Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2026 to Question 125325 on Animal Welfare: Inspections, how many beagles were bred in the last 12 months by MBR Acres Ltd for which the latest data is available.

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

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of animals bred by individual establishments. Responsibility for recording such information rests with the licensed establishments themselves.

Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, licensed establishments are required to maintain records, in a format acceptable to the Secretary of State, of the source, use and final disposal of all protected animals bred, kept or used at the establishment for regulated activity.

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in scientific procedures, which include information on procedures involving dogs. In addition, project licence applications under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are required to include prospective estimates of the number of animals expected to be used. This information is included in the published non-technical summaries of project licences granted available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/non-technical-summaries-of-projects-granted-under-aspa.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to question 125523 on Hare Coursing, which policing priority covers hare coursing in the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy 2025-28, published in November 2025.

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

The National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy 2025-28, published in November 2025, addresses hare coursing within its policing priority to tackle illegal hunting and poaching.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to FOI 2026/03320 for what reason did her department deem it to be a) unlawful and b) unfair with respect to the withholding of the requested information regarding the number of ISIS-linked individuals repatriated to the UK from the Al-Roj camp in Syria.

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

The Government’s priority is the safety and security of the UK and our citizens. This can, where appropriate, include the exercise of immigration powers, the use of domestic and international watchlists, and law enforcement partners to disrupt the travel to the UK of individuals who are assessed to pose a threat.

Individuals who return should expect to be investigated and, where there is evidence that they have committed crimes, to face prosecution. A wide range of criminal and terrorism offences can be used to prosecute returning foreign fighters, carrying the possibility of a sentence up to and including life imprisonment.

It is the long-standing policy of successive UK Governments not to comment routinely either on individual cases or intelligence and security matters. On this Freedom of Information request, the Home Office set out the legal basis for withholding the requested information under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Those who are dissatisfied with the Home Office’s response to their Freedom of Information request may request an independent internal review within two months of the response.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total savings are for each financial year for the remainder of the current parliament owing to the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill not completing its passage through Parliament before the end of the previous session.

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

Funding associated with the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory remains subject to ongoing discussions and will continue to be managed as part of the Department's usual financial planning processes, in conjunction with His Majesty's Treasury.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of reductions in the Specialist Teaching Team in Cambridgeshire upon schools in the Huntingdon constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Cambridgeshire’s staffing structures are a matter for the local authority, as is the impact assessment of any changes.

We are improving schools’ access to expert advice and support through the new Experts at Hand service, a £1.8 billion investment over three years designed to give mainstream schools rapid access to specialist special educational needs and disabilities expertise. The indicative funding for the 2026/27 financial year for Experts At Hand in Cambridgeshire is £4,675,232. Cambridgeshire local authority will work with its integrated care board to deliver this new service, which will support schools in the Huntingdon constituency.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2026, to Question 125343 on Syria: Islamic State, what is the full scope of the “closer work together on returns” that was discussed between her and the President of Syria on 31 March 2026.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On 31 March, the Prime Minister welcomed Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa on his first official visit to the UK. Details of his discussions with the PM and other UK Government interlocutors were included in the press notice released on 31 March and discussed in my Written Ministerial Statement on 29 April:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-04-29/debates/26042963000007/Syria#contribution-8A524287-7FE5-4A3D-BCF7-28DA236ADC0F.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Gordon Brown held discussions with the government of Mauritius in 2009 during which the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands was raised.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 February to Question 109314.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 125362 on USA:Anniversaries, whether his Department has accepted the invitation by Sail Boston to showcase a Daring Class Destroyer between 11 to 16 July 2026.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

HM Government continues to support the USA in the celebration of their 250^th anniversary, highlighted through the State Visit of His Majesty the King. The Ministry of Defence does not comment on future ship movements or commitments for reasons of operational security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to question 125519 on Navy: Guided Weapons, by when does he plan to have achieved a) Initial Operating Capability and b) Full Operating Capability for the Mk 41 vertical launch system.

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

The Ministry of Defence continues to progress integration of the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System across relevant platforms. In-service dates remain subject to ongoing programme delivery, integration activity, and approval processes, and will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his comments during the Times Radio interview on 29 April 2026, if he could provide a breakdown of the people deported by (a) number and (b) country.

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

The Home Office publishes data on returns in the ‘Immigration System Statistics quarterly release’. Data on returns from the UK, broken down by enforced returns (of which ‘deportations’ is a legalised subset) and nationality can be found in table Ret_D01 of the ‘Returns detailed datasets’.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to update the Modern slavery strategy, published on 29 November 2014.

Answered by Natalie Fleet - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

This government is taking forward an updated approach to tackling modern slavery through delivery, reform and integration across wider Government strategies, rather than by re-issuing an updated standalone strategy.

Our March 2025 Modern Slavery Action Plan provided a clear delivery framework for 2025/26, and has already driven seen significant progress across the modern slavery portfolio, including an 84% reduction in outstanding National Referral Mechanism (NRM) conclusive grounds decisions (as of end of April 2026). This means that victims are receiving certainty and appropriate support in a timely fashion, allowing them to recover from their exploitation.

We are also strengthening the system itself, including through the expansion of devolved decision-making pilot for exploited children, and the procurement of new support services for adult and child victims of modern slavery. Alongside this, we have updated guidance for modern slavery statements and are progressing work to strengthen the transparency in supply chains regime, including consideration of mandating reporting, penalties for non-compliance, and the extending requirements to public bodies.

These reforms are being taken forward as part of wider Government priorities set out in the Asylum and Returns Policy Statement (“Restoring Order and Control”) and Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (“Freedom from violence and abuse”), ensuring modern slavery policy is embedded across prevention, enforcement and victim support. Officials are now taking forward the findings from the recent Call for Evidence on victim identification to inform the next phase of system reform.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the scope is of the recent alignment between the Oils and Pipelines Agency and the National Armaments Director Group.

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

The Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) remains a statutory public corporation established by the Oil and Pipelines Act 1985 and wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Defence. However, the recent alignment of the OPA with the National Armaments Director Group, will enable better coherence of energy governance and delivery within Defence.

Specifically, aligning the OPA’s energy expertise with NAD Group will enable OPA to better inform, align with, and deliver Defence requirements through supporting the delivery, maintenance, and operation of key Defence energy capabilities.

Resultingly, the NAD Group can ensure energy infrastructure is managed as a core, governed capability that underpins readiness, resilience, and operational energy across Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 22 April 2026 to question 127881 on Ukraine: Military Aid, what is the projected cost to the core defence budget of the UK lead contribution to MNFU.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Ministry of Defence invested £0.2 billion last financial year to prepare the UK Armed Forces for potential deployment as part of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNFU).

Future costs will depend on the scale, scope and duration of any deployment and will be considered as part of the Ministry of Defence’s normal planning and budgeting processes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to table the Defence Readiness Bill.

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

There are readiness measures in the Armed Forces Bill and work is underway across Government on the Defence Readiness Bill. We are working towards later this Parliament subject to usual processes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to question 125513 on F-35 Aircraft: Procurement, by when does he plan to have completed the Block 4 upgrade programme.

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

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 20 April 2026 to Question 125513:

We do not routinely comment on detailed delivery schedules. However, the Block 4 upgrade programme continues, it did not impact the declaration of Lightning Full Operating Capability. The Block 4 upgrade programme will further develop our world leading Combat Air capability, the UK Lightning, through improvements in lethality, survivability and supportability.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Cabinet-level AUKUS Ministerial meetings have been held since the publication of AUKUS0031 on 9 March 2025 and how many of those have been chaired by a) the Prime Minister and b) the Secretary of State for Defence.

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

The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary are determined to deliver against our AUKUS commitments and are personally driving the renewed whole-of-government effort. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees, including how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the National Security Adviser was present at the meeting between the Grandview Institution and Stephen Lillie in Beijing on 22 October 2025.

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

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

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made in publishing the unclassified public version of the UK AUKUS review report by Sir Stephen Lovegrove.

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

Sir Stephen Lovegrove submitted his classified report at the end of 2024. A version was also shared with the US and Australian governments, both of which have conducted their own reviews of AUKUS over the past 18 months. In order to protect the confidentiality of inputs received from US and Australian contributors and others consulted during the review, it was decided that it would not be appropriate to publish the report. This is consistent with the approach taken by the US and Australian governments in their reviews.

The government accepted the recommendations made by Sir Stephen and he has made a number of public appearances since then in which he has set out his headline findings and the actions being taken in response. They include measures to underpin delivery of the “Optimal Pathway” by accelerating production across the UK Submarine Industrial Base; to jointly clarify and focus the pursuit of Advanced Capabilities under Pillar II; and to strengthen the UK’s cross-government leadership and co-ordination arrangements across both pillars. The associated actions are all either complete or well underway.

The government has also made a landmark £6bn investment in the UK Submarine Industrial Base to drive an 18 month submarine production drumbeat. The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK is "all in" on delivering against our AUKUS commitments and that he regards it as a strategic partnership which is fundamental to the UK's NATO-first approach and to Trans-Atlantic burden-sharing.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the a) National Security Strategy and b) Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill on private sector Critical National Infrastructure operators.

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

The government is working tirelessly with groups across society, including operators of critical national infrastructure, to make the UK a harder target for hostile actors and to deliver growth.

Strategies such as the National Security Strategy 2025, which consolidated several national security reviews and audits including the Resilience Action Plan into one framework, are critical to this work. The government engages with a range of stakeholders, considers assessments and analysis from think-tanks, academics, industry and parliamentary reports, to ensure the ambitions of these strategies are deliverable for industry and other groups across society.

The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences and ensure the essential and digital services the public relies on are more secure. The government is continuing to engage closely with industry to ensure the Bill is robust and deliverable, and we will consult stakeholders on our plans for secondary legislation in due course. In addition, the Resilience Action Plan included a commitment to map standards across the CNI landscape, which will provide an overview of the resilience requirements placed on CNI sectors and their cumulative impacts.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to deliver an Energy Resilience Strategy in conjunction with the National Energy System Operator.

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

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will publish an Energy Resilience Strategy in 2026, working closely with the National Energy System Operator, regulators, and partners across government and industry.

The Strategy will set out the Government’s strategic priorities for a secure and resilient energy system, now and in the future and how we will work with industry, the regulator and wider society to deliver that.

The National Energy System Operator will play a key role in delivering the strategy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what capabilities Middle East partner nations have procured through Task Force Sabre.

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

Task Force Sabre and the UK Government have facilitated and supported Middle East partner nations to procure short-range air defence launchers, advanced ground-based missile shields, and counter-drone systems. The Ministry of Defence continues to work with allies and industry to ensure that capabilities are delivered where required. Due to operational sensitivity, it is inappropriate to comment further.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the fourth report of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, CP1338, published on 24 June 2025, what progress he has made on strengthening the interoperability of UK and Italy’s carrier strike groups.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Italy is a close NATO ally of the United Kingdom, and as carrier nations that both operate F-35B aircraft there is consistent collaboration, both bilaterally and through the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII).

As part of Operation HIGHMAST, UK and Italian Carrier Strike Groups conducted integrated carrier operations in the Mediterranean Sea, which included the embarkation of Italian F-35Bs aboard HMS PRINCE OF WALES, with UK F-35s also operating onboard ITS CAVOUR.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the implications of his policy on natural gas production between October 2025 and February 2026 on energy prices.

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

The 2025 North Sea Future Plan set out details of how the government will deliver on its commitment not to issue further oil and gas licences to explore new fields, whilst managing existing fields for their lifespan.

The North Sea is a naturally declining basin, and the price of oil and gas is determined by international markets. The best way to improve our resilience in the face of global instability is to increase our domestic supply of renewable energy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the Barrow Transformation Fund will be funded by his Department.

Answered by Nesil Caliskan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has committed £200 million over 10 years to support regeneration in Barrow-in-Furness (the ‘Barrow Transformation Fund’). 25% of this funding is provided by MHCLG and the remaining 75% is provided by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 on work across (a) stained‑glass conservation, (b) historic metals, and (c) built heritage within the conservation-restoration sector.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently consulting on proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002. The deadline for submitting responses to the consultation is 24 May 2026. The consultation exercise will allow HSE to gain more detailed evidence to fully assess the impact of these proposed lead exposure levels in the working environment, including heritage workforce and built heritage, before any final proposals for reform. During the consultation, HSE has engaged with a range of heritage organisations, including Historic England, DCMS arms length body, to inform this ongoing work and ensure considerations around the historic environment are duly considered in any final recommendations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the feasibility of keeping Britannia Royal Naval College open (a) until 2040 and (b) after 2040.

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

Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) at Dartmouth continues to play a central role in the training of Royal Navy officers. There are no plans to close the establishment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2026 to question 126820 on Ajax Vehicles: Health and Safety, following statement HCWS1545, published on 28 April 2026, when is the Independent Expert Panel Review final report scheduled to be published.

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

I can confirm the Independent Expert Panel Review has now concluded and the report is being reviewed. As I have done since Exercise Titan Storm I will continue to update the House on progress with Ajax.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 18 May 2926 to Question 668 on MBR Acres: Animal Welfare, when did her Department last request annual figures for the (a) source (b) use and (c) final disposal of dogs bred at MBR Acres.

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

Licensed establishments are responsible for maintaining records on the source, use and final disposal of protected animals bred, kept or used for regulated procedures.

Under Standard Condition 8 of the Establishment Licence, all licensed establishments those records must be kept in a format acceptable to the Secretary of State. Compliance is checked through announced and unannounced audits by the Home Office Regulator. MBR Acres was most recently audited in November 2025, when inspectors reviewed the establishment’s records, including those relating to the source, use and disposal of animals. The Home Office does not hold this data centrally.

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in scientific procedures. The annual statistics can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/scientific-procedures-on-living-animals-great-britain-2024/annual-statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals-great-britain-2024

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much money has been saved from her Department's budget as a result of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill not completing its passage in each financial year for the remainder of the current Parliament.

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

No payments are due under the terms of the UK-Mauritius agreement until the Treaty has been ratified. Full details of the proposed payments have already been published in the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the Treaty.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made in establishing a third F-35 squadron by 2033.

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

All spending decisions on capabilities are taken as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Next-generation remote controlled artillery systems to transform British Army, published on 13 May 2026, how many tranches of RCH155 delivery will be split over; and on what dates each tranche is scheduled for delivery.

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

RCH 155 will be delivered individually rather than in tranches. Deliveries are expected to take place between 2028 and 2032.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the £200 million Barrow Transformation Fund will be provided by the Department of Transport.

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

The Department for Transport does not contribute directly to the Barrow Transformation Fund. However, the Department is investing in important transport infrastructure schemes that support the Plan for Barrow, including £23.31 million towards the A595 Grizebeck improvement scheme.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what year does he plan to deliver the Long-Range Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon.

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

The Long-Range Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon remains in its early concept phase. The Ministry of Defence continues to mature the requirement and will determine delivery timelines subject to the outcome of the 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 merits of collaborating with the US Navy on the F/A-XX programme.

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

The UK continues to work closely with the United States Navy on future combat air capabilities. The UK is not a partner in the F/A-XX programme.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, from what financial year will the 10-year Defence Investment Plan start.

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

The Defence Investment Plan will set out an affordable and deliverable plan for Defence for the next 10 years, detailing the Department's investment priorities and the capabilities required to meet emerging threats. It will be published as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his oral contribution during Oral Questions on 27 April 2026, Official Report column 568, which destroyers and frigates he was referring to; and how he calculated the 25% figure.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Ministry of Defence publishes annual statistics on UK armed forces equipment and formations, including statistics on frigate and destroyer numbers. Statistics from 2016 can be found on Gov.uk here and the 2010 statistics here. These show that in 2010, the Royal Navy had 23 frigates and destroyers and by 2024, this number had reduced by six to 17, a reduction of 26%.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential threat of the Russian Amur Class Repair Ship PM-82 to the Galloper wind farm array when operating in its vicinity on 5 May 2026.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

While it is not routine practice to comment on the operational activity or intent of individual foreign vessels, the Ministry of Defence keeps all potential threats to the UK under constant review. This includes threats to critical national infrastructure, such as offshore energy installations.

The Government continues to strengthen the protection of critical national infrastructure through the implementation of the Strategic Defence Review. This includes initiatives such as Atlantic Bastion, which enhance the UK’s ability to deter, detect and respond to threats in the maritime domain.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential risk of Russian Yasen class submarines transiting the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

While it is not routine practice to comment on the operational activity or intent of individual foreign vessels, the Ministry of Defence keeps all potential threats to the UK under constant review. This includes threats to critical national infrastructure, such as offshore energy installations.

The Government continues to strengthen the protection of critical national infrastructure through the implementation of the Strategic Defence Review. This includes initiatives such as Atlantic Bastion, which enhance the UK’s ability to deter, detect and respond to threats in the maritime domain.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of a shortage of aviation fuel on the operations of air ambulance charities.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We engage routinely with air ambulance charities on contingency planning. As part of this, we have engaged with air ambulance charities on fuel resilience.

The United Kingdom remains well stocked for all fuel types and the Government is working with fuel suppliers to make sure businesses and essential services are supported.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many development contracts have been awarded following the deadline for proposals under Project Nightfall.

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

Contracts have been signed and will be announced shortly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the answer of 22 April 2026 to question 908740 on Service Pupil Premium, how additional funding via the mobility factor in the schools national funding formula is allocated.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

To better support the educational needs of mobile pupils, the mobility factor in the schools national funding formula allocates additional funding to support schools with high levels of pupil mobility.

Schools where more than 6% of pupils joined at a non-typical date through the school year in the last three years attract funding through the factor. Reception pupils whose first recorded census was in the summer and pupils from years 1-11 whose first recorded census was in the spring or summer are deemed to have joined on non-typical dates.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what is the scope of Project REFLECT under the Advanced Research and Invention Agency.

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

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is an independent research body, and they are conducting cautious, controlled research aimed at improving understanding of the risks and impacts of Solar Radiation Modification. This will produce important information for decisions around the world.

Project REFLECT, funded under ARIA’s ‘Exploring Climate Cooling’ programme, looks to investigate Marine Cloud Brightening, by exploring whether spraying seawater could increase the reflectivity of clouds. The programme aims to responsibly test various methods of spraying seawater to explore the risks and viability of this approach. Over an initial 3-year period, the project will focus on computer modelling and indoor tests. Further information on ARIA’s programme oversight and governance principles is available on their website: https://aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/future-proofing-our-climate-and-weather/exploring-climate-cooling/.

Whilst the government is not in favour of using Solar Radiation Modification, the government supports ARIA’s mission to fund transformational research programmes with long-term benefits.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his foreword in his Department's publication entitled The Strategic Defence Review 2025: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, updated on 8 July 2025, when he expects the next submarine to be produced; and whether this will be in line with the schedule of continuous submarine production producing a submarine every 18 months.

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

On current plans, construction of SSN-AUKUS submarines will start in the late 2020s, with the aim to deliver the first UK submarines into service in the late 2030s.

To meet this demand we are, as announced in the Spending Review, investing more than £6 billion to transform submarine-building infrastructure at Barrow and Raynesway and the supply chain. This will enable an 18-month submarine production rate and a 12-month nuclear reactor production rate, which in turn will allow us to grow to a class size of up to 12 SSN-AUKUS submarines as well as to deliver on our commitments to Australia under the AUKUS partnership.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what date does he plan to direct award the contract for the integration of the Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedo onto the RAF’s fleet of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to BAE Systems Surface Ships Limited.

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

The initial contract for the basic integration of the Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedo onto the RAF’s fleet of P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft was awarded to BAES Systems Surface Ships Ltd in December 2024 and work is ongoing to deliver this initial capability. Further phases of integration are anticipated in 2027 but are subject to investment decisions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2026, to question 124247 on Defence: Expenditure, what discussions he has had with NATO counterparts on the date for publication of the UK's defence spending figures for 2026-27.

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

The publication of Allies' defence spending figures is handled by NATO in line with its usual processes. NATO will inform Allies of its plans closer to the potential publication date.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 21 April 2026 to Question 126806 on F-35 Aircraft: Cruise Missiles, what assessment he has made of the extent of corrosion across the F-35 force caused by maritime exposure.

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

The Department has extensive experience in mitigating and rectifying corrosion to aircraft caused by maritime exposure. F-35 corrosion inspection and maintenance was a planned activity following Operation HIGHMAST.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the Barrow Transformation Fund will be provided by his Department.

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

Recognising Barrow's role as a strategic national asset, the Government's commitment to the submarine building programme underpins the 10-year 'Plan for Barrow' backed by the £200 million Barrow Transformation Fund.

The Ministry of Defence is contributing 75% (£150 million) of this fund over the 10-year period. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will contribute the remaining 25% (£50 million).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what date the interim stand-off capability will be available via the procurement of the Small Diameter Bomb II.

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

As the hon. Gentleman will understand I am withholding the date that this capability will be available as it would harm the capability, effectiveness, and security of the Armed Forces. The procurement has been prioritised through the Foreign Military Sales process, and the acquisition of this weapon will provide an interim stand-off capability for the F-35 Lightning fleet prior to the introduction of SPEAR 3.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on developing the hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities stream of AUKUS Pillar 2.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 20 April 2026, to Questions 125446 and Question 125418.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the fourth report of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (CP1338), published on 24 June 2025, what progress has he made in delivering a new bilateral treaty with Germany.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Prime Minister and Chancellor Merz signed the Treaty between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Federal Republic of Germany on friendship and bilateral cooperation (The Kensington Treaty) on 17 July 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter from the MOD Permanent Secretary to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee on 30 April 2026, for what reason was the Afloat Spares Pack on Operation HIGHMAST sized to support only 12 aircraft rather than to support the 24 deployed.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Afloat Spares Pack is baselined at 12 Aircraft for planning and stores management purposes. This can be supplemented if larger aircraft deployments are planned.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the fourth report of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (CP1338), published on 24 June 2025, how the new UK agreement with Poland improve NATO’s eastern flank.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK and Poland have agreed a new Security and Defence Partnership Treaty. The treaty delivers a strategic partnership, standing together against Russia, united in defending European security including on NATO's eastern flank, and making the UK safer. It will step up our ability to counter threats to our national, economic and energy security, and tackle illegal migration and crime in the UK. The treaty will be signed when Prime Minister Tusk visits the UK on 27 May.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2026 to question 126811 on Armed Forces: Offences against Children, under what circumstances is service detention used.

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

The sentence in any given case is a matter for the Court (the Judge Advocate and Board sentencing together). They will apply any extant sentencing council guidelines and also the Judge Advocate General’s guidance on sentencing in the Court Martial in doing so.

Service detention is intended to combine punishment, discipline, and rehabilitation within the military system, normally through the Military Corrective Training Centre.

Circumstances where a Court might consider service detention rather than imprisonment might include lower-level neglect offences, inappropriate communications that fall short of more serious offending, or possession offences at the lower end of the sentencing scale.

Offences against children are treated extremely seriously and in many cases, imprisonment would be expected, especially where there are sexual offences, violence, exploitation, grooming, or indecent images involved.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the interoperability of the Type 26 with other ships in the Global Combat Ship Programme.

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

The UK works closely with Australia, Canada and Norway to ensure interoperability between the Global Combat Ships which are based on the Type 26 frigate design, including through shared design elements, common systems, and aligned operational standards.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of ordering the NightFighter mini drone jammer for C-UAS capability.

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

The Department keeps its capability requirements under continual review and considers a broad range of options, including emerging technologies, to ensure the Armed Forces are equipped to respond to evolving threats. This work includes analysis and experimentation to inform future capability development.

Capability decisions will be made in the 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 merits of procuring the Anduril Bolt M Autonomous Air Vehicle.

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

The Department keeps its capability requirements under continual review and considers a broad range of options, including emerging technologies, to ensure the Armed Forces are equipped to respond to evolving threats. This work includes analysis and experimentation to inform future capability development.

Capability decisions will be made in the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the UK contribution to the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) Initiative.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

As a founding member of the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative, the UK has played an integral role in delivering CSpO’s objectives.

The UK contributes subject matter expertise and representation to develop and align policy in pursuit of mutual objectives and to strengthen our interoperability with partners and allies. It shares intelligence and information to support unity of effort and enhance command, control and communications capabilities. The UK also offers space related training and education to CSpO allies.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the answer of 27 April 2026, to question 118987 on Iran: RAF Akrotiri, what ballistic missile interception capability was deployed in defence of RAF Akrotiri during HMS Dragon’s maintenance in Crete.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

As previously stated, we have deployed significant layered air defence capability into RAF Akrotiri since January. It would not be appropriate to detail the exact capabilities, as that information may be utilised by our adversaries.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the establishment of new SSN-AUKUS facilities in Australia on levels of workforce retention at conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSN) facilities in (a) Barrow-in-Furness and (b) Plymouth.

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

AUKUS Pillar 1 cannot be realised without the essential personnel and expertise needed to design, build, operate, maintain and decommission SSNs, but it also offers an unprecedented opportunity to integrate and grow the submarine building workforce of all three partners. It will create thousands of jobs in all three countries, and we are confident that the UK’s world-leading facilities will continue to attract the very best personnel, with the Team Barrow and Team Plymouth initiatives further enhancing this.

Some movement is inevitable and reflects the benefits of global mobility. Our AUKUS partners respect the joint nature of this programme and the fact that through it we will develop more resilient skills bases in each country.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the full scope of the Naval Support Integrated Global Network programme.

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

The Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) programme is the successor to the Future Maritime Support Programme and will deliver in-service support to Royal Navy ships and submarines, alongside services enabling the maintenance and operation of sovereign naval bases, HMNBs Devonport, Clyde and Portsmouth.

It encompasses warships, support ships, submarine and naval base support, engineering support, alongside services and facilities management. It is intended to improve availability, resilience and value for money while supporting current, new and future platforms including Dreadnought, Type 26 and Fleet Solid Support Ships.

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 the 6mm Advanced Rifle Cartridge (6×38mm) for use in a) individual and b) specialist weapons within the UK armed forces.

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

As advised in my previous answer to Question 125983, Project GRAYBURN is currently in its concept phase. An important output of this phase will be the definition of user requirements, covering the full range of performance characteristics, including calibre and operating system.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the AUKUS Pillar 1 plan announced in 2023, what assessment he has made of the ability of the Royal Navy to facilitate an ongoing rotational presence of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSN) in waters around Australia.

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

The AUKUS partnership, announced in March 2023, sets out a phased approach under Pillar 1 to deliver a trilateral programme of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs), including a rotational UK and US presence in the Indo-Pacific from as early as 2027. This pathway to Australia becoming “sovereign ready” for its own SSN capability is already being realised in practice, building on visits to Western Australia by HMS Anson and successive US submarines, with activity increasing in frequency and complexity.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which projects are being delivered by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency.

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

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is funding world-leading research in a range of areas, including AI, compute, biomedical, climate and robotics. ARIA focuses on funding transformational research with long term benefits. More detail on ARIA’s programmes can be found on their website: Opportunity spaces.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the fourth report of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, CP1338, published on 24 June 2025, what six-monthly foreign and security policy dialogues have taken place; and on what topics.

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

The UK EU Security and Defence Partnership provides for regular foreign and security policy dialogue at ministerial and senior official level. Since May 2025, this has included high level dialogues in October 2025 and March 2026 covering a broad range of issues, including Ukraine, hybrid threats, regional stability, defence cooperation and wider geopolitical matters. In addition, Ministers and officials have held strategic consultations with EU counterparts on specific issues such as Russia and Ukraine, the Western Balkans and hybrid threats. Ministers and officials are in regular contact with EU counterparts on a range of specific mutual priorities.

Energy Conservation

84th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Tilawa

Found: Representations from Members The following Members made oral representations: Ben Obese-Jecty: Knife