Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress she has made on legal options to pursue the Russian Shadow Fleet.

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

Disrupting the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for the UK and our action is having an impact. We have already sanctioned 595 shadow fleet vessels, and an estimated $4.5 billion less in Russian oil and oil products has been carried by these vessels as a result.

On 26 March, the Prime Minister announced that UK Armed Forces and law enforcement officers would now be able to interdict vessels that have been sanctioned by the UK and are transiting through UK waters. Any action against these vessels would adhere to strict legal procedures and comply with both domestic and international law.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Navy T45 Destroyers have been upgraded with Sea Ceptor CAMM.

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

Sea Ceptor is already in service on all Type 23 frigates and work is underway to introduce it onto the Type 45 Destroyers, as well as the new Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates. This expansion of Sea Ceptor will further strengthen local air defence capabilities in the surface fleet.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2026 to question 118316 on Special Educational Needs: Cambridgeshire, if she will publish the monthly data on Cambridgeshire’s education, health and care plan timeliness.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department publishes information on the number of education, health and care (EHC) plans that are issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe. Excluding cases where exceptions apply, the number and percentage of plans issued within this timeframe for both Cambridgeshire and England are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b46a4968-aafd-4bd6-948a-08de4155ee12.

Information on EHC plans maintained by local authorities, including requests for an EHC needs assessment, the number of assessments carried out, the number where a decision is made to assess, and the number of plans issued within 20 weeks, are included in the annual statistical release. The latest January 2025 statistics were published in June 2025 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.

The department monitors Cambridgeshire’s EHC plan timeliness through regular monitoring meetings. The information shared at these meetings is not published but informs the support and challenge that the department provides.

Furthermore, as set out in the recent Schools White Paper and its associated consultation, the department is consulting on proposals to reform the special educational needs and disabilities system, including to ensure that the information, advice and guidance provided offers effective support for children, young people and their families, and promotes greater fairness across the system. The consultation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the current process for (a) Ministers, (b) Senior Civil Servants and (c) Government advisers for reporting the theft of a Government mobile phone containing sensitive information.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department took to help prevent the exploitation of data from the unlocked mobile phone of the former Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister following its theft in October 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps were taken by the former Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister to report the theft of his mobile phone to security services in October 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The former Chief of Staff’s phone was stolen, and he reported it at the time to the police and relevant teams in No10. This was before the Humble Address that was passed in February. The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full, while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement provided by the Metropolitan Police on 25 March and publication of the transcript confirming that the theft was reported.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Land Ceptor is capable of ballistic missile interception.

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

Sky Sabre is a system of systems made up of radars, Command and Control nodes and Land Ceptor launchers. The Land Ceptor is not configured for Ballistic Missile Defence capability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 22 of her Department's consultation document entitled SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First, CP1509, when will schools in Huntingdonshire have to publish a legal Inclusion Strategy.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

In the recent consultation ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’, the government proposed holding schools to account on how they will take meaningful steps to invest in inclusion through a published Inclusion Strategy.

On 25 March 2026, the department published the inclusive mainstream fund (IMF) methodology alongside best practice for schools. These documents provided detail on the requirement on schools to produce an Inclusion Strategy, along with information on how the IMF will be allocated to support schools’ inclusive practice. More information on how to produce an effective and ambitious Inclusion Strategy will be published soon.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has taken steps to prevent the use of Chinese software connected vehicles by (a) police forces and (b) the security services.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

As noted in Question 121206 the Government prioritises national security and does not routinely provide details on operational matters or specific threats.

The Home Office works closely with the National Technical Authorities, Police Digital Service, National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), alongside other Government Departments, to fully understand and address cyber vulnerabilities, proportional to the threat. This collaborative effort covers all connected vehicles, including those using Chinese software

The government will continue to promote good practice in cybersecurity, support transparency on data collection and usage, and coordinate with the transport sector to strengthen the security of vehicles.

NPCC have shared guidance to all Chief Constables on understanding and effectively managing risks from Connected Vehicles. We will continue to work with partners to ensure the guidance remains up to date and that forces follow guidance appropriately.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces are currently using Chinese software connected vehicles within their fleets.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Police forces are operationally independent; this includes the procurement and use of vehicles. The Home Office does not routinely collect information on vehicle types within Police fleets.

The Home Office works closely with the National Technical Authorities, Police Digital Service, National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), alongside other Government Departments, to fully understand and address cyber vulnerabilities, proportional to the threat. This collaborative effort covers all connected vehicles, including those using Chinese software

NPCC have shared guidance to all Chief Constables on understanding and effectively managing risks from Connected Vehicles. We will continue to work with partners to ensure the guidance remains up to date and that forces follow guidance appropriately.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the a) concept and b) assessment phases of the Future Air Dominance System are scheduled to commence.

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

The Future Air Dominance System (FADS) programme is already in its Concept Phase, following approval of its Strategic Outline Case in 2025. The commencement of subsequent phases will be subject to future approvals in line with Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121206 on Police: Vehicles, what guidance has been provided to Chief Constables by the NPCC on understanding and effectively managing risks from connected vehicles.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government prioritises national security and does not routinely provide details on operational matters or specific threats.

The Home Office works closely with the National Technical Authorities, Police Digital Service, National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), alongside other Government Departments, to fully understand and address cyber vulnerabilities, proportional to the threat.

Guidance provided covered proportionate risk-based measures on the in-life management, data handling, and disposal of Connected Vehicles. We will continue to work with partners to ensure the guidance remains up to date and that forces follow guidance appropriately.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2024 to question 122048 on Prisoners' Release: Reoffenders, what proportion of those recalls were attributed to the introduction of the a) Fixed-Term Recall Statutory Instrument (FTR-SI) and the b) Standard Determinate Sentences 40% (SDS40).

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ) on licence recalls.

Further breakdowns of this information are not held by the Ministry of Justice.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential security breach following the theft of the mobile phone of the former Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister, Morgan McSweeney in October 2024.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government takes matters of national security very seriously, including cyber security, and has robust procedures in place to prevent the loss of sensitive information. However the Government does not routinely comment on the specifics on matters relating to national security.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times the National Security Council Sub-Committee (Resilience) has met since July 2024.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

It is a long-established precedent that information about Cabinet and its Committees, including the discussions that have taken place, how often they have met and attendance, is not normally shared publicly.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his planned timetable is for determining the spending that will count towards the 1.5% of GDP to be spent on resilience and security.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

NATO has already agreed the definition of 1.5% as spend “to inter alia protect critical infrastructure, defend networks, ensure civil preparedness and resilience, innovate, and strengthen the defence industrial base”. Officials are currently working through proposals and plans for meeting our obligations will be set out in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times the National Security Advisor has been requested to appear in front of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy since his appointment.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The National Security Adviser appeared in front of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy in a private session in November 2025 and has offered to do so again. As the Government has said, the longstanding practice is that Special Advisers currently in post do not give public evidence to Select Committees and this is done instead by Ministers or Officials.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times the National Security Council Sub-Committee (Nuclear) has met since July 2024.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees, including how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 114022 on Extradition, what the (a) country and (b) date was for each of the extradition requests received from Category 2 Type B countries.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The numbers of requests from each Category 2 Type B country received between 5th July 2024 and 23 February 2026 (the date of question 114022), where they number more than 5 requests are listed below. The total requests received in the timeframe, which was given in response to question 114022, was 64:

Brazil – 12

Iraq – 7

Nigeria – 7

Kosovo – 6

In accordance with our policies, and after careful consideration, we are not releasing the information on extradition requests received between 5th July 2024 and 23 February 2026, from Category 2 Type B countries where five or fewer requests have been made. Likewise, we are unable to break down the figures above any further due to the same considerations. The disclosure of such data may lead to the identification of an individual request which might prejudice ongoing law enforcement proceedings.

Please note that this information is taken from local management information and has not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the classification of water at Grafham Water on the water supply in Huntingdon constituency.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Grafham Water is 85% full with no concerns for water supplies in Huntingdon, but refill was delayed by high nitrate levels.

The Environment Agency continues to work with the water industry through the Asset Management Plan process and partnership projects so that appropriate catchment management and water treatment are in place to ensure that water supplies are safe and secure.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 101926 on MBR Acres: Animal Welfare, what factors determine the frequency of unannounced audits.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The announced audit carried out at MBR Acres in November 2025 identified no critical or major findings, and no low‑level concerns. Three minor findings were identified and, where required, actions to address these areas were issued to the establishment. The minor findings involved a small amount of rust on a surface, small areas of floor damage in a walkway, and a small portion of loose drain cover which was dealt with immediately.

ASRU conducts both announced and unannounced audits in line with the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), using a risk‑informed approach.

Audit frequency is determined by a range of factors including consideration of an establishment’s compliance history, the nature and scale of licensed activities, the species and numbers of animals used, and the licence holder’s record.

As a minimum, ASRU audits a third of all establishments each year and audits all establishments carrying out regulated procedures on non‑human primates annually, as required by ASPA. ASPA does not mandate whether these audits are announced or unannounced and does not mandate a specific frequency for unannounced audits.

ASRU has planned to increase the number of unannounced audits as part of its work to strength regulatory oversight. ASRU has also increased its number of inspectors, enabling a greater volume of risk-based audits across the system.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress has she made in accelerating the replacement of animals in science to phase out their use.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has established governance arrangements for the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy, with the first Ministerial Board now convened to oversee delivery. We have announced £75 million to accelerate the development and adoption of alternative methods across the UK and are working with regulators and public bodies to determine how this funding will be allocated. A delivery update alongside KPIs will be published later in 2026. We also intend to publish areas of research interest for alternative methods later this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 101926 on MBR Acres: Animal Welfare, what the outcome was of the announced audit in November 2025.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The announced audit carried out at MBR Acres in November 2025 identified no critical or major findings, and no low‑level concerns. Three minor findings were identified and, where required, actions to address these areas were issued to the establishment. The minor findings involved a small amount of rust on a surface, small areas of floor damage in a walkway, and a small portion of loose drain cover which was dealt with immediately.

ASRU conducts both announced and unannounced audits in line with the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), using a risk‑informed approach.

Audit frequency is determined by a range of factors including consideration of an establishment’s compliance history, the nature and scale of licensed activities, the species and numbers of animals used, and the licence holder’s record.

As a minimum, ASRU audits a third of all establishments each year and audits all establishments carrying out regulated procedures on non‑human primates annually, as required by ASPA. ASPA does not mandate whether these audits are announced or unannounced and does not mandate a specific frequency for unannounced audits.

ASRU has planned to increase the number of unannounced audits as part of its work to strength regulatory oversight. ASRU has also increased its number of inspectors, enabling a greater volume of risk-based audits across the system.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has he made in increasing naval interoperability between the Royal Navy and Norway under the Lunna House agreement.

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

The UK continues to make strong progress in enhancing naval interoperability with Norway under the Lunna House agreement, with Royal Navy units continuing to work closely with their Norwegian counterparts to ensure both nations can operate seamlessly together in protecting shared security interests.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason did National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 23 March 2026.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The National Security Adviser meets with a range of individuals and organisations as part of his role providing advice to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on national security matters. Such meetings are often sensitive in nature, and the Government does not routinely comment on them or their content.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by when will his department answer question 113290, published on 12 February 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer question 113304, published on 12 February 2026.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the scope of the Royal Navy’s Maritime Big Play programme.

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

The Maritime Big Play programme develops remotely piloted and autonomous systems to accelerate the adoption of these technologies across the AUKUS nations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby on the potential closure of the Inovyn salt production facility in Runcorn.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government maintains an ongoing dialogue with Inovyn on the issues facing the operation of their salt plant at Runcorn. I have exchanged correspondence with the Hon Member for Runcorn and Helsby on the matter earlier this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the potential closure of the Inovyn salt production facility in Runcorn on the (a) chemicals and (b) pharmaceuticals industry.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government maintains an ongoing dialogue with Inovyn on the issues facing the operation of their salt plant at Runcorn. I have exchanged correspondence with the Hon Member for Runcorn and Helsby on the matter earlier this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing support to help prevent the closure of the Inovyn salt production facility in Cheshire.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government maintains an ongoing dialogue with Inovyn on the issues facing the operation of their salt plant at Runcorn. I have exchanged correspondence with the Hon Member for Runcorn and Helsby on the matter earlier this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026 to question 121671 on F-35 Aircraft: Weapons, what is the difference between the Israeli F-35 weapons integration and the Royal Air Force F-35.

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

The UK F-35 programme is managed through a US Government F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) based in the USA.

Israel is out-with the F-35 partner nation program and the UK does not have access to Israeli F-35 weapons integration information and therefore is unable to offer a comparison.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role did Director Strategic Capability, Engagement and Operations, Defence Equipment and Support, Lieutenant General Anna-Lee Reilly, play in the decision of the Army to declare Initial Operating Capability for Ajax in September 2025.

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

The Army confirmed Initial Operating Capability internally on 15 September 2025 at the Chief of the General Staff Command Group. Director General Materiel Delivery sits outside the Army’s command structure and is not a member of this group.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date is HMS Daring due to a) start and b) finish sea trials.

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

As the hon. Gentleman will recall, in accordance with established practice, the Royal Navy does not routinely comment on the detailed operational programme of its vessels.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Soft Power Council has submitted (a) reports and (b) formal advice to her Department since January 2025.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Available information about the Soft Power Council can be found on GOV.UK, including details of the dates of all its meetings to date and records that cover the issues discussed at each meeting. The Soft Power Council is attended on a voluntary basis by its members, and has no separate office or other fixed overheads.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the cost was of the Soft Power Council in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26; and what the estimated cost is for 2026-27.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Available information about the Soft Power Council can be found on GOV.UK, including details of the dates of all its meetings to date and records that cover the issues discussed at each meeting. The Soft Power Council is attended on a voluntary basis by its members, and has no separate office or other fixed overheads.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times the Soft Power Council has met; and on what dates.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Available information about the Soft Power Council can be found on GOV.UK, including details of the dates of all its meetings to date and records that cover the issues discussed at each meeting. The Soft Power Council is attended on a voluntary basis by its members, and has no separate office or other fixed overheads.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Crest Nicholson’s option on the surplus land at RAF Wyton from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation on Project Fairfax.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold an option agreement with Crest Nicholson in relation to the surplus land at RAF Wyton. Instead, the MOD has a development management agreement with Crest Nicholson. This agreement supports the MOD’s promotion of the site for redevelopment by managing town planning, funding, and scheme implementation on behalf of the MOD.

The MOD will continue to hold discussions with Crest Nicholson as work on the project develops.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the split is between projected (a) core defence spending and (b) remaining total NATO qualifying defence spending in 2026–27.

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

The Ministry of Defence does not routinely publish forecast figures. The UK's defence spending figures for 2026-27 are expected to be published by NATO this summer.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress she has made in positioning the UK as a global leader in alternative methods.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is positioning the UK as a global leader in alternative methods by strengthening regulatory confidence through MHRA reform and investing in validation infrastructure and skills, supporting UK leadership by setting international benchmarks for how alternative methods are developed, assessed and adopted.

As part of this, we are scoping opportunities for international engagement at both multilateral and bilateral level, including plans to bring together international regulators to discuss the expansion of existing partnerships, the establishment of new partnerships, and priorities of mutual importance.

The Government will publish a delivery update later in 2026, alongside a set of key performance indicators covering all elements of the strategy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2025 to question 73557 on Navy: Dockyards, what progress he has made in delivering the NSIGN Projects to enable the Ministry of Defence to contract for Submarine and enabling Naval Base services delivered through Clyde and Devonport in March 2026.

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

Good progress has been made on both programmes. Contract placement is on track to extend the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) to cover the period from April 2026 up to October 2028. The extension will ensure a smooth transition to the Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) Programme, which will continue the maritime support transformation started by the FMSP. Supplier negotiations for the NSIGN programme continue.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2025 to question 73557 on Navy: Dockyards, what progress he has made in delivering the extension of the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) where required, for the period March 2026 to October 2028.

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

Good progress has been made on both programmes. Contract placement is on track to extend the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) to cover the period from April 2026 up to October 2028. The extension will ensure a smooth transition to the Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) Programme, which will continue the maritime support transformation started by the FMSP. Supplier negotiations for the NSIGN programme continue.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency to procure a Joint Commando Craft for the Royal Navy.

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

The UK is considering a bilateral programme with Norway to procure a Joint Commando Craft (JCC) and, working in conjunction with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, has released a Request for Information. The programme is intended to deliver vessels capable of transporting specialist personnel and equipment, including uncrewed and autonomous systems, for insertion and extraction in demanding littoral environments.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he can confirm how many ships the Royal Navy has.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my noble Friend, Lord Coaker, the Minister for the House of Lords, on 31 March 2026 the Question HL15483 asked by Baroness Goldie on 12 March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the Royal Navy’s commitment to provide the flagship for the Standing NATO Maritime Group One would be rescheduled.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 March 2026 to Question 119559.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason he withdrew HMS Dragon from the Standing NATO Maritime Group One commitment.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 March 2026 to Question 119559.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the Royal Navy commitment to the Standing NATO Maritime Group One in 2026.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 March 2026 to Question 119559.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date discussions were held between his Department and (a) NATO and (b) the Deutsche Marine regarding the replacement of HMS Dragon by the German frigate Sachsen in the Standing NATO Maritime Group One commitment.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 March 2026 to Question 119559.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date was the decision taken to withdraw HMS Dragon from the Standing NATO Maritime Group One commitment.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 March 2026 to Question 119559.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any British service personnel are currently serving with the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division.

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

For reasons of operational and personnel security, the Ministry of Defence does not comment on the specific roles, locations, or units in which UK personnel may be embedded.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 64 of the policy paper entitled SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First, published on 23 February 2026, CP1509, when she expects recommendations from the national expert panel on specialist provision packages to be published.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s consultation on special educational needs and disabilities reform, ‘Putting Children and Young People First’, sets out the proposal to introduce Specialist Provision Packages, which would provide comprehensive, evidence-based support for children and young people with the most complex needs. This is subject to consultation.

The packages will be developed and reviewed by experts, tested with parents and supported through continued multi-agency working. Legislation to introduce the new packages, and the independent expert panel that will oversee them, will be brought forward at the earliest opportunity, with guidance to follow so settings can plan and prepare ahead of proposed implementation from September 2029.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 63 of the policy paper entitled SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First, published on 23 February 2026, CP1509, when she plans to introduce new specialist provision packages.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s consultation on special educational needs and disabilities reform, ‘Putting Children and Young People First’, sets out the proposal to introduce Specialist Provision Packages, which would provide comprehensive, evidence-based support for children and young people with the most complex needs. This is subject to consultation.

The packages will be developed and reviewed by experts, tested with parents and supported through continued multi-agency working. Legislation to introduce the new packages, and the independent expert panel that will oversee them, will be brought forward at the earliest opportunity, with guidance to follow so settings can plan and prepare ahead of proposed implementation from September 2029.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 17 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy - Public Summary, what are the export opportunities he plans to seize.

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

The Ministry of Defence is proactively supporting the UK's defence industry to seize export opportunities globally. In 2025, the UK secured over £20 billion worth of defence export deals with our allies and partners. This includes the historic £10 billion export deal with Norway to export at least five Type 26 frigates, and the £8 billion Typhoon partnership with Turkey. The Defence Diplomacy Strategy sets out how defence exports are a central component in making Defence an engine for growth, in line with the Defence Industrial Strategy.

Due to commercial sensitivities, we do not comment on active export campaigns. However, we did publish information on recent successes in the press release of 26 December 2025. We also published the 2024 UK Defence Export Statistics on 5 March 2026.

The Defence Diplomacy Strategy is implementing a range of actions including harnessing the former Department for Business and Trade personnel now integrated into Defence to drive effective and strategic engagement with exports; enhancing export literacy in international facing roles across Defence; and improving our export offer to partners in line with the Defence Industrial Strategy. As a result of these actions, we will build on our export successes into the future and support our ambition to be Europe’s lead defence exporting nation by 2035.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many personnel are assigned to the Tactical Delivery Group for bat crime.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The bat crime Tactical Delivery Group (TDG) is comprised of around 40 representatives from several key stakeholder organisations, including the police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. A Defra representative attends as required.

There is a TDG for each of five national wildlife crime priorities. The priority areas are those which have been assessed as posing the greatest current threat to either the conservation status of a species or which show the highest volume of crime and therefore require a UK-wide tactical response.

Each TDG is required to report to the UK Tasking and Coordination Group (UKTCG) (on which Defra is represented) twice a year. This allows the UKTCG to oversee the activities of the TDG and ensure its objectives are being met.

Each TDG is supported by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is a principal funder of the NWCU and is providing £530,000 for the Unit in the financial year 2026-27. The NWCU holds TDGs accountable and sets their objectives which link back to an overarching national wildlife crime strategy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any British service personnel are serving with the United States Marine Corps 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

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

For reasons of operational and personnel security, the Ministry of Defence does not comment on the specific roles, locations, or units in which UK personnel may be embedded.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121233 on Qatar: Air Force, what the reason given by the Qatari Government was for the formal request of 12 Squadron moving to Qatar.

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

The Qatari government made a formal request in January to deploy 12 Squadron in support of their collective self-defence noting rising regional tensions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to question 121233 on Qatar: Air Force, on what date the formal request from the Qatari Government was received to deploy 12 Squadron to Qatar.

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

The Qatari government made a formal request in January to deploy 12 Squadron in support of their collective self-defence noting rising regional tensions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential impact upon the UK military of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

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

The UK actively monitors and assesses all emerging threats to national security to safeguard the nation's interests. It would be inappropriate to comment on a hypothetical operational scenario.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 17 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy - Public Summary, what is the UK’s “persistent military forward presence” in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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

In the South Atlantic, Defence maintains two overseas bases on Ascension Island and Falkland Islands. This enables a defensive military posture delivered through the presence of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands.

The Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol Ship, HMS PROTECTOR, routinely deploys to the Antarctic Peninsula. RAF transport aircraft also periodically delivers logistics to British Antarctic Survey and conducts overflights.

In the Caribbean, a Royal Naval ship maintains a persistent presence and contributes to maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as necessary during the hurricane season, and wider defence diplomacy. While the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) provides a training location for the Army.

This range of activity is aligned with priorities set out in the Defence Diplomacy Strategy and underpinned by the presence of six Defence Sections who represent Defence and support wider UK interests through the development of close relationships with nations and the provision of expert advice.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 19 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy - Public Summary, how he will harness the power of data and AI to deliver and track defence diplomacy.

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

Through the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, the Ministry of Defence will enhance how its data, digital, and AI platforms support Defence to plan and deliver defence diplomacy activity. Defence is already utilising these platforms through its Strategic Effects Cycle to support the prioritisation of defence diplomacy activity.

The Ministry of Defence will use data and AI to support implementation of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy and improve how we deliver and track defence diplomacy. This will include using our existing data and digital platforms to support the long-term planning of targeted and impactful High-Level International Engagement; using the new digital Pan Defence Skills Framework to track the training and skills of our personnel to support career progression and how international postings are assigned; and using data and AI to draw insights on how our defence diplomacy activity is contributing to strengthening our international relationships.