Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23232 on Defence and National Security, what outputs from the Home Defence Programme have been used to raise public awareness of the national conversation.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review 2025, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vessels have been found to have invalid or insufficient insurance following challenge through the Voluntary Insurance Reporting Mechanism since March 2026.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2026 to question UIN 26734 regarding the Voluntary Insurance Reporting Mechanism. The Department for Transport is unable to provide a breakdown on the vessels that have been challenged by the Voluntary Insurance Reporting Mechanism as this information could compromise the effectiveness of the mechanism, only benefitting our adversaries.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been a) arrested and b) prosecuted under Operation Shiraz since the operation commenced.

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

Border Force works with law enforcement partners under Operation Shiraz to identify and disrupt the importation of child-like sexual abuse dolls and related items into the United Kingdom.

Information relating to arrests and prosecutions connected to Operation Shiraz is held for operational and intelligence purposes. The Home Office does not publish official statistics relating to arrests or prosecutions under the operation and does not hold verified data suitable for publication.

Protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation remains a priority for this Government. Border Force plays an important role in preventing prohibited and harmful items from entering the United Kingdom and works closely with domestic and international partners to detect, seize and investigate suspected criminal activity.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she was informed that a US Embassy employee was removed from the UK by US authorities.

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

The Home Office were updated by the Metropolitan Police Service on 25 August about a US investigation that involved an officer from the US Embassy being recalled to the US.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the ability of the Chiltern Consortium to deliver suitable equipment to Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

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

Procurement and commercial decisions are matters for individual police. Chief Constables of those forces are operationally independent and are responsible for determining how best to equip and resource their forces to meet local needs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22823 on USA: Armed Forces, if she will publish the letter from the Chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council to Chief Constables in England and Wales reminding forces of their responsibilities under the Visiting Forces Act 1952.

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

I will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22817 on Reservoirs: Cambridgeshire, if she will publish a breakdown of the (a) nitrates and (b) phosphates found in water sources used to fill Grafham Water.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This information is publicly available here: https://environment.data.gov.uk/water-quality.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the level of risk of the China General Technology Research Institute supporting Chinese Ministry of State Security espionage by using British academics to spy on British AI research.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

MI5’s recently published alert has exposed the very strong ties between the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) and China’s Ministry of State Security. CGTRI’s primary purpose is to fund academic research which directly improves the Ministry’s technical capability for espionage

Institutions and academics should take reasonable steps to review their exposure to CGTRI and avoid or cease active or upcoming partnerships, while ensuring they comply with their obligations under the National Security Act 2023.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the level of national security risk posed by over 100 UK-linked academics identified as having contributed to projects funded by the China General Technology Research Institute in support of Chinese Ministry of State Security espionage.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

MI5’s recently published alert has exposed the very strong ties between the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) and China’s Ministry of State Security. CGTRI’s primary purpose is to fund academic research which directly improves the Ministry’s technical capability for espionage

Institutions and academics should take reasonable steps to review their exposure to CGTRI and avoid or cease active or upcoming partnerships, while ensuring they comply with their obligations under the National Security Act 2023.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what steps she has taken in preparation for a legal challenge by Argentina via the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea regarding the Sea Lion Project in the North Falkland Basin.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, or requested of the Law Officers, and the Convention applies to your question.

The Law Officers’ Convention can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 13 October 2025]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23163 on Ajax Vehicles: Procurement, how many Ajax family vehicles have been fielded to Armoured Infantry units by variant.

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

Information on the allocation of the Ajax family of vehicles, including by variant and unit, is not being disclosed as its release would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Project ZODIAC.

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

Project ZODIAC will deliver and continuously evolve an operational capability that integrates, exploits, and disseminates intelligence and data from multiple domains and sources, providing commanders with enhanced situational understanding and decision advantage.

The project is currently in the competition phase, prior to the submission of its Full Business Case, and I am unable to provide further details at this stage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to question 23197 on Defence: Procurement by when does he expect to complete the review of programme performance for the Armour Main Battle Tank Programme.

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

The review of programme performance for the Armour Main Battle Tank Programme forms part of the programme's ongoing reapproval process. Under current plans, the outcome of this process is expected during Financial Year 2026-27.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Project Halo Shield.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Project HALO SHIELD is an Army-led initiative examining how commercially available Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft System (C-UAS) technologies can improve the protection of UK military sites from the growing threat posed by uncrewed aircraft systems.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 23452 on Warrior vehicles, on what dates were each of the 78 Warrior vehicles disposed of.

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

The answer to Question 23452 explained that the seventy-eight Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles removed from the reported fleet between 2025 and 2026 have been disposed of in accordance with Defence disposal policy. It would be inappropriate for me to provide exact disposal details, such as dates or variants as to do so could, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability of our Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the speech made by the RAF’s Director Capability and Programmes, Air Vice-Marshal Jim Beck, at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference on 15 July 2026, when does he plan to order a further tranche of F-35A aircraft to enable participation in the NATO Nuclear Mission.

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

The delivery profile and date of F-35A aircraft is subject to discussion between the UK and multinational Joint Program Office, but the UK anticipates taking delivery of the next batch of F-35 aircraft from the early 2030s. This will include 12 F-35As, which will allow the UK to join NATO's Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) mission.

We will continue to work closely with the US, whose nuclear weapons are allocated to the NATO DCA mission, and our other NATO Allies on the timeline for doing so.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23400 on Ajax vehicles, what is the overall total of each variant now held mapped against the current production schedule.

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

As of 15 September 2026, 227 Ajax Capability Drop 3 vehicles had been accepted by the Ministry of Defence, including 41 accepted since 17 April 2026.

The Department does not routinely disclose fleet holdings by variant, nor provide variant-level delivery information against production schedules. Such information is directly linked to military readiness and operational capability, and its disclosure could prejudice operational effectiveness by enabling assessments to be made about the availability, preparedness and deployment of capability.

The Ajax programme remains on track to deliver all 589 vehicles as contracted.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23400 on Ajax vehicles, how many Ajax family vehicles have been accepted since 17 April 2026 by variant.

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

As of 15 September 2026, 227 Ajax Capability Drop 3 vehicles had been accepted by the Ministry of Defence, including 41 accepted since 17 April 2026.

The Department does not routinely disclose fleet holdings by variant, nor provide variant-level delivery information against production schedules. Such information is directly linked to military readiness and operational capability, and its disclosure could prejudice operational effectiveness by enabling assessments to be made about the availability, preparedness and deployment of capability.

The Ajax programme remains on track to deliver all 589 vehicles as contracted.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23347 on Boxer Vehicles, what is the breakdown by variant of the contractually delivered Boxer fleet to date.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 December 2025 to Question 100025, which sets out the total number of Boxer vehicles contracted for by variant. It is not possible to provide a breakdown by variant of the Boxer vehicles delivered to date, as this information is commercially and operationally sensitive.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23386 on Artillery, for what reason is there currently a restriction on the RAF deploying the L118 105mm Light Gun by parachute.

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

For reasons of operational security, I cannot provide any further details.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23249 on Guided Weapons, if he will provide a direct comparison between the rolling 10-year profile at (a) Quarter 4 (FY24/25) and (b) Quarter 4 (FY25/26) illustrating how the funding line remains similar despite the reduction in Whole Life Cost from £2967.59M to £1589.63M.

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

As set out in my answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23249, the difference arose from the correction of funding estimates beyond Defence's rolling 10-year planning horizon. That answer accurately explained the change in the published Whole Life Cost figures. Detailed programme funding profiles continue to be subject to routine planning and affordability processes. Updated information will be reflected in future published reports as appropriate.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the level of threat posed by Russian and Chinese installations on Antarctica to (a) Britain's South Atlantic Islands and (b) British research presence in Antarctica.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the global security environment and keeps potential threats to UK interests, personnel and facilities under constant review. This includes the Antarctic region where we know that both Russia and China have their own scientific research stations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22802 on HMS Bangor, on what date did HMS Bangor return to the UK from Bahrain; and what the cost was of the replacement heavy lift contract.

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

HMS Bangor returned to the UK on 29 November 2025 via heavy lift. The cost of the heavy lift contract to bring her back to the UK was £4.13 million.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22967 on F-35 Aircraft, if the 12 F-35A aircraft for the Operational Conversion Unit will also be allocated to fulfil the role of Dual Capable Aircraft for the NATO Nuclear Mission.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Yes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of military flight plan data entry on the NATS flight processing system on 8 September 2026.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Government has been clear that the disruption caused to passengers and industry was completely unacceptable. Following the incident, NATS was instructed to undertake a rapid investigation, and the Civil Aviation Authority has been commissioned to conduct an independent review of the findings and wider resilience arrangements.

NATS' investigation into the incident concluded that the disruption was caused by a software defect within the National Airspace System flight data processing software. NATS has stated that the incident was not caused by any incorrect actions by either military or civil operators.

The Government will continue to work with NATS, the Civil Aviation Authority, airports, airlines and other stakeholders to ensure lessons are learned and that any necessary improvements are implemented to strengthen the resilience of the UK's air traffic management systems.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23191 on Defence: Procurement, what is the estimated length of the delay to the completion of HMS Achilles as a result of the 2024 Devonshire Dock Hall fire.

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

Work to recover from the impact of the fire in the Devonshire Dock Hall is progressing well. Achilles, the seventh and last boat of the class, remains at an advanced stage of build in Barrow-in-Furness.

The planned in-service dates for Royal Navy submarines are withheld as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor for the Exchequer, with reference to line 6 called Asset Sales of his Department's joint document entitled The Defence Investment Plan Funding Explainer, published on 30 June 2026, if he can provide a breakdown of the specific assets to be sold each year from 2026/27 until 2029/30.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Defence Investment Plan Funding Explainer, published on 30 June 2026, set out the government’s intention to monetise assets to help fund defence.

The Government does not publish information on individual asset sales. The details of potential future disposals are commercially sensitive. The government will confirm the package of funding for the Defence Investment Plan at the Budget.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been sacked in the past five years having been found guilty of misconduct in public office.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Between 01 January 2021 and 05 October 2026, 99 operational Bands 3-5 prison colleagues were convicted for Misconduct in Public Office which is mandatory grounds for immediate dismissal, 78 of which are the grade titled “Prison Officer”. This figure may include colleagues who resigned prior to their dismissal meeting after their conviction or who were dismissed for other grounds prior to dismissal for this conviction.

For context, HMPPS employed 22,001 FTE Band 3-5 prison officers as at 30 June 2026. The 99 convictions recorded between January 2021 and October 2026 are equivalent to around 0.5% of the current operational prison officer population and indicate that those convicted of Misconduct in Public Office represent a very small minority of staff.

While most prison staff are honest and work tirelessly to keep the public safe, our Counter Corruption Unit (CCU) and robust vetting processes proactively detect, disrupt and deter the activities of those suspected of corruption. Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison places were out of use for maintenance-related reasons on 5th July 2024.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

As of 5 July 2024, 1891 places were out of use for maintenance-related reasons.

This Government inherited a prison capacity crisis after prison places increased by just 500 places in 14 years. We are pulling every lever possible to fix that crisis and are building 14,000 new places with 3,300 already delivered.

Refurbishment and fire safety improvements are essential as without them fewer cells would be available to lock up dangerous criminals and we are working at pace to bring every available prison place online.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, Manchester Digital Campus, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the decision to locate Number 10 North on the current Delivery Confidence Assessment Rating.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Manchester Digital Campus represents a significant step in strengthening the Government presence in the North West. The Manchester Digital Campus continues to progress in line with the milestones and delivery confidence ratings published in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's document entitled Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025, published on 4 November 2025, for what reason was there an International Military Services Outstanding Claim Write-Off of £3,628,000.

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

The write off was due to a historical debt balance relating to monies owed to MOD between 1971 and 2006 by a foreign nation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Unbreakable bond between UK and Ukraine will continue under my government, published in 27 July 2026, what is the scope of the contract for Stone Cloak.

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

Stone Cloak electronic jammers are the size of a tablet computer and hinder Russian air defence systems from tracking and targeting the drones they are fitted to.

Stone Cloak was designed by the UK Government, and is being manufactured through a contract with UK industry. In addition, via a Government-to-Government agreement we have shared the Stone Cloak intellectual property with Ukraine enabling their industry to mass-produce them. For commercial reasons, we are unable to share details on the contract with UK industry.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 100025 on Boxer Vehicles: Procurement, how many of each variant across the proposed Boxer fleet will be allocated to the (a) Armoured Cavalry role and (b) the Mechanised Infantry role.

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

Boxer vehicles will not be used in the Armoured Cavalry role. Boxer will form the spine of the Mechanised Infantry force. Under current plans, Boxer is being fielded in supporting roles across 3rd (UK) Division, including Command and Control, Specialist Troop Carrier and Medical functions. Detailed fielding plans and vehicle allocations remain subject to refinement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 17 September 2026 to question 28490 on Ajax Vehicles: Reviews, whether he plans to publish the Ajax Simcock Review following its presentation to Ministers.

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

The Ajax Simcock Review is expected to be published by the end of the year, following its presentation to Ministers.

The Department reserves the right to withhold elements of the Review where their disclosure could reveal information that may be useful to an adversary, or where they contain commercially sensitive material, in line with the Department's normal approach to the publication of defence documents.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23343 on Hawk Aircraft, how many of the Hawk fleet will be made available for sale to private collectors upon disposal.

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

No final decisions have been made regarding the disposal of Hawk T Mk 1 aircraft. Any aircraft, components and associated support equipment declared surplus to requirements will be disposed of in accordance with established Ministry of Defence procedures.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of future weapons integration with the F-35A in the context of the larger weapons bay.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to UIN 19165 on 2 September 2026.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-07-15/19165

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what the average processing time of export licences to the United States is for a) military goods and b) dual use goods by the Export Control Joint Unit each year since 2020.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Processing times are not published by military goods and dual use goods. As part of the Department’s Strategic Export Controls quarterly statistics publication, Table C provides processing times by country, for licences processed on SPIRE and LITE from 2008.

The median processing times for Standard Individual Export Licenses (SIEL) destined for the United States in the LITE licensing system was 19 days in 2023, 17 days in 2024 and 18 days in 2025. The LITE licensing system was introduced in 2023, hence there is no data on LITE between 2020-2022. See table C for median processing times for SIELs destined for the United States processed on SPIRE.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 8 of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Group’s document entitled Building our nuclear nation: NDA Group response to the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce Review, published on 17 September 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing mandatory Civil Nuclear Constabulary armed escorts from (a) Category II and (b) Category III material transports on the level of security risk.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The regulation of nuclear transport security is conducted by the independent Office for Nuclear Regulation. It is standard practice for the ONR to require the most sensitive cargos to have protection measures that include Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Any decisions to adjust the existing law or regulation will be taken based on all relevant evidence and would need to ensure that security remained robust.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what contact have a) ministers, b) parliamentary staff and c) civil servants within his department had with Feroz Khan, prior to his interview in New York City in September 2026.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

No Minister or Parliamentary staff made contact with Feroz Khan prior to the Foreign Secretary's interview with Mr Khan in New York City. Officials within Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office made contact with Mr Khan prior to the interview.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much will be saved by the Army in in-year reductions in 2026-27.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

As part of routine in-year financial management, the Ministry of Defence continues to allocate resources effectively to meet departmental and operational priorities.

Due to the changing nature of these demands and the need to operate flexibly, the Department does not routinely release these figures into the public domain.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23247 on Minesweepers, what is the scope of the next phase of the programme.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 July 2026 to question 15074.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-07-01/15074

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 11 September 2026 to question 23023 on Dementia: Public Appointments, what is the process she will follow in order to appoint a dementia czar.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The role in question was publicly advertised on 17 September. Further details of the resulting appointment will be announced in the normal way in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2026 to question 18244 on F-35 Aircraft: Nuclear Weapons, how the 12 F-35As planned to be obtained in the early 2030s will allow the UK to join NATO’s Dual Capable Aircraft mission.

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

I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 71 of the Defence Investment Plan, published 30 June 2026, and invite him to read NATO’s nuclear deterrence policy, with regards to nuclear sharing arrangements, which is available on NATO’s website at the following location:

https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/deterrence-and-defence/natos-nuclear-deterrence-policy-and-forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by when he plans to announce the shortlist for the light mobility programme.

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

The Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) Programme will deliver a modern and adaptable replacement for both the Pinzgauer and Land Rover fleets, the latter of which has served the UK Armed Forces admirably for over 70 years.

The LMV competition formally began on 31 July 2026 with the publication of the tender notice and Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). The PSQ used clear criteria to shortlist up to seven of the highest-scoring potential tenderers to proceed to the next stage of the competition. The competition is progressing as planned and all potential bidders have been informed of their status in the competition. The Department will announce the shortlisted tenderers for the next stage of the competition in due course.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, a) which five countries have the longest average processing time of export licences for i) military goods and ii) dual use goods by the Export Control Joint Unit each year since 2020 and b) what is the average processing time for each of these countries.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Processing times are not published by military goods and dual use goods. The ECJU Annual Reports published in 2022 to 2025 contain data on the aggregated average processing times covering 2020 through to 2024, seen in Table 2.2 and where available, Table 2.3. The reports can be found here:

• UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2025
• UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2024
• United Kingdom Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2023
• UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2022

The vast majority of licences are now processed on the new LITE system, whilst a small minority are still handled on the legacy system, SPIRE. In 2025, 53% of Standard Individual Export Licenses (SIEL) applications finalised in the LITE licensing system were completed within 20 working days, with 91% of SIEL applications completed within 60 working days. 51% of SIEL applications finalised in the SPIRE licensing system were completed within 20 working days, with 72% of SIEL applications completed within 60 working days.

As part of the Department’s Strategic export controls quarterly statistics publication, Table C provides processing times by country. 2026Q1-table-c-initial_processing_times_by_licence_type_and_sub_type_by_end-user_destination.ods

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what the average processing time of export licences is for a) military goods and b) dual use goods by the Export Control Joint Unit each year since 2020.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Processing times are not published by military goods and dual use goods. The ECJU Annual Reports published in 2022 to 2025 contain data on the aggregated average processing times covering 2020 through to 2024, seen in Table 2.2 and where available, Table 2.3. The reports can be found here:

• UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2025
• UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2024
• United Kingdom Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2023
• UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2022

The vast majority of licences are now processed on the new LITE system, whilst a small minority are still handled on the legacy system, SPIRE. In 2025, 53% of Standard Individual Export Licenses (SIEL) applications finalised in the LITE licensing system were completed within 20 working days, with 91% of SIEL applications completed within 60 working days. 51% of SIEL applications finalised in the SPIRE licensing system were completed within 20 working days, with 72% of SIEL applications completed within 60 working days.

As part of the Department’s Strategic export controls quarterly statistics publication, Table C provides processing times by country. 2026Q1-table-c-initial_processing_times_by_licence_type_and_sub_type_by_end-user_destination.ods

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 21 September 2026 to question 29232 on Defence: Finance, which risks have been transferred to his Department from the Ministry of Defence; and when.

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

His Majesty's Treasury have taken on responsibility for the cost of further support for ongoing international objectives, including Ukraine Security Guarantees in case of a ceasefire, and unlocking additional savings from improved procurement.

These risks were transferred at the point the Defence Investment Plan was finalised.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23243 on Defence: Procurement, what is the budget allocation to the second procurement phase and on what date did that funding begin.

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

The Second Procurement Phase (2PP) is a programmatic period (2025-2034) that captures the next 10-year phase of the UK F‑35 Lightning Programme. It does not attract funds but reports against the aggregate of funds allocated to the projects contained within it. The Defence Investment Plan committed £2.2 billion over the next four years for the procurement of F‑35 aircraft to expand the UK's fleet of stealth fighter jets.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23243 on Defence: Procurement, at what stage is the second procurement phase as at 1 October 2026.

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

The Second Procurement Phase (2PP) is a programmatic period (2025-2034) that captures the next 10-year phase of the UK F‑35 Lightning Programme. It does not attract funds but reports against the aggregate of funds allocated to the projects contained within it. The Defence Investment Plan committed £2.2 billion over the next four years for the procurement of F‑35 aircraft to expand the UK's fleet of stealth fighter jets.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when did his Department last meet with the F-35 Joint Program Office regarding the procurement profiles and delivery schedule for the next batch of F-35 Lightning aircraft.

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

The Department is in constant contact with the F-35 Joint Programme Office (JPO) and last met with the JPO in September 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2026 to question 22985 on Ministry of Defence: Secondment, by when will the Department have finalised the resources and arrangements required to implement the delivery plan and by when will it be delivered.

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

As previously stated to the Hon. Gentleman, the Department continues to consider the resources and arrangements required to implement the delivery plan for agile placements and secondments with Defence partners and industry. It is therefore not possible to provide a firm timetable at this stage. In the meantime, existing policy and mechanisms continue to support secondments and placements both into and out of Defence.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has set a target for export licence processing times for a) military goods; and b) dual use goods by the Export Control Joint Unit.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Export Control Joint Unit aims to provide a decision on 70% of Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications within 20 working days, and 99% within 60 working days.

Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/standard-individual-export-licences-siels.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, by when will he commence his review of the current deal to handover sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary have both been clear that the deal cannot go ahead without US support. We need to find a resolution, and we will work with both the US and Mauritius to find one. We do not intend to provide a running commentary on these conversations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23282 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles, what the previously planned additional future capability procurements are from the Boxer programme baseline to be delivered through different routes owing to the reallocation of funding provision by the Army.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 October 2026, to Question 32581.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-10-09/32581

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23282 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles, how the Army’s capability requirements will be met through its wider equipment portfolio and investment plans following the reallocation of funding provision.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 October 2026, to Question 32581.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-10-09/32581

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2026 to question 22934 on NATO, what is the composition of the Nuclear Planning Group and which UK ministers sit on it.

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

The UK is represented in NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group at a ministerial level by the Secretary of State for Defence.

Further details on the composition of the NPG are available at the following location on the NATO website: https://www.nato.int/en/about-us/organization/nato-structure/nuclear-planning-group-npg.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23386 on Artillery, whether the RAF possess the ability to deploy the L118 105mm Light Gun by parachute.

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

As I am sure the hon. Gentleman will know, for reasons of operational security I am unable to provide any further details.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2026 to question 22806 on Defence, for what reason was the Project SERAPH contract with Deloitte terminated for convenience resulting in a fruitless payment of £1.354 million.

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

Project SERAPH was a concept, assessment and demonstrator project that evaluated options for establishing an enterprise-level solution at the tactical layer.

Its scope encompassed a range of digital and cyber capabilities in support of key Defence programmes, alongside associated governance, assurance and engineering activities.

Following a review of the programme, the supporting contract with Deloitte was terminated for convenience in accordance with its contractual provisions, and the Department transitioned to an alternative delivery model.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the scope was of Project SERAPH.

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

Project SERAPH was a concept, assessment and demonstrator project that evaluated options for establishing an enterprise-level solution at the tactical layer.

Its scope encompassed a range of digital and cyber capabilities in support of key Defence programmes, alongside associated governance, assurance and engineering activities.

Following a review of the programme, the supporting contract with Deloitte was terminated for convenience in accordance with its contractual provisions, and the Department transitioned to an alternative delivery model.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23193 on Unmanned Air Systems: Guided Weapons, by when does he expect to issue operational clearances for using Brimstone 3 on the Protector platform.

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

Trial data has been reviewed, and operational clearances are now in place supporting the use of Brimstone 3 on Protector RG Mk1.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason do the department’s parliamentary team and ministers not respond to written parliamentary questions during parliamentary recesses.

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

I have spoken to the hon. Gentleman in person previously about the volume of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) he tables but given his question I am happy to state on the record that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) welcomes scrutiny by oral and WPQ. The volume of questions the hon. Gentleman tables makes him the largest user of defence WPQs by a considerable margin. We have taken steps to reallocate staff from other defence tasks to respond to his WPQs given the significant volume he tables. As we prepare for warfighting readiness, I welcome scrutiny, and I look forward to answering more of the hon. Gentleman’s questions in due course.

With respect to WPQs over the summer recess, Departments can answer WPQs during recess periods when the first day for answer occurs before the recess period starts. Since 1 September 2026, the MOD received over 1,000 written WPQs from MPs. Answers are sent to the Table Office when finalised, including during recess. Answers are sent to the Member and published on the Parliament website. This is standard practice. WPQs tabled by Members during recess periods are not received by Departments until the first sitting day after recess, therefore they cannot be answered during the recess period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 24 September 2026 to question 28897 on Fire and Rescue Services: Cambridgeshire, by when Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service will receive that range of new vehicles and equipment.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department, together with the National Resilience lead authority, is currently in the process of undertaking procurement for the replacement of the bulk of the HVP fleet. Once this is completed, we would work with the national resilience leads and the sector to establish a comprehensive delivery schedule for rollout of the replacement pumps to HVP-hosting services.

The £97 million New Dimensions 2 programme is a comprehensive capital asset replacement programme to review, refresh and upgrade the National Resilience assets used by fire and rescue authorities in response to the largest and most complex incidents.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service currently host an HVP capability and, accordingly, will be receiving a range of new vehicles and equipment which will replace and upgrade their current assets.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to create different variants of the Tempest for each of the partner nations within GCAP.

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

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is a groundbreaking collaboration between the UK, Japan and Italy to develop a common core platform – a sixth-generation combat air system. It will remain adaptable in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2026 to question 27064 on Sexual Offences, what progress she has made in establishing specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams within Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Rape and sexual offences are among the most harmful crimes in society and can have a devastating impact on victims, their loved ones and our communities.

On 28 August the Prime Minister announced that all police forces are to have a specialist rape and sexual offences team by December 2027. The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) is working closely with all police forces in England and Wales, including Cambridgeshire Constabulary, to support the development of specialist teams, ensuring victims receive a consistent, trauma-informed service and that investigations are suspect-focused, helping to bring offenders to justice and provide the best possible support for victims.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Best Start Family Hubs have been established in Huntingdon constituency.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

One Best Start Family Hub has been established in the Huntingdon constituency at:

Best Start Family Hub – Huntingdon, Sallowbush Road, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 7AF.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many dogs were removed from MBR Acres during the break-in on 29 September 2026.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The break-in at MBR Acres is a live investigation. Details are a matter for the company and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2026 to Question 23047 on Veterans: Northern Ireland, if he will publish the full list of veterans’ organisations he and his ministers have met with, and the dates on which they met, since their appointment.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

Since being appointed, NIO Ministers, and officials, have undertaken a programme of engagement with various veterans organisations and representatives. This includes meetings alongside the Ministry of Defence with the three Veterans Commissioners, the Royal British Legion, the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement, and various Forces associations and regiments. Full details of engagements will be published as part of the quarterly transparency return.

As a result of this engagement, the Government has tabled a significant package of amendments ahead of Committee Stage that will strengthen the already considerable package of protections for veterans included in the Troubles Bill.

The Government will continue to engage closely with all stakeholders as we make progress on the Troubles Bill to ensure that it delivers effective legacy mechanisms that everybody can have confidence in.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2026 to question 28109 on Army, by when he plans to have completed the work to define the Fifth Generation Land Force.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Army expects to complete the current phase of the 5^th Generation Land Force design work by the end of 2026. Further refinement, consolidation and force testing will continue as part of Defence’s wider Integrated Force Design process. The 5^th Generation Land Force remains the Army’s principal contribution to that work.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the directive to suspend collective training will be lifted.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

There is no directive to stop all collective training. Defence routinely reviews training to ensure activity is focused on the highest priorities and delivers the greatest operational effect. As part of that process, training activity is constantly reviewed in-year, with some cancelled or amended as readiness and operational requirements evolve; safety is the primary focus in every case.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of interdicting Russian shadow fleet vessels transiting the English Channel carrying diesel bound for the US on the military relationship between the US and the UK.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We remain ready to take action to against shadow fleet vessels. We will not provide a running commentary or get into details of our decision-making process, as this could compromise our ability to successfully take action, which would only benefit our adversaries. The US remains our closest defence and security partner.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 18 September 2026 to question 28891 on Romania: Military Aircraft, how many of the seven incidents were resolved prior to interception.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

For reasons of operational security I am not able to release this information.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2026 to Question 27632 on Air Force: Defence Equipment and Technology, when he plans to have completed the assessment of the compatibility of relevant projects and activities in the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office with the USAF Autonomy Government Reference Architecture.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The RAF Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) has completed the assessment of the compatibility of relevant projects and activities currently being undertaken. The RAF RCO remains aware of the relevance of the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) along with other reference architectures, and factor them into work where applicable.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 21 September 2026 to question 29231 on Defence Academy, if he will publish a complete list of FTSE100 companies which have sent staff on Defence Academy courses since 2024.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The FTSE 100 companies which have sent staff on Defence Academy courses since 2024 are BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Babcock International Group, and Balfour Beatty.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2026 to question 28905 on Armed Forces: Artificial Intelligence, what the breakdown is of the £12.6 million.

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

As of 21 September 2026, Project FRONTIER has committed £4.50 million in year to date. Taskforce RAID has contractually committed £8.1 million.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has his department made of the potential impact of interdicting Russian shadow fleet vessels transiting the English Channel carrying diesel bound for the United States.

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

On 14 June, the UK interdicted the Shadow Fleet vessel SMYRTOS. Following this operation we have seen a significant diversion of Shadow Fleet vessels away from the English Channel owing to the risk of being interdicted.

Sanctions have denied Russia access to at least $495 billion since February 2022. The UK has sanctioned 640 Shadow Fleet vessels causing severe disruption, with many sanctioned tankers still unable to load or unload Russian cargo, thereby imposing additional costs on Russia's oil trade. We will not comment on future interdiction operations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to reports regarding the removal of a US Embassy employee from the UK by US authorities, whether he has made an assessment of the role of the US military in this operation.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

As the US investigation remains ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on the details at this point. The UK Government and Metropolitan police remain in close contact with the US Embassy and US law enforcement agencies on this case.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) were a) received in Window 2 by the Rural Payments Agency and b) left incomplete upon closure of the window after 5 hours and 48 minutes on 22 September 2026.

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

Of the 15,063 applications created for SFI26 Window 2, 12,204 were submitted before the window closed on 22 September. At the point of closure there were 2,859 applications that had been started not submitted.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, Mechanised Infantry Programme, what elements have been cut from the programme as part of the £1858.38 million funding removal and budget reprioritisation.

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

As part of reprioritisation within the Military Strategic Headquarters, the Armoured Mortar, Repair and Recovery and Mounted Close Combat Overwatch capabilities of the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle programme are no longer being pursued.

The Army is considering how the underlying capability requirements will be addressed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2026, to question 18240 on A14: Trees, what was the outcome of National Highways September 2026 survey on survival rates of replanted saplings.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As part of the trial replanting programme along the A14 roadside earlier this year, National Highways commissioned an interim survey of the replanted trees to assess survival rates. The survey was undertaken in late September 2026, and National Highways expects to receive the results by the end of October 2026. National Highways intends to undertake a further survey in the spring or summer of 2027 to assess longer-term establishment and survival rates of the replanted trees.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his department is aware of a payment made to Feroz Khan, following the recent interview with the Secretary of State.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

No payment has been made to Feroz Khan.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the total budget allocated within Window 2 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26).

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

Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 Window 2 had a budget of £253 million for new agreements. This included additional funding announced before and during the application window in response to anticipated demand.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22817 on Reservoirs: Cambridgeshire, what was the level of a) nitrates and b) phosphates found in water sources used to fill Grafham Water.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Information on water quality monitoring is available on GOV.UK through the Water Quality Explorer. The sample point most relevant to your query on Grafham Water is 22M03.

Further information may be available from Anglian Water Services who can provide details of Anglian Water's monitoring activities in the area and how it takes nutrient levels into account when abstracting water.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2026 to question 23295 on Police: Databases, for what reason the Final Endpoint Switchover date for the Law Enforcement Data Service was re-planned to March 2027.

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

LEDS is already operating at scale across law enforcement, has exceeded 100 million transactions and is now the primary operational source of DVLA driver and property data. The date therefore relates to completing the final transition safely and responsibly. The Government’s priority is protecting the public and that entails a safe and fully assured migration of critical policing services. The revised March 2027 date is the earliest point at which the remaining technical, operational and propitiatory user readiness activities can be confidently completed before final transition.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 11 September 2026 to question 22789 on Jobcentres: Armed Forces, what progress he has made in agreeing the implementation timetable.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions continues to work with the Ministry of Defence to agree the timetable for implementing this commitment and planning is due for discussion at the next Armed Forces Termly meeting in November. In the meantime, preparatory work is underway to develop the guidance, learning and resources Jobcentre Plus staff will need to provide accurate information and signpost interested jobseekers to Armed Forces career opportunities. Further details will be set out once the implementation timetable has been agreed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when is SMITE2 scheduled to a) commence and b) be completed.

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

SMITE2, a new submarine propulsion testing facility and part of the wider Submarine Build Modernisation programme, is currently in the Development phase. Dates for key milestones, such as start of construction and completion, will be agreed as part of the main investment decision point, which is currently expected in 2028.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expected decommissioning date is of the Point-class of vessels; and what progress he has made on identifying potential capital allocation to fund their replacement under the Strategic Sealift Future initiative.

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

The Point class vessels are privately owned and decisions on their decommissioning are therefore a matter for their owner. The current strategic sealift contract runs until 31 December 2031. The Defence Investment Plan has allocated £290 million for the provision of a future strategic sealift capability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2026 to Question 9058 on Army, if he will make it his policy to establish a Mechanised Infantry Rifle Company in the First Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

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

Decisions on future platform requirements at unit and sub-unit level are yet to be finalised. However, I can confirm that the 1^st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers has already received a Boxer Unit.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which company is developing Project Bowline.

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

The Ministry of Defence awarded a £20 million contract to Lockheed Martin UK to deliver Project Bowline, a hypersonic target programme designed to support the development and testing of missile defence systems against advanced threats.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2026 to question 22809 on Defence: Seized Articles, who attended the due diligence visit to verify manufacturing capabilities, supply chain and deliverability of the requirement.

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

Before placing the contract, appropriate due diligence was carried out by the relevant DE&S team. This did not highlight any potential issues.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what comparative assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Collins Aerospace ACES 5 ejection seat of the Boeing T7A Red Hawk with (b) the Martin Baker ejection seats used across the rest of the RAF fleet.

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

The Jet Training System programme is ongoing and no final procurement decisions have been made.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 17 September 2026 to question 28489 on Fleet Solid Support Ships: Weapons, by when consideration of the most appropriate gun solution for the Fleet Solid Support ships will be completed.

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

As stated in the response to question 28489, discussions regarding the Fleet Solid Support Ship’s close range gun solution are ongoing. This is dependent on progress and the solution chosen for the Navy-wide lethality programme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23228 on Armed Forces: Railways, what progress she has made in delivering an integrated approach to domestic and international rail movements to enhance the resilience and effectiveness of Defence's strategic logistics network.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As referenced in the previous answer, this is an area of continuing activity. The Department for Transport is working with the Ministry of Defence on the development of rail capability options. This work seeks to enhance the resilience, capacity and effectiveness of Defence's logistics network, strengthening the UK's ability to support NATO operations and deliver national defence objectives.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what is the full scope of the joint DESNZ – MOD PhD programme as part of the nuclear skills plan.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government has committed £65.6 million in a bespoke Nuclear Doctoral Focal Award to develop the specialist skills needed for current and future civil and defence needs. With co-funding from industry and delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the programme will establish up to 7 doctoral training programmes.

Over four cohorts starting this academic year, the programme will equip doctoral students with advanced nuclear skills, supporting the UK’s economic growth, energy and national security, and net zero objectives.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by when he will have restored domestic production capacity and the delivery of British-designed 105mm artillery barrels from Sheffield.

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

There is no current Ministry of Defence requirement for the procurement of new 105mm artillery barrels for the Light Gun. Consequently, there are no plans to restore domestic production capacity or deliver British-designed 105mm artillery barrels from Sheffield.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 17 September 2026 to question 28903 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles, what the projected delivery date is of the upgraded MLRS launchers to the modernised fleet.

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

A significant proportion of upgraded Multiple Launch Rocket System launchers are now back with the UK, and are being fielded or reintroduced back into the modernised fleet. It would be inappropriate for me to confirm specific numbers or delivery dates, as doing so could compromise operational security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential impact on the Haddon-Cave enquiry of 97 million new documents.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

We remain fully committed to supporting the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan and assisting it in getting to the truth.

These records were identified as part of the significant work the Department has undertaken to identify, review and disclose material relevant to the Inquiry. As people will understand, this remains a substantial and ongoing task due to the passage of time, the complexity of legacy systems and the nature of records created during two decades of operations in Afghanistan.

These records were identified through ongoing work to migrate and make historical material searchable within the department’s Digital Archive Service (DAS). As additional records became available through that process, the department informed the Inquiry and has continued to work closely with it to assess any material potentially relevant to its investigation.

Although 97 million records fall within the period covered by the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference, they originate from across Defence over many years and the overwhelming majority are not expected to be relevant to the Inquiry. Work is underway to identify relevant material. In a public hearing on 25 September, the MOD told the Inquiry that it estimated that 1200 documents may be relevant, and that this number could be managed without impacting the Inquiry’s timetable.

Significant resources are already dedicated to supporting the Inquiry’s work, including reviewing and disclosing relevant material. The department will continue to provide the support necessary to meet its obligations to the Inquiry.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by when he plans to complete the governance, assurance and investment approvals requirements to deliver the Naval Support Integrated Global Network Submarine Support Full Business Case.

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

The NSIGN Submarines Full Business Case is progressing through the Ministry of Defence's established governance, assurance and investment approvals processes.

The Department is undertaking the necessary scrutiny and assurance activity as expeditiously as possible to ensure that the proposal is affordable, deliverable, commercially robust and represents value for money before any final investment decision is taken.

As this process is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to provide a specific completion date while those processes remain ongoing.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23322 on Navy, what is the breakdown of the £2.7 billion reduction in Whole Life Cost broken down across the updated assumptions on a) scope, b) delivery and c) commercial arrangements.

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

The reduction in Whole Life Cost reflects the combined impact of updated assumptions relating to programme scope, delivery and commercial arrangements as the programme has matured. It would be inappropriate to provide granular detail of the breakdown of this reduction while commercial discussions and approval processes are ongoing and may lead to further refinement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the RAF’s Director Capability and Programmes’ statement at the Global Air and Space Chiefs’ Conference, what the role of the 12 F-35A aircraft will be.

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

Day-to-day, the F-35As will be used in a training role on 207 Squadron, the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). The F-35A aircraft will be available to fly NATO's nuclear mission.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 8 of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Group’s document entitled Building our nuclear nation: NDA Group response to the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce Review, published on 17 September 2026, whether she has made an assessment of the potential cost savings of removing mandatory Civil Nuclear Constabulary armed escorts from (a) Category II and (b) Category III material transport in each of the next five years.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government has not made a separate assessment of savings for Category II or Category III material transports over the next five years. Any changes to current arrangements would be considered on the basis of all relevant evidence and would need to ensure that nuclear security remains robust.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2026 to question 22861 on Ministry of Defence: Risk Assessment, by when the reforming of defence acquisition will be implemented.

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

We inherited a procurement system that was slow, costly and unsuited to the challenges we now face as a nation. The Government set out reforms to procurement in the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy, and these are being implemented currently. We are reforming Defence acquisition to deliver capability faster, secure better value for money and strengthen the UK defence industrial base. The Department continues to make progress, from introducing the simpler and a more flexible procurement framework under the Procurement Act 2023, embedding Procurement Segmentation in plans and portfolios, issuing tailored guidance, launching demonstrator projects and introducing seven Commercial Pathways. We continue to test and measure these reforms, support live procurements, and expand adoption across Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who sits on the Ship Names and Badges Committee.

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

The Ship Names and Badges Committee is chaired by The First Sea Lord and its members include the Second Sea Lord, Fleet Commander, the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff and the Head of the Naval Historical Branch, with other officers and officials attending as required.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2026 to Question 27631 on Military Aircraft: Software, which current RAF platforms are compatible with the Future Airborne Capability Environment.

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

The RAF does not hold a definitive list of in-service platforms designated as compatible with the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard.

There is no regulatory or certification requirements to record whether all systems and architecture within aircraft platform types are compatible with that technical standard.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2026 to question 28095 on Defence: Property, to what extent the scope of the schedule and funding profile of the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio has been reduced.

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

The schedule and funding profile of the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio has not been reduced. The profile has been revised to align with the Defence Investment Plan (DIP).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2026 to question 22934 on NATO, what progress has he made in a) enhancing NATO's nuclear deterrence mission by modernising NATO's nuclear capabilities, b) strengthening its nuclear planning capacity, and c) adapting to achieve its security interests.

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

Responsibility for the coordination and operation of NATO’s nuclear deterrence policy and posture mission sits with the alliance’s Nuclear Planning Group (NPG).

I refer the hon. Member to the NPG’s statement of 18 June 2026, which is available at the following location:

https://www.nato.int/en/about-us/official-texts-and-resources/official-texts/2026/06/18/2026-nuclear-planning-group-statement

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 4929 on Navy: Military Aircraft, what assessment has he made of the performance of the five Slocum G3 gliders during the recent 64 day oceanographic data gathering exercise conducted by the Meteorological and Oceanographic Information Warfare Group.

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

The glides performed as intended, operating independently to collect data on the underwater environment. The activity forms part of Atlantic Bastion and the transition to a Hybrid Navy, integrating uncrewed and autonomous systems into maritime operations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2026 to question 22850 on Type 31 Frigates, by when will he make a decision on the replacement for Type 31 Through Life Support.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 October 2026 to Question 22851.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-08-28/22851

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23215 on Defence: Procurement, by when he expects approval to be received from the Investment Approval Committee.

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

The MOD’s Investment Approval Committee granted approval on 8 October 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2026 to question 22972 on RAF Brize Norton, which companies he has spoken to on funding and improving RAF Brize Norton with private finance.

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

The Royal Air Force continue to engage with long standing partners on existing industry-funded improvements associated with existing service contracts, and new opportunities. There is currently no final decision or commercial strategy that has been agreed for private finance funding into the improvement of RAF Brize Norton.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22823 on USA: Armed Forces, by when will he have a) identified and b) applied the lessons arising from the case involving Dr Steele.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

Lessons arising from the case involving Dr Steele have already been identified and are being implemented. This is an ongoing process, and we will continue to identify and implement any further lessons, including in relation to the operation and implementation of jurisdictional arrangements under the Visiting Forces Act (1952).

The Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council has written to all Chief Constables in England and Wales to remind forces of their responsibilities under the Act. The Council is also working with a cross-law enforcement and government working group on the production of robust guidance for all forces to ensure the appropriate implementation of the legislation for cases in the future.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Foreword to his Department's document entitled Defence Nuclear Enterprise 2026 Annual Update to Parliament, published on 15 September 2026, if he will set out how he has amended the Single Source Contract Regulations.

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

The Department has been working on a review of the Single Source Contract Regulations, which governs some of the nation’s largest and most strategically important defence procurements and accounts for around half of defence spending on equipment. In May, we changed the law to increase the amount of profit available to suppliers delivering priority outcomes, such as faster delivery or greater productivity. We will be introducing further legislative changes this year to incentivise innovation, reduce the regulatory burden on Small and Medium Enterprise and encourage our suppliers to take on more risk bearing contracts, a Defence Industrial Strategy commitment.