Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many local (a) suppliers and (b) contractors have been engaged in the delivery of the (i) single living accommodation and (ii) solar projects at Weeton Barracks.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
New Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at Weeton Barracks is currently being delivered through the Ministry of Defence’ Future Defence Infrastructure Services contractor, VIVO.
VIVO as the principal contractor, engages with sub-contractors who need to demonstrate how they will meet social value criteria including tackling economic inequality, tackling workforce inequality, and utilising support from local Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, where appropriate.
For the Weeton project, the workforce for the on-site construction was drawn from the local area to support employment and the local economy.
Contractor Mitie were appointed to deliver the solar project at Weeton Barracks. Mitie’s policy for sourcing local suppliers and contractors is driven by commitment to sustainability and social value, aiming to increase supply chain resilience and local economic support.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) design, (b) sustainability and (c) cost per bedspace of the single living accommodation under construction at (i) Weeton Barracks and (ii) other recently built single living accommodation across the Army estate.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Weeton Barracks is in the first wave of the Army’s Single Living Accommodation (SLA) upgrade programmes since the Single Living Accommodation Management (SLAM) Programme completed in 2017. The building complies with the Government’s Net Zero Carbon Strategy, the UK Infrastructure 10-Year Strategy and tackles the recommendations of the National Audit Office Report: Improving Single Living Accommodation February 2021.
Cost efficiency is a key driver of Defence’s procurement strategy for the SLA programme, and all tenders are reviewed, benchmarked and assured against market data to ensure value for money is delivered to meet the performance specifications.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of military families who will be affected by the Forces First approach in each of the next three years.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Forces First approach will mean more Service personnel have access to the high-quality homes and home-ownership opportunities they deserve and will form part of the upcoming Defence Housing Strategy. This approach will be applied by agreement with local authorities and development partners on a site-by-site basis, so it is not possible to currently estimate the number of military families who will benefit in future years.
A trailblazer for this approach is already underway at Ministry of Defence (MOD) Feltham in South-West London, where the MOD, the London Borough of Hounslow and the Greater London Authority have agreed to adopt a Forces First approach as part of a groundbreaking partnership to develop the site. Once vacated, this new development alone is expected to deliver hundreds of homes and jobs.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Military families and veterans prioritised in ‘forces first’ housing scheme, published on 29 September 2025, whether the planned 100,000 homes on surplus land will be in addition to existing Government housebuilding targets.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Secretary has identified the long-term potential for 100,000 homes on Ministry of Defence (MOD) surplus land, demonstrating the opportunity for MOD to contribute to the Government’s important housebuilding ambitions. A new approach to realising this opportunity will be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy later this year.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76091 on Defence: Plymouth and Yorkshire, what consultation with local hon. Members in the five areas took place; and what impact this consultation had upon the decision to award deals to the areas.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Prior to the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Department conducted a public consultation with over 200 responses. There was not a specific consultation directed at MPs in specific Defence Growth Deal areas, in part because work is still ongoing to establish the precise focus and scope of these areas. Significant engagement is taking place with devolved and Local Governments, and we will continue to work with key stakeholders to ensure these deals drive growth in their respective areas.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution of the BAE Systems site at Warton to the delivery of the Future Combat Air Systems; and what proportion of FCAS-related research and development and production work is expected to take place in Lancashire.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
BAE Systems is a prime contributor to the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, and the Warton site plays a central role in the development of advanced technologies, systems integration, and digital engineering as part of Team Tempest.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has conducted recent test firings of the Spearfish torpedo in UK waters.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has made significant progress in implementing the Spearfish Upgrade Programme, focusing on enhancing the capabilities of the Spearfish torpedo system to meet evolving defence requirements. The integration of the Spearfish MOD 1 torpedo with the submarine's combat system has been demonstrated through in-water firings.
The most recent test firing of the Spearfish torpedo took place in June 2025 at the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC).
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timeline is for the full weapons fit of the Type 26 frigate to become operational.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Type 26 programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver world-class anti-submarine warfare frigates.
T26 will be fitted with the Mk41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) and there will be options for spiral development of weapon systems throughout the ships’ life. The first T26 frigate is expected to enter service from 2028.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the newly established Office of Defence Exports will measure success; and what target increase in export orders is expected in the next (a) five and (b) 10 years.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 September 2025 to Question 76093. Design work for the Office of Defence Exports is well underway. Initial stand up continues at pace, with full implementation - including the development of performance measures - continuing over the next 12 months.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the performance of the Sea Ceptor system during recent naval (a) exercises and (b) deployments.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The SEA CEPTOR system delivers Local Air Defence capability against complex air threats both now and into the future. SEA CEPTOR is already in service on the Type 23 frigates and will be installed on the Type 26 and 31 classes. All six Type 45 destroyers are adding the SEA CEPTOR system to their arsenal.
The Ministry of Defence does not comment on effectiveness of weapon systems but I can reassure the hon. Member that we would not install weapon systems on our Royal Navy ships if they were not effective.