. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the detail of the Treaty prior to ratification, in the usual way.

The Agreement reached on 3 October will ensure the continued full, long-term, secure and effective operation of the Joint UK/US base on Diego Garcia. The Agreement is subject to the finalisation of a treaty, which will address the specific issues raised by the Noble Lord. The UK and Mauritius have committed to finalising and signing such a treaty as quickly as possible following Mauritian elections. After signature, the treaty is required to be ratified by both the UK and Mauritius before entry into force. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the detail of the Treaty prior to ratification, in the usual way.

The Agreement reached on 3 October will ensure the continued full, long-term, secure and effective operation of the Joint UK/US base on Diego Garcia. The Agreement is subject to the finalisation of a treaty, which will address the specific issues raised by the Noble Lord. The UK and Mauritius have committed to finalising and signing such a treaty as quickly as possible following Mauritian elections. After signature, the treaty is required to be ratified by both the UK and Mauritius before entry into force. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the detail of the Treaty prior to ratification, in the usual way.

We keep the list of proscribed terrorist organisations under constant review. Iran's destabilisation of the Middle East, human rights violations, nuclear escalation and threats against people in the UK are abhorrent. We will not hesitate to take the most effective measures against the regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Recently, we imposed sanctions against four IRGC individuals responsible for facilitating the work of Iran's proxies and partners in the region. Overall, the UK has more than 400 sanctions designations in place on Iranian individuals and entities in response to the regime's malign influence internationally.

Since gaining the power to 'specify' individual vessels in May 2024, the UK has sanctioned 43 tankers transporting Russian oil as part of Putin's shadow fleet; a far higher number than that undertaken by partners over the same period. The majority of these vessels have been disrupted by our action, and a significant number have struggled to re-enter the Russian oil trade. This disrupts Russia's efforts to undermine our oil sanctions and intensifies the pressure we have placed on Russian revenues. We have also sanctioned 9 vessels involved in the Russian Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) sector. We will continue to focus on this area, working closely with partners to ensure effectiveness and impact.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Planning law requires environmental impact and biodiversity net gain assessments to be submitted with all relevant planning applications. These provide information on the existing habitats and species on a proposed development site.

Current planning policy requires that any development proposal protects and enhances the natural environment, while hedgehog highways are endorsed in the National Model Design Code and Planning Practice Guidance as a feature to enable movement between sites.

The legal requirement for 10% biodiversity net gain on developments will encourage more onsite habitats which are conducive to common species like hedgehogs.

Planning law requires environmental impact and biodiversity net gain assessments to be submitted with all relevant planning applications. These provide information on the existing habitats and species on a proposed development site.

Current planning policy requires that any development proposal protects and enhances the natural environment, while hedgehog highways are endorsed in the National Model Design Code and Planning Practice Guidance as a feature to enable movement between sites.

The legal requirement for 10% biodiversity net gain on developments will encourage more onsite habitats which are conducive to common species like hedgehogs.