Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support has he provided to Lebanon in the development of its armed forces.

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

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a wide range of support to Lebanon in the development of the Lebanese Armed Forces' capacity as the legitimate defender of Lebanon's sovereignty. This includes providing equipment, training on both maritime and counter-terrorism activities, and the contracted construction of infrastructure to enhance their border security. The Department also co-ordinates bilateral support with international partners.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Operation CROSSWAYS.

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

The scope of Operation CROSSWAYS is to provide military support to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, primarily focused on training and tailored military advice to the Saudi armed forces. It also includes a phased deployment of air defence equipment to Saudi Arabia.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what the status is of the New Medium Helicopter programme.

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

Officials continue to consider the New Medium Helicopter business case as part of the Government’s approval process, with a decision to be made shortly as part of the upcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential benefit of forward mounting Royal Marines from the Fleet Contingency Troop to HMS Somerset in order to provide interdiction options for the tracking of the Russian ship Yantar.

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

The Ministry of Defence continually evaluates the most appropriate options and resources to address the evolving threats faced by the United Kingdom. For security reasons, we cannot disclose specific assessments or operational decisions publicly. However, we can confirm that the Ministry of Defence maintains robust and responsive capabilities to safeguard the UK’s territorial waters and ensure national security as required.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what level of readiness is 42 Commando’s Fleet Contingency Troop held at in order to conduct maritime interdiction operations in UK territorial waters.

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

The Ministry of Defence continually evaluates the most appropriate options and resources to address the evolving threats faced by the United Kingdom. For security reasons, we cannot disclose specific assessments or operational decisions publicly. However, we can confirm that the Ministry of Defence maintains robust and responsive capabilities to safeguard the UK’s territorial waters and ensure national security as required.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press conference he gave on 19th November 2025 regarding the use of lasers by the Russian ship Yantar, what changes has he made to the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement.

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

The Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence continuously assess our Rules of Engagement to ensure our Armed Forces can act appropriately in response to malign activities and evolving threats, including unsafe or unprofessional behaviour by foreign vessels and aircraft.

For reasons of national security, I am not able to disclose specific detail on Rules of Engagement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, following the use of lasers by the Russian ship Yantar to disrupt a Royal Air Force Poseidon P-8, what is the threshold needed to necessitate offensive action by the UK military if a foreign vessel is operating in a) UK territorial waters b) our Exclusive Economic Zone and c) international waters off the UK coast.

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

The Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence continuously assess its response options to ensure our Armed Forces can act appropriately against malign activities and future threats.

For reasons of national security, I am not able to disclose specific details of military operations or response options. To do so would be beneficial to our adversaries.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, based on the £34.7 billion cost of the deal for the Chagos Islands calculated by the Government Actuary’s Department, how much of the total figure will be paid by his department (a) each year and (b) in total.

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

The £34.7 billion figure is incorrect. The correct figure is £3.4 billion, which reflects the real costs of a treaty that lasts 99 years, with an average cost of £101 million per year.

The treaty payments will be split between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2025 on question 83063 on Warrior Vehicles: Procurement, when the concept phase of Project Atilla is due to end.

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

Project ATILLA is now in the early stages of commercial competition. This means that the project has progressed from considering conceptual elements such as evaluating project feasibility. The project is now preparing to move into the Invitation to Tender aspect of the commercial competition.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the current status of all MOD sites listed within the Defence Estates Optimisation Programme.

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

Defence Estates Optimisation (DEO) has completed construction at 17 sites and has disposed of 30 Ministry of Defence sites. The status for the remaining disposal sites is listed in the House of Commons Defence Disposal Database report on the Gov.UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disposal-database-house-of-commons-report

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025, to Question 88976 on Fireworks: Injuries, how many prosecutions have there been in each of the past five financial years for (a) deliberately and (b) negligently causing an injury with a firework.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Acting recklessly with or throwing fireworks can cause life-changing injuries. These actions can result in criminal prosecution and/or civil liability, depending on whether the injury was caused deliberately, recklessly or negligently.

There are numerous offences this can fall under, including: s.39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (common assault/battery) or from the+ Offences against the Person Act 1861: s47 (assault occasioning actual bodily harm), s20 (wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm), s18 (wounding/causing grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm), s28 (grievous bodily harm by the unlawful explosion of gunpowder or other explosive substance), s29 (unlawfully causing gunpowder or some other explosive substance to explode with intent to cause grievous bodily harm). The charge chosen will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and the level of injury caused.

During the most recently available 12 months (ending June 2025) management information shows that a total of 102,493 offences charged by way of the above legislation, commenced prosecution in magistrates’ courts. Of these charges the CPS is unable to identify which offences specifically involved fireworks as opposed to physical assaults or the use of other types of weapons, without a manual review of each case, which would incur disproportionate cost.

If an injury is caused through negligence (e.g. due to an accident at a private or publicly organised display) the person who set off the firework (or the event organiser/landowner) may be sued for damages in a civil court. Information on proceedings in civil courts is held by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the news story entitled ‘Honour’-based abuse crackdown in raft of new measures, published on 26 August 2025, by when she plans to pilot a prevalence study into ‘honour’-based abuse.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

'Honour’-based abuse is a serious form of abuse that nobody should have to experience. This is why we are tackling it through our mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade.

To prevent and respond effectively to forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) it is essential that we understand the prevalence of these crimes.

Building on the feasibility study conducted by the University of Birmingham in 2023/24, the Home Office has commissioned a pilot research project to support the development of a national prevalence estimate for forced marriage and female genital mutilation. This work is already underway.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the statement by the Chief of the Air Staff in the foreword to the 2025 Royal International Air Tattoo programme on the number of major equipment programmes planned for the next 15 years.

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

The Chief of the Air Staff's comments highlighted the critical role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and the ongoing investment in modern ISR platforms for the RAF with cutting edge technology. The Government is taking steps to ensure we have the right blend of novel and traditional technologies, including with a £400 million UKDI fund and 10% novel tech ringfence.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the assurances he gave during his opening speech at the Second Reading of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, that nobody who had taken part in paramilitary activity would be able to participate in the Victims and Survivors Advisory Group, what clause within the Bill underpins those assurances.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Clause 8(3) of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill sets out that appointments to the Victims and Survivors Advisory Group are made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, following the consultation set out in Clause 9.

The Government will not appoint anyone who was previously involved in paramilitary activity to the Victims and Survivors Advisory Group.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the question of 10 September 2025 to Question 74120 on Armed Forces: Commonwealth, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the requirement for her Department to record the number of foreign and commonwealth service personnel who have paid for visas upon discharge on the number of foreign and commonwealth personnel staying in the UK after leaving the armed forces.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Non-UK service personnel who have completed four years’ service in the Armed Forces are eligible to apply for settlement in the UK under Appendix HM Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules. This route provides a pathway to settlement for non-UK service members and their dependants.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has she made on the design and pilot of AI tools to support asylum case working as part of the Asylum Transformation Programme.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to summarise asylum interview transcripts. The Asylum Policy Search (APS) tool is an AI search assistant that finds and summarises country policy information. The tools were designed as an aid for decision-makers to improve efficiency but do not, and cannot, replace any part of the decision-making process. APS has been rolled out and is accessible to all Asylum decision makers and ACS is in advances stages of development with a full roll out planned in the new year. Further tooling is being worked on including an asylum letter writing assistant for caseworkers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress she has made in implementing the Asylum Transformation Programme.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Transformation Programme is focused on improving the asylum journey by streamlining, simplifying and digitalising processes to speed up decision making and establishing an asylum accommodation system with the right capacity and optimum cost. The programme was formally established in 2022 and since that time has delivered a number of planned initiatives and will continue to deliver until programme closure. Recent Project delivery includes but is not limited to; AI tooling in Asylum case working, a two-way communication portal for legal representatives and the Home Office, improvement to age assessment data management and processes, and tooling that provides greater visibility of asylum accommodation availability across the estate.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the E7 Wedgetail SRO Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the Land Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the Mine Hunting Capability SRO Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the Core Production Capability IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the SPEARCAP 3 SRO Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the SKYNET 6 IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of Land Environment Tactical Communication and Information Systems IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the Future Combat Air System IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the Protector IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the Type 31 IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment.

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

Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost.

The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when will he publish the most recent quarterly portfolio review of his Department’s projects within the Government major projects portfolio.

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

In line with other Departments, the Ministry of Defence discloses declassified programme performance information for most of our major programmes, alongside the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) Annual Report. The next NISTA Annual Report and proactive disclosure will cover the Financial Year 2025 to 2026 and will be published in summer 2026.

Routine examination of the performance of our major projects and programmes that will contain security classified material is achieved through various governance boards and committees to ensure that senior management intervention is applied where and when it is needed throughout the year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghans were brought to the UK via the Afghan Response Route in each month the scheme was open.

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

As the responsible Department, the Home Office produce quarterly statistics for immigration. These statistics are broken down by the route in which the individual entered the UK. The Afghan Response Route (ARR) is included and can be accessed via the link below:

safe-legal-routes-summary-tables-jun-2025.ods

As of 4 July 2025, the ARR is closed.

This Government continues to support the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) and is taking seriously our commitment to deliver on our promise to our Afghan friends and allies – many of whom stood side-by-side with the UK's Armed Forces in Afghanistan. By the end of this Parliament, we aim to have successfully honoured our obligation to complete relocations of eligible persons.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre programme.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre Programme was rated as Red following a High Court case in 2022 and the loss of planning consent. The Holocaust Memorial Bill, currently before Parliament, will address the statutory obstacle identified by the High Court.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has held discussions with Peterborough City Council on the options for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My officials have held discussions with all the councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, including Peterborough City Council, as they have developed proposals in response to their invitation. Those proposals are due to be submitted on 28 November.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was the UK contribution to Lots 39 and 40 of the $3.5 billion contract awarded to Raytheon on 31 July 2025, for the continued production of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM).

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

Lot 39 of the contract is expected to be placed by the end of 2025. Lot 40 of the contract is yet to be negotiated by the US Government. The UK proportionate contribution towards the $3.5 billion contract is classified as commercially sensitive information.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has she made in replacing the key supplier for the 10K Additional Prison Places Estate Expansion Houseblocks and Refurbishment programme.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 November 2025 to Question 87997.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made in replacing the key supplier for the 10K Additional Prison Places Estate Expansion Category D programme.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 November 2025 to Question 87997.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

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

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

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 17th November 2025, to question 88464 on Prison Accommodation, how many a) places at new prisons, b) permanent cells at existing prisons and c) Rapid Deployment Cells will form the 2,900 places in the North West.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering an additional 14,000 prison places, and aim to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office. The following table provides a breakdown of the places to be delivered in each region by new prison places, permanent cells at existing prisons and rapid deployment cells (RDCs), with each number rounded to the nearest 50 places. Due to rounding, total places may not align to the other categories.

This breakdown represents current projections which may vary when compared to previous projections due to changes in programme scope or our delivery approach, as well as the inclusion in the original response of temporary additional places used in private prisons (which are not covered in the questions above).

Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, our delivery total exceeds the 14,000 place commitment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 17th November 2025, to question 88464 on Prison Accommodation, how many a) places at new prisons, b) permanent cells at existing prisons and c) Rapid Deployment Cells will form the 2,800 places in the Midlands.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering an additional 14,000 prison places, and aim to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office. The following table provides a breakdown of the places to be delivered in each region by new prison places, permanent cells at existing prisons and rapid deployment cells (RDCs), with each number rounded to the nearest 50 places. Due to rounding, total places may not align to the other categories.

This breakdown represents current projections which may vary when compared to previous projections due to changes in programme scope or our delivery approach, as well as the inclusion in the original response of temporary additional places used in private prisons (which are not covered in the questions above).

Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, our delivery total exceeds the 14,000 place commitment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 17th November 2025, to question 88464 on Prison Accommodation, how many a) places at new prisons, b) permanent cells at existing prisons and c) Rapid Deployment Cells will form the 350 places in Wales.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering an additional 14,000 prison places, and aim to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office. The following table provides a breakdown of the places to be delivered in each region by new prison places, permanent cells at existing prisons and rapid deployment cells (RDCs), with each number rounded to the nearest 50 places. Due to rounding, total places may not align to the other categories.

This breakdown represents current projections which may vary when compared to previous projections due to changes in programme scope or our delivery approach, as well as the inclusion in the original response of temporary additional places used in private prisons (which are not covered in the questions above).

Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, our delivery total exceeds the 14,000 place commitment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 17th November 2025, to question 88464 on Prison Accommodation, how many a) places at new prisons, b) permanent cells at existing prisons and c) Rapid Deployment Cells will form the 650 places in the North East.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering an additional 14,000 prison places, and aim to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office. The following table provides a breakdown of the places to be delivered in each region by new prison places, permanent cells at existing prisons and rapid deployment cells (RDCs), with each number rounded to the nearest 50 places. Due to rounding, total places may not align to the other categories.

This breakdown represents current projections which may vary when compared to previous projections due to changes in programme scope or our delivery approach, as well as the inclusion in the original response of temporary additional places used in private prisons (which are not covered in the questions above).

Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, our delivery total exceeds the 14,000 place commitment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 17th November 2025, to question 88464 on Prison Accommodation, how many a) places at new prisons, b) permanent cells at existing prisons and c) Rapid Deployment Cells will form the 2,400 places in the South East and East region.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering an additional 14,000 prison places, and aim to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office. The following table provides a breakdown of the places to be delivered in each region by new prison places, permanent cells at existing prisons and rapid deployment cells (RDCs), with each number rounded to the nearest 50 places. Due to rounding, total places may not align to the other categories.

This breakdown represents current projections which may vary when compared to previous projections due to changes in programme scope or our delivery approach, as well as the inclusion in the original response of temporary additional places used in private prisons (which are not covered in the questions above).

Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, our delivery total exceeds the 14,000 place commitment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 17th November 2025, to question 88464 on Prison Accommodation, how many a) places at new prisons, b) permanent cells at existing prisons and c) Rapid Deployment Cells will form the 3,250 places in the South West and Central region.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

As set out in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering an additional 14,000 prison places, and aim to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office. The following table provides a breakdown of the places to be delivered in each region by new prison places, permanent cells at existing prisons and rapid deployment cells (RDCs), with each number rounded to the nearest 50 places. Due to rounding, total places may not align to the other categories.

This breakdown represents current projections which may vary when compared to previous projections due to changes in programme scope or our delivery approach, as well as the inclusion in the original response of temporary additional places used in private prisons (which are not covered in the questions above).

Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, our delivery total exceeds the 14,000 place commitment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of cancelling the Iron Duke conversion programme.

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

The Ministry of Defence keeps all capability programmes under regular review to ensure they remain affordable, deliver value for money, and align with operational priorities.

The decision to cancel the Iron Duke conversion programme was based on a comprehensive assessment. Given the platform's remaining Service life, the time required to complete the conversion, and competing operational priorities, the benefits of proceeding did not justify the additional cost or extended period out of service. Resources were therefore re-prioritised to deliver greater operational effect.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress has she made in implementing the 10K Additional Prison Places Estate Expansion Houseblocks and Refurbishment programme.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

To date, the Houseblocks and Refurbishments programme has delivered c.1,000 places, c.200 of which were delivered under this Government. As set out in the December 2024 10-Year Capacity Strategy, we are committed to delivering 14,000 additional prison places, aiming to do so by 2031. We are currently on track to meet this target, having delivered c.2,600 since taking office.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the outcome was of Royal Navy integration into US Carrier Strike Group certification training in October and November 2024.

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

In October 2024 the UK Carrier Strike Group and US Carrier Strike Group 8 completed a period of combined integration training during Exercise STRIKE WARRIOR. Exercise STRIKE WARRIOR included the successful re-certification of the UK Carrier Strike Group staff as part of the preparations for the Op HIGHMAST deployment in 2025.

Exercise STRIKE WARRIOR involved warships and support vessels from the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary along with elements of the British Army, Royal Air Force and NATO warships from six nations – Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 135 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress has he made in establishing comprehensive oversight of a) assets, b) liabilities, c) rates of obsolescence and d) lifecycle costs across his Department's estate.

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

In line with the Strategic Defence Review 2025, the Ministry of Defence has established the following to support oversight of a) assets, b) liabilities, c) rates of obsolescence and d) lifecycle costs across his Department’s estate:

(a) a centralised asset register,

(b) a liability baseline,

(c) introduced an obsolescence model for critical infrastructure,

(d) and embedded lifecycle costing within the Defence Investment Plan to ensure transparency and alignment with the Strategic Defence Review 2025 objectives.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 135 of his Department's document entitled Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 2 June 2025, what progress he has made in making Ministry of Defence sites available for (a) start-ups and (b) scale-ups to help nurture innovation.

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

In line with the Strategic Defence Review 2025, the Ministry of Defence has been reviewing its estate to identify land that it can release from current operational use. The purposes to which this land can be put is now being assessed. Some sites may become available for start-ups and scale-ups, supporting innovation in defence and technology sectors.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025 to question 89765 on Military Aircraft: Procurement, what the in-year saving made by cancelling the Shadow Mk2 upgrade programme was.

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

The decision to cancel the Shadow Mk2 upgrade programme was driven by delays in delivering the required capability and an assessment of increased costs for uncontracted work. As a result, no direct in-year savings were realised from this decision. However, allocated sustainment funding continues to support the operational output of the existing Shadow R Mk1 fleet.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69526 on Army: Ajax Vehicles and Boxer Vehicles, will anti-tank platoons be equipped with a mix of Ajax and Boxer or one or the other depending on whether the unit is tracked or wheeled.

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

Anti-tank platoons within Armoured Infantry units will be equipped with Boxer variants.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adopting a 6.8 x 51mm calibre rifle for frontline combat roles.

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

A review of performance requirements and technical solutions is ongoing as part of the concept phase for Project GRAYBURN. On current plans, Project GRAYBURN is due to enter its assessment phase in 2026.

The project aims to replace the SA80 family of rifles through the 2030s. The ongoing analysis includes efforts to understand the benefits and compromises of changing calibre. While no decision has yet been made, intermediate calibres including the 6.8 x 51mm are part of this work.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 34 of the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, by when the two USAF F-35 squadrons at RAF Lakenheath will reach full operating capacity.

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

The two US Air Force F-35 squadrons stationed at RAF Lakenheath have reached full operating capacity, which was achieved in Autumn 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

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

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

The scope of Project MATCHA was to replace the Gazelle AH Mk1, employed in Northern Ireland in the Rotary Wing Manned Airborne Surveillance role, with an Airbus H135. The project scope also included the integration of new Mission Role Equipment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

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

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

Project Magenta was initiated to provide infrastructure to support the Dreadnought Programme and the Continuous At Sea Deterrent. Due to the classification of Project Magenta, it is not possible to provide any further detail on the project's scope.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

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

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

Project RARDEN is a legacy project that designed and introduced the Rarden cannon into service in the 1970s.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of introducing new measures on governing the influence of agentic AI tools.

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

AI is a general-purpose technology, with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI should be regulated at the point of use – including agentic AI tools.

A range of existing rules already apply to AI systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation, and online safety. In response to the AI Action Plan, the government confirmed it would work with regulators to boost their capabilities.

This is complemented by the work of the AI Security Institute, which has deepened our understanding of the critical security risks posed by frontier AI, including agentic AI. We are committed to ensuring our rule book is up to date and future-proofed so the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions are held between UK Search and Rescue Aviation and Magpas Air Ambulance in Cambridgeshire on precedence of responses.

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

There have been no direct discussions with Magpas Air Ambulance and HM Coastguard search and rescue aviation. On request from an authorised authority for search and rescue air assistance the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Aeronautical Rescue will assess the request to ensure that it is appropriate, achievable and compliant and will deconflict every incident. Search and rescue aircraft are prioritised on the risk to life.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which Minister would be responsible for the planning decision regarding the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre following the passage of the Holocaust Memorial Bill.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Arrangements for handling of the planning application for the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre are publicly available on gov.uk here.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress has he made in delivering the Great British Nuclear programme.

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

As announced in June, the Great British Nuclear – Energy (GBE-N) small modular reactor (SMR) programme was allocated over £2.5 billion across the Spending Review period.

In November, the government announced that the SMR project will be sited at Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales, with initial site activity expected to begin in 2026.

GBE-N has selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred bidder to partner with to develop the UK’s first SMR project and, subject to final government approvals, is targeting contract signature before the end of the year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many settlements for non-freezing cold injuries did his department make in 2024/25.

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

The War Pensions Scheme (WPS) and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes (AFCS) compensate service personnel and veterans for a wide range of injuries and illnesses arising from or exacerbated by their service. Non-freezing cold injuries (NFCI) are included in both schemes.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 13 awards for NFCI conditions under the War Pensions Scheme (WPS).

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 32 initial awards for Non-Freezing Cold Injury conditions under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). AFCS awards for NFCI that were initially rejected, but subsequently awarded are not included and not available at this point.

In addition, settlements of common law compensation claims for alleged MOD negligence or omissions resulting in personal injury are published annually. The statistical bulletin is published in the year following the end of the previous financial year so settled claims and compensation paid in financial year (FY) 2024-25 will be published in summer 2026. The link below provides the most up to date information relating to common law claims in FY2023-24 including NFCI claims.

MOD common law compensation claims statistics 2023/24 - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has he made of the import costs of biomass sourcing of the fuel for the Drax power station.

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

It is for generators to determine the most cost effective way of importing biomass, as this is a commercial decision.

All transportation of biomass must comply with strict supply chain emission thresholds in order to be eligible for any subsidy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Operation Olympic Defender.

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

Multinational Force Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER (MNF-OOD) is a US led multinational force which provides national-level authority for centralised planning of combined space operations. The core members are the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and New Zealand.

MNF-OOD's focus is to optimise space operations, improve mission assurance, enhance resilience of space-based systems and synchronise efforts to strengthen deterrence against hostile actors.

UK Space Command is leading the UK's contribution. The UK's role is to analyse and share information about the space domain to ensure troops on the ground are aware of threats and their options to maintain access to space services.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the potential implications for her policies of the outcome of the joint Ofsted and CQC Area SEND Inspection published on 13 May 2025.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Cambridgeshire local area partnership was inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) from 27 to 31 January 2025. The inspection outcome was that the local areas partnership’s arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Five areas for improvement were identified and the department is working with the local partnership to monitor improvement in these five areas.

Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. We offer a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through department-managed programmes, such as our sector led improvement Partners.

The current Ofsted/CQC area SEND inspection framework was launched in January 2023. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under this framework by the end of 2027, driving better outcomes and standards in the system.

As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the SEND system and restore the trust of parents. We will bring forward a full Schools White Paper early in the new year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on changing the relationship between the Office for Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee.

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

As Minister for Veterans and People I have responsibility for the Office for Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees, both of which report to me. This Government is steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that support to veterans is better cohered and coordinated including through the development of the VALOUR programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse has been of redundancy packages for staff following the abolition of NHS England.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as scaling back integrated care board running costs and NHS provider corporate cost reductions in order to reduce waste and bureaucracy.

Redundancies are anticipated to cost approximately £1 billion in total, with most exit activity concentrated in 2025/26 and 2026/27, to release savings as soon as possible and to align to the available funding. The precise split between financial years and organisations is being worked through as operational delivery planning progresses.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many settlements for clinical negligence his Department made in 2024-25.

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

Settlements of common law compensation claims for alleged Ministry of Defence clinical negligence are published annually. These are published the year after the relevant financial year (FY). For example, settled claims and compensation paid in FY 2024-25 will be published in 2026. The link below provides the most up to date information relating to common law claims in FY2023-24 including clinical negligence claims.

MOD common law compensation claims statistics 2023/24 - GOV.UK

Both the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and War Pensions Scheme (WPS) are no-fault schemes to pay compensation for injuries, illness or death caused or made worse by service. Awards are granted for injuries/illnesses/deaths and not specific events within their service. Identifying if the claimant has stated their injuries/illnesses/deaths were suffered as a result of clinical negligence would not be possible to quantify, and would only be possible at a disproportionate cost as it would require a manual file search of every claim file.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what payments to asylum seekers are delivered via the Asylum Support Payments contract.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office has a legal obligation to meet the essential living needs of destitute asylum seekers. Support is usually provided in the form of accommodation and a weekly allowance, which is reviewed each year to ensure it covers essential living needs.

The standard weekly level of allowance for individuals in self-catered accommodation will remain at £49.18. For individuals in catered accommodation, the standard weekly allowance is £9.95.

Additional support is also available to pregnant women, young children, and individuals who can show they have exceptional needs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which elements of the Asylum Support Accommodation Programme are a) sustainable and b) scalable.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

One of the primary drivers behind the Asylum Support Accommodation Programme is to ensure a new model is both sustainable and scalable, with the flexibility required to respond to changes in demand. The work centred around Future Asylum Contract Transformation (FACT), and the replacement of the current Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC), will ensure that new arrangements meet the requirements for sustainability and scalability.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of replacing the Asylum Support Payments contract as part of the Asylum Support Accommodation Programme.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Support Payment (ASP) contract was originally included in the Asylum Support Accommodation Programme (ASAP). However, the ASP contract did not terminate at the same time as ASAP, so a decision was taken to descope it. This does not mean this will not be considered in the future.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the number and proportion of Bangladeshi asylum seekers who arrived in the UK on a) visas or b) other leave in the year to June 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

This government has already taken action to stem the surge in asylum claims from visa holders, including record numbers of credibility interviews and mandating a genuine study requirement for short term student routes. The number of student visa holders claiming asylum has reduced every quarter since this government took office.

By changing our protection offer, we are making it fairer for those who comply with the Rules. A person who enters the UK on a visa and continues to qualify will be on a faster route to settlement if they remain on that route, rather than claiming asylum. Claiming asylum will no longer provide the advantages that it does under the current system.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the number and proportion of people claiming asylum who entered the UK on a work visa.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

This government has already taken action to stem the surge in asylum claims from visa holders, including record numbers of credibility interviews and mandating a genuine study requirement for short term student routes. The number of student visa holders claiming asylum has reduced every quarter since this government took office.

By changing our protection offer, we are making it fairer for those who comply with the Rules. A person who enters the UK on a visa and continues to qualify will be on a faster route to settlement if they remain on that route, rather than claiming asylum. Claiming asylum will no longer provide the advantages that it does under the current system.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a requirement to ensure all venues have (a) toilets accessible to wheelchair users and (b) clear information that there are no accessible toilets for wheelchair users.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses that provide goods and services to the public are required not to discriminate against disabled people. The Act also places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises/buildings and services so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers. This duty is anticipatory, meaning that service providers are expected to foresee the requirements of disabled people and the reasonable adjustments that may have to be made for them. This includes the provision of disabled toilets and wheelchair access.

The Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of service providers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another, depending on the circumstances of the case. This is because factors like the practicability of making the adjustment, the cost of the adjustment and the resources available to an organisation, will vary from one situation to another. In the event of a claim of disability discrimination, it will ultimately be for the courts to decide on a case-by-case basis, what reasonable adjustments should be made for a particular disabled service-user, taking into account all relevant circumstances of the case.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of procuring Anduril's YFQ-44A collaborative combat aircraft.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 September 2025 to Question 76688.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the decision to reduce the order of Type 45 destroyers from 12 ships to 6 on defence.

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

The Type 45 destroyers have delivered world-class air defence capability to the Royal Navy since HMS DARING entered service in 2009, and they continue to play a critical role today. Their effectiveness has been demonstrated most recently by HMS DIAMOND during operations in the Red Sea in 2024, and by HMS as part of the global Operation HIGHMAST Carrier Strike Group, which is scheduled to return to the UK later this year.

The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews its force structure and capabilities to ensure they remain aligned with evolving threats and operational requirements. The decision on the number of Type 45 destroyers was based on the threat assessment and strategic priorities at the time, and these platforms continue to provide a highly capable air defence shield for the fleet.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what are the requirements of the Royal Navy's a) Stratus LO (Low Observable) and b) Stratus RS (Rapid Strike) programmes.

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

The Royal Navy has a requirement called the Future Offensive Surface Weapon (FOSuW) which will provide a long range anti-ship strike weapon with land attack capabilities, compatible with the Mk41 Vertical Launch System (VLS). The FOSuW requirement will be met through the Future Cruise Anti-Ship Weapon (FCASW) programme, which comprises two concept solutions, STRATUS LO and STRATUS RS. The STRATUS LO concept is planned to be integrated onto the Type 26 frigate to meet the Royal Navy FoSUW requirement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has he made in implementing the Land Ground Based Air Defence programme.

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

On current plans, the Land Based Air Defence programme is scheduled to reach Initial Operating Capability for its Medium Range Air Defence capability in Q4 2026.

In response to Question 45060 the then Minister for Defence Procurement (Maria Eagle) stated that the programme is working towards Initial Operating Capability of Medium Range Air Defence for warfighting by July 2026. In fact, the programme is working towards Initial Operating Capability of Medium Range Air Defence for contingent operations in Q4 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 91 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation to ensure sufficient supply of (a) services, (b) access to critical national infrastructure and (c) resources for defence.

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

We are reviewing which additional legal powers the Government might need across the range of Defence business as part of our work in developing the defence readiness legislation announced in the Strategic Defence Review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's publication entitled How many people claim asylum in the UK?, published on 21 August 2025, what assessment has she made of the potential implications for her policies of the number of asylum applications received from people with a study visa.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

This government has already taken action to stem the surge in asylum claims from visa holders, including record numbers of credibility interviews and mandating a genuine study requirement for short term student routes. The number of student visa holders claiming asylum has reduced every quarter since this government took office.

By changing our protection offer, we are making it fairer for those who comply with the Rules. A person who enters the UK on a visa and continues to qualify will be on a faster route to settlement if they remain on that route, rather than claiming asylum. Claiming asylum will no longer provide the advantages that it does under the current system.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has she made in re-baselining East-West Rail Connection State 2 and 3.

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

In the Spending Review in June, the Government announced £2.5bn of funding to progress the delivery of East West Rail (EWR). The Government has committed to accelerating work to deliver EWR benefits early where possible and is reviewing what can be done to bring higher frequency services to Bedford ahead of route completion. In assessing the best way to sequence the programme as a whole, East West Railway Company is looking at alternative ways to deliver more passenger services and new stations earlier to unlock benefits for local people and businesses. Work is continuing over the coming months, and more information will be provided in a more detailed plan next year.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison places have been delivered through the Small Secure Houseblocks programme since 5 July 2024; and at which locations.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

No places have yet been delivered under the Small Secure Houseblocks (SSH) programme. Following completion of the design stage, the programme is now in its main construction phase. Based on current plans, the Small Secure Houseblocks programme will deliver c.1,000 new Category C places and supporting ancillaries across the estate.

The Government committed to delivering 14,000 additional prison places in the December 2024 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy. We are on track to deliver these by 2031, having delivered c.2,600 since taking office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under the Immigration Platform Technologies programme, what are the three integrated modern technology services that have been delivered.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The three integrated modern technology services that were delivered by IPT are:

• Access UK – Accessed via GOV.UK, this single online application service for all visa and immigration services allows our customers to complete their application, book an appointment, and pay for their service. It has taken large volumes of paper out of the system and integrates with Atlas, the caseworking system, preventing errors being made in the completion of applications. The Department uses Access to provide application services to all our core immigration routes including building emergency routes for crisis events such as Ukraine or Afghanistan.
• Atlas – This modern, resilient system is now the core immigration caseworking tool for HO. Atlas supports electronic documents, thereby taking significant amounts of paper out of the system. Because of increased automation, there are reduced handling costs, improved speed of processing and increased reliability of service.
• Person Identity Product – The Person Identity Product (PIP) is now the unified provider of all person related data services for Immigration Technology, showing the historic case information, co-ordinating the recording of Person & Identity related data, searching for an individual’s details, matching associated data and presenting data back to the end user.

Please see 6 September 2022: Immigration Platform Technologies (IPT) Programme Accounting Officer Assessment - GOV.UK for further details.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department took following the approval of the Asylum Support Accommodation Programme Delivery Model Assessment final report by the programme board on 30 June 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Following the Delivery Model Assessment (DMA), the Asylum Support Accommodation Programme has been focussed on the high-level design of an operating model that uses recommendations from the DMA, alongside more recent market engagement. This process has now moved into a detailed design phase, to develop an operating model that is ready for implementation, whilst continuously validating the approach.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many settlements for asbestos related disease his Department made in 2024/25.

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

Settlements of asbestos related compensation claims brought against the Ministry of Defence for asbestos related disease are published annually. These are published the year after the relevant financial year (FY). For example, settled claims and compensation paid in FY2024-25 will be published in 2026. The link below provides the most up to date information relating to common law claims in FY2023-24 including asbestos related claims.

MOD common law compensation claims statistics 2023/24 - GOV.UK

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were no initial injury/illness awards under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) for mesothelioma or any asbestos-related condition.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 119 awards for mesothelioma or any asbestos related conditions under the War Pension Scheme (WPS).

Please note, numbers for AFCS include initial awards only. Asbestos conditions which were initially rejected but were subsequently awarded, following a reconsideration or appeal in this financial year, have not been counted due to the complexity of the data.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the volume of imported products that were manufactured using Russian oil in each of the last three years.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government works with international partners to constrain Russian oil revenues while maintaining global energy supply and security, protecting critical supply chains, and maintaining the stability of global markets. In December 2022, the Government banned imports of oil and oil products from Russia into the UK. On 16 October 2025, the Government announced it will extend this ban to include imports of oil products refined in third countries using Russian crude.

My department does not hold data on the volume of imported products manufactured using Russian oil.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the number and proportion of asylum seekers who previously entered the UK on a) a visa or b) other leave with relevant documentation, including the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK since 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

This government has already taken action to stem the surge in asylum claims from visa holders, including record numbers of credibility interviews and mandating a genuine study requirement for short term student routes. The number of student visa holders claiming asylum has reduced every quarter since this government took office.

By changing our protection offer, we are making it fairer for those who comply with the Rules. A person who enters the UK on a visa and continues to qualify will be on a faster route to settlement if they remain on that route, rather than claiming asylum. Claiming asylum will no longer provide the advantages that it does under the current system.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 18th November 2025 to question 88988 on Prisoners, a) how long for and b) how much compensation did each prisoner unlawfully detained between 5th July 2024 and 31st March 2025 receive.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Release inaccuracy is yet another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those errors that do occur, and this includes unlawful detentions.

On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps which includes strengthening release checks across prisons and an independent inquiry will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies. The Government is determined to fix release inaccuracies and ensure the public is properly protected.

The data requested comes from internal management information and is not fully Quality Assured. We are therefore unable to answer this question within cost limits.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025 to question 88988 on Prisoners, how many of the prisoners unlawfully detained following completion of their sentence in 2024-25 were detained between 5 July 2024 and 31 March 2025.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Release inaccuracy is yet another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those errors that do occur, and this includes unlawful detentions.

On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps which includes strengthening release checks across prisons and an independent inquiry will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies. The Government is determined to fix release inaccuracies and ensure the public is properly protected.

The data requested comes from internal management information and is not fully Quality Assured. We are therefore unable to answer this question within cost limits.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff within the HM Prison & Probation Service are reliant on a visa for their employment.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice does not hold the requested data in an easily accessible format. Information on right to work status does not provide a distinction between employees presently working for the Ministry of Justice and employees who have since left employment, therefore distinguishing the data accurately would incur disproportionate cost.