Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department's negotiations with the Mauritian Government on control of the Chagos Islands made reference to UNCLOS Article 298.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 February in response to Question 110708.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the policy paper entitled Draft Road Investment Strategy 3, published on 26 August 2025, when she plans to publish the final version; and when she plans to respond to the policy paper entitled M4 to Dorset Coast: Strategic connectivity study, published in December 2023.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department plans to publish the third Road Investment Strategy in March 2026, and this will include the latest position and proposed next steps in response to findings of National Highways M4 Dorset Coast Strategic Study.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on what dates he has met with the Associated Retirement Community Operators to discuss the potential impact of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill on a) its members and b) its members' customers.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 108467 on 3 February 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill on the number of extra housing units for older people in the independent living sector.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 108467 on 3 February 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill on tenancy opportunities for older people in the independent living sector.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 108467 on 3 February 2026.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what international dispute resolution mechanisms relating to Diego Garcia is the UK party to; and when they came into force.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 February in response to Question 110708.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish Treasury Counsel's advice on the potential impact of Article 298 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on potential legal challenges to UK sovereignty of the Chagos Islands.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 February in response to Question 110708.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) completion and (b) achievement rates were for cyber security apprenticeships at (i) Level 3, (ii) Level 4 and (iii) Level 6 in each year since 2020.

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

The apprenticeship ‘National achievement rate tables’ are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/

Apprenticeship retention and achievement rates for cyber security apprenticeships can be found here:

• 2021/22 to 2023/24 academic years: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/c4ef515c-602b-41dc-8709-08de69749f74

• 2018/19 to 2020/21 academic years are published in an underlying file accompanying the release: Apprenticeship Achievement Rates Standards and Frameworks

We do not produce data on the number of employers who have offered cyber security apprenticeships.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employers have offered cyber security apprenticeships in each year since 2020.

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

The apprenticeship ‘National achievement rate tables’ are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/

Apprenticeship retention and achievement rates for cyber security apprenticeships can be found here:

• 2021/22 to 2023/24 academic years: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/c4ef515c-602b-41dc-8709-08de69749f74

• 2018/19 to 2020/21 academic years are published in an underlying file accompanying the release: Apprenticeship Achievement Rates Standards and Frameworks

We do not produce data on the number of employers who have offered cyber security apprenticeships.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when will the British Army be provided with body armour designed to fit women.

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

The Ministry of Defence remains firmly committed to ensuring that our Service personnel are equipped with appropriate and sufficient protective equipment. As part of this commitment, we are delivering an update to body armour for UK personnel through the Tactical Ballistic Plates (TBP) project.

Anthropometric data was used in the design of TBP. Plates will be available in four sizes, to better fit a broader range of personnel, including women.

A comprehensive range of options will be assessed ahead of the TBP contract award, which is currently scheduled for December 2026. This evaluation will ensure that the new armour achieves the optimal balance between fit and the protection required for all our personnel. In-service dates will be confirmed once the contract has been awarded and the delivery schedule is finalised.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will calculate defence sales by UK companies to the Irish Republic in each year for which records are available.

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

Data on UK defence exports is published annually by UK Defence and Security Exports (UK DSE), now National Armaments Directorate (NAD). They present export figures only at regional level, with no disaggregated data available for Ireland specifically.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many injuries have been sustained by servicewomen from body armour in the past 10 years.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Medical records do not attribute injuries to specific items of equipment, and therefore the Ministry of Defence is unable to provide the information requested.

The Ministry of Defence remains firmly committed to ensuring that our service personnel are equipped with appropriate and sufficient protective equipment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department will seek to recoup costs from the Irish government for UK security assets during Ireland's presidency of the Council of the European Union.

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

The UK and Ireland work closely together on shared security challenges, but the UK does not provide defence cover for Ireland, nor does it deploy security assets to protect Irish subsea infrastructure. The Ministry of Defence has not received any requests from Ireland for security support during their presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Matters relating to Ireland's defence posture and expenditure rest with the Irish authorities, and any enquiries on those issues should be directed to them.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what fees have been remitted to the UK from the Irish government for the use of UK (a) military (b) naval (c) security assets to safeguard Irish interests in each year for which records exist.

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

The UK and Ireland work closely together on shared security challenges, but the UK does not provide defence cover for Ireland, nor does it deploy security assets to protect Irish subsea infrastructure. The Ministry of Defence has not received any requests from Ireland for security support during their presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Matters relating to Ireland's defence posture and expenditure rest with the Irish authorities, and any enquiries on those issues should be directed to them.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether arrangements exist for refunding the cost of UK security assets used to protect Irish subsea infrastructure from Russian attack.

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

The UK and Ireland work closely together on shared security challenges, but the UK does not provide defence cover for Ireland, nor does it deploy security assets to protect Irish subsea infrastructure. The Ministry of Defence has not received any requests from Ireland for security support during their presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Matters relating to Ireland's defence posture and expenditure rest with the Irish authorities, and any enquiries on those issues should be directed to them.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Irish Defence Forces have undertaken training in the UK in each year for which records are available and what arrangements exist for cost recovery.

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

Since 2017, a total of 158 members of the Irish Defence Forces have undertaken training on UK Ministry of Dfence-run courses. All costs have been fully funded by Ireland, including course fees and associated expenses.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of body armour currently supplied to the British Army in deflecting projectiles in (a) men (b) women.

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

We are committed to ensuring that our forces are equipped with the best possible kit for the future, both men and women. We are ensuring that our Service personnel are equipped with appropriate and sufficient protective equipment. As part of this commitment, we are delivering an update to body armour for all UK personnel through the Tactical Ballistic Plates (TBP) project.

Assessments of the effectiveness of body armour are conducted as a key part of the selection process prior to any contract award. These assessments are carried out against a detailed set of performance criteria derived from a classified threat assessment, ensuring that the armour provides the required level of protection against relevant ballistic threats.

The in-service hard armour plates and soft armour filler are subject to regular inspection and testing to ensure their continued integrity and the protection levels they are designed to provide for all personnel.