Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools are included in the scope of the School Rebuilding Programme in Huntingdon constituency.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has given a long-term commitment for funding through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England. The department is investing almost £20 billion in the school rebuilding programme (SRP), delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme. The department is also expanding the SRP, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years.
The department invited responsible bodies to nominate schools to be considered for the SRP in early 2022. There are currently no schools in the constituency of Huntingdon in the programme. The department will set out further details about the selection process for the additional 250 schools to be selected for the SRP later this year.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which elements of the Global Combat air programme are included within the scope of the Industrial Strategy partnership with the Japanese government agreed in March 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK and Japan are pioneering an Industrial Strategy Partnership (ISP) focusing on green and digital transformation, economic security and inclusive regional growth. The ISP aims to deepen UK-Japan industrial and technology collaboration through programmes such as GCAP.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many days were lost to sickness absence by civil servants in their Department (a) in total and (b) on average per employee between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns, is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.
The next update will be for the year ending 31 March 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 26 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, who will be responsible for the creation of a National Action Plan on confronting Antimicrobial Resistance.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
A cross-government National Action Plan (NAP) to confront antimicrobial resistance (AMR) exists. The NAP, covering 2024 to 2029, was published on 8 May 2024, and is available at the following link:
It is the second of four five-year NAPs that the United Kingdom Government committed to developing in order to deliver its 20-year vision that AMR is contained, controlled, and mitigated by 2040.
The content of this NAP was developed by the Department in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders across different sectors and the four UK nations. This allowed the NAP to take a One Health approach, encompassing cross-sector activity to drive collaborative and innovative action.
Organisations responsible for delivery provide regular updates to the Department, and the appropriate governance structures ensure delivery is kept on track and that progress is being made on the NAP’s commitments and targets.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many days were lost to sickness absence by civil servants in their Department (a) in total and (b) on average per employee between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.
The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many days were lost to sickness absence by civil servants in their Department (a) in total and (b) on average per employee between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns, is published annually, and is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence
The next update will be for the year ending 31 March 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress he has made on reducing trial approval times to under 150 days.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to cutting the current time it takes to get a clinical trial set up, to under 150 days by March 2026 with the aim of making the United Kingdom a world leader in clinical trials. We are streamlining the set-up and delivery of clinical research through the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme as set out in our recent publication, Transforming the UK clinical research system: August 2025 update, which is available at the following link:
The UKCRD programme has rapidly implemented a Study Set-Up Plan, co-led by the Department and NHS England to address the delays affecting clinical research set-up through reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, by standardising commercial contracts and removing duplicative steps at sites to create a standardised pathway, for example in pharmacy set-up, to free up workforce capacity. The second phase of the Plan was completed in June 2025, with mandatory use of the new processes and templates for commercial trials by October 2025. The successful implementation of the Plan will be closely monitored for impact.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to replace the remaining in-service Tranche 1 Typhoons.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The remaining in-service Tranche 1 Typhoons have a planned out of Service date of 2027. Upon Tranche 1 retirement, Typhoon will continue to serve as the backbone of the UK's Combat Air Force until at least the 2040s.
To ensure it remains at the cutting edge of capability, the UK is planning significant investment in the Typhoon through-life equipment programme. This includes the delivery and integration of the advanced European Common Radar System Mark 2 (ECRS Mk2) radar, which will enhance the aircraft's operational effectiveness.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Project EVE.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Project EVE is an innovative Communications & Information Systems (CIS) network which digitally connects front-line Commando Forces and supporting elements within 3 Cdo Brigade to globally dispersed Command and Control (C2) elements. EVE will be fielded by the Army’s Very High Readiness forces under Project CAIN for 16X.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the delivery of the future air superiority effectors programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Future Air Superiority Effectors programme is currently in pre-concept phase, and work is actively underway to establish a concept phase.