Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance she has given to local authorities in making planning provision for English Travelling Showmen.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to policies HO1(1-2), HO2(1-4), HO3(1)(b-c) and HO5(1)(c) of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, ff he will make it his Department’s policy to involve Ukraine in the DragonFire LDEW programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine and continues to work closely with the Ukrainian Government and Armed Forces to help them defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Ministry of Defence is focused on maturing advanced sovereign technologies and transitioning laser Directed Energy Weapons from research and experimentation into operational capability. The UK is a world leader in directed energy weapons and will work with key allies who share our mutual aims in this field.
The UK will continue to work closely with Ukraine to identify areas where defence cooperation can deliver mutual benefit and support Ukraine's defence needs.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his Department’s policy to increase total hull numbers in the submarine service.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As set out in the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), the Ministry of Defence intends to procure up to 12 SSN AUKUS submarines.
The programme is currently midway through the Detailed Design and Long Lead (D2L2) phase and we anticipate that the number of submarines will be confirmed before the end of this phase in 2028
Through the DIP, the Government has made the investments necessary to establish the industrial capacity required to ultimately deliver a submarine every 18 months from the mid-2030s to ensure we can deliver an expanded SSN force.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the current availability of the L118 Light Gun.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence keeps the availability of the L118 Light Gun under regular review to ensure it continues to support the British Army’s operational commitments and training requirements. Through maintenance, engineering support, fleet management arrangements and close engagement with industry partners, work continues to sustain the Light Gun fleet and improve equipment availability.
For operational security reasons, the Department does not routinely disclose detailed equipment availability data.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken to support the growth of the British defence industry.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have on 8 September 2026 to questions 21647 and 21654 to the hon. Member for South Shropshire (Mr Anderson).
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-08-28/21647
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of British anti-missile air defences.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department routinely conducts Planned Force Testing and Capability Auditing to maintain an accurate picture of the actual and projected state of the Armed Forces. The details of these assessments are not made public, as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
The Government has renewed its focus on homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) in response to the evolving air and missile threat and in line with increased prioritisation across NATO. Through the Defence Investment Plan, the Ministry of Defence will invest a further £790 million in dedicated homeland air and missile defence capabilities, including enhanced command and control, improved sensing and radar systems, Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) capabilities, and more effective layered defences. Protecting the Homeland from modern air and missile threats requires a coordinated whole-of-government approach, and this investment will strengthen Defence's contribution to that wider national effort.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her Department’s policy to reform the local government funding formula.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has already taken action to reform the local government funding system. Following the Fair Funding Review 2.0, we set out the methodology underpinning the 2026-27 to 2028-29 multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement, introducing a fairer, evidence-based approach that better reflects local needs and resources. As with all elements of the Local Government Finance Settlement, we will keep the methodology under review in future years.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to support local authorities in tackling anti-social behaviour.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is determined to restore confidence that anti-social behaviour will be tackled quickly and effectively. Through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, we have strengthened the tools available to frontline agencies, including introducing Respect Orders for persistent adult perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, providing a more flexible and robust intervention to prevent further offending.
The Act also strengthens existing powers by increasing the maximum financial penalty available for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders and Community Protection Notices, extending the period for which Closure Notices can be issued, and introducing a new requirement for local policing bodies to conduct reviews where communities are dissatisfied with the response to anti-social behaviour.
On 6 October, we published updated anti-social behaviour statutory guidance ahead of commencement of these measures on 26 October. The guidance provides frontline practitioners with clarity on the new powers and processes coming into force, helping police, councils, housing providers and the courts prepare for and implement the new framework consistently and effectively.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the geo-strategic importance of Northern Ireland.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Northern Ireland has a growing and strategically important defence sector, founded on a strong engineering heritage and backed by robust research competence, collaboration, and world-leading academic institutions. Recent figures show that MOD expenditure with UK industry in Northern Ireland rose by 63% compared to the previous year. In real terms this equates to £464 million in 2025-26, the highest level since records began.
In recognition of its geo-strategic importance and huge potential to support Defence meet its national objectives, the Northern Ireland Defence Growth Deal was launched earlier this year. It is a £50 million investment aiming to strengthen and grow NI’s defence ecosystem by supporting SMEs to scale capability, access opportunities and contribute to a more resilient UK supply chain.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Navy personnel are stationed in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The basing of personnel is an operational matter kept under constant review by the Royal Navy. For reasons of operational security, I cannot comment on the number of Royal Navy personnel stationed in Northern Ireland.