Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the draft guidance by the Equality and Human Rights Commission entitled Code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025, on (a) operational readiness and (b) combat effectiveness (i) of all service personnel and (ii) of service personnel who are trans.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Defence welcomes the Supreme Court's ruling and the clarity that it brings. The independent Equality and Human Rights Commission is now developing its updated statutory Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations and we will liaise with them through our engagement with the Office for Equalities and Opportunity as they progress this work. The application of the Supreme Court ruling in some settings is complex and that is why it is important we await the Code of Practice before applying the Equality Act on a day-to-day basis.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the proposed requirement that trans people be excluded from (i) services and (ii) facilities that are designated single sex and (b) other proposals in the recent EHRC Draft Code of Practice to the Equality Act on the (A) financial and (B) operational readiness impacts of (1) his Department and (2) the armed forces.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 July 2025 to Question 65333 to the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Dr Caroline Johnson).
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the extent to which medical equipment that was used at Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre has been repurposed since that centre's closure.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The table below provides a breakdown of the medical equipment from Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Headley Court that was either transferred to another Defence location, or relocated to DMRC Stanford Hall, as it was still serviceable.
Equipment transferred from DMRC Headley Court | Number |
Ice machine | 1 |
Wet bulb globe test (WGBT) | 3 |
Continuous passive motion system | 1 |
Sling suspension | 1 |
Standing frame | 2 |
Neuro stimulator | 1 |
Doppler | 2 |
Dynamic compression system | 1 |
Functional electrical stimulation device (FES) | 11 |
FES bike | 1 |
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) | 4 |
Handheld NMES | 11 |
Infusion pump | 2 |
Pressure testing system | 1 |
Socket tester | 1 |
Soft tissue mobiliser | 1 |
Tilt table | 1 |
Water bath | 2 |
Parallel bars | 5 |
Sitting scales | 1 |
Targeted negative pressure device | 1 |
Image intensifier | 1 |
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 8 October 2018 to Question 176667 on Uganda: Military Aid, what military support the UK provided to Uganda between 2020 and 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK provides military support to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to help build its capabilities to contribute to regional security. From 2020 to 2024 we have supported Uganda’s deployment to the Africa Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and its successor mission the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). This assistance includes pre-deployment training and capacity-building that covers engineering, stabilisation operations, intelligence and operational planning courses. In addition, the UK trains UPDF Marines and contingents of the Uganda Police Force deploying to ATMIS. We have also supported anti-poaching by training Ugandan wildlife rangers. All UK support is delivered through a combination of UK military training teams, professional military education courses delivered in the UK and overseas, and through the British Peace Support Team (Africa). All our training assistance includes International Humanitarian Law, Law of Armed Conflict, and Women, Peace and Security.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has participated in formal discussions with the Czech Republic on supporting its procurement of artillery shells for Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK remains fully engaged with the international capability coalitions and numerous other partners to understand where further opportunities may exist to increase our support to Ukraine. To date the UK has provided over 300,000 artillery shells to Ukraine, and has committed to delivering 100s of thousands more this financial year, and a further investment of £245 million on artillery ammunition in 2024-25.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government plans to make a financial contribution to the Czech Republic scheme for the purchasing of artillery shells for Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK remains fully engaged with the international capability coalitions and numerous other partners to understand where further opportunities may exist to increase our support to Ukraine. To date the UK has provided over 300,000 artillery shells to Ukraine, and has committed to delivering 100s of thousands more this financial year, and a further investment of £245 million on artillery ammunition in 2024-25.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government is providing (a) early warning systems for air and missile strikes and (b) other forms of civil defence to Ukraine.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK has bolstered Ukraine's ability to detect Russian attacks from the air by gifting dozens of air defence radars. These provide early warning against both Russian cruise missiles and Iranian supplied one-way drones. Training on this capability is underway in the UK for Ukrainian armed forces. UK Teams continue to provide specialist advice on the protection of critical infrastructure and a variety of other protective equipment.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many B52 strategic bombers have been deployed to RAF Fairford; and whether he has plans for those bombers to be equipped with nuclear weapons.
Answered by James Heappey
Four B52 aircraft are currently deployed to RAF Fairford.
It remains longstanding UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location or time.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to the public purse of storing US nuclear weapons at USAF Lakenheath; and from which budget heading that funding would be drawn.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Ministry of Defence is unable to comment on US spending decisions and capabilities, which are a matter for the US Government. It remains longstanding UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who will make the final decision on storage of US Nuclear Weapons at USAF Lakenheath.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Ministry of Defence is unable to comment on US spending decisions and capabilities, which are a matter for the US Government. It remains longstanding UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location.