Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2026 to Question 33727 on Submarines: Training, for what reason no Submarine Command Course has taken place since November 2025.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Royal Navy schedules the Submarine Command Course to maintain sufficient suitably qualified personnel to meet Defence requirements.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2026, to question 23227 on Cabinet Office: Social Media and Video Recordings, which team within her Department is responsible for the creation of social media content posted to Instagram on behalf of a) the Cabinet Office and b) No 10.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Cabinet Office Communications is responsible for the official Cabinet Office Instagram account.
No 10 manages its own official Instagram account.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the expected lifespan of HMS Protector.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
For operational security reasons, the Ministry of Defence provides the service dates for classes of ships rather than for individual platforms. As HMS Protector is the only one of her class, I can explain that she is due to leave service in the late 2030s on current plans.
The Defence Investment Plan announced plans to replace HMS Protector with a more modern variant to maintain this essential presence and support Government activities around the British Antarctic Territory. Decisions on the method of procurement and the exact replacement timeline will be taken in due course.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on which date the Prime Minister requested a ceremonial guard from the Irish Guards for the visit of President Zelenskyy on 15 October 2026.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Prime Minister hosted President Zelenskyy to double down on our support for Ukraine. The President was welcomed by the Irish Guards, who have played a pivotal role through Operation Interflex. This mirrored the welcome the Prime Minister received on his first visit to Kyiv in August. It would not be appropriate to comment on military movements.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK has a Royal Navy ice patrol vessel available for operations in the South Atlantic during the 2026/27 Antarctic season.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Due to unforeseen circumstances, HMS Protector will not deploy to Antarctica for the 2026/27 season. The Ministry of Defence is working apace with partners across Government to develop options to support the UK’s Antarctic requirements in the absence of an ice patrol ship in 2026/27 and restore an ice patrol capability as soon as possible.
The Defence Investment Plan announced plans to replace HMS Protector with a more modern variant to maintain this essential presence and support Government activities in the Arctic and around the British Antarctic Territory. Decisions on the method of procurement and the exact replacement timeline will be taken in due course.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether naval support will be provided to RRS Sir David Attenborough in the South Atlantic during the 2026/27 Antarctic season, following the withdrawal of HMS Protector.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Due to unforeseen circumstances, HMS Protector will not deploy to Antarctica for the 2026/27 season. The Ministry of Defence is working apace with partners across Government to develop options to support the UK’s Antarctic requirements in the absence of an ice patrol ship in 2026/27 and restore an ice patrol capability as soon as possible.
The Defence Investment Plan announced plans to replace HMS Protector with a more modern variant to maintain this essential presence and support Government activities in the Arctic and around the British Antarctic Territory. Decisions on the method of procurement and the exact replacement timeline will be taken in due course.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Royal Navy maintenance procedures and engineering protocols on the lifespan of HMS Protector as a commercial vessel.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
HMS Protector is maintained through a cycle of planned maintenance, engineering assurance and mandatory surveys designed to meet maritime regulations and the tasking required. These arrangements support the short and long-term capability of the ship and are used to identify any age-related or obsolesce impacts that may affect operational availability and vessel sustainability. Continued investment, and analysis, in propulsion, auxiliary and safety-critical systems are necessary to maintain tasking.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the out of service date of HMS Protector.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
For operational security reasons, the Ministry of Defence provides the service dates for classes of ships rather than for individual platforms. As HMS Protector is the only one of her class, I can explain that she is due to leave service in the late 2030s on current plans.
The Defence Investment Plan announced plans to replace HMS Protector with a more modern variant to maintain this essential presence and support Government activities around the British Antarctic Territory. Decisions on the method of procurement and the exact replacement timeline will be taken in due course.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his US counterparts on whether the US intends to seek safe passage for Russian Shadow Fleet vessels transiting the English Channel with Russian diesel fuel bound for the United States.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As our closest defence and security partner, we engage and collaborate with the US regularly on a range of issues. The UK government has taken firm action against Russia's shadow fleet, including the interdiction of the MV Smyrtos earlier this year.
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, pursuant to the answer of 21 September 2026 to question 23184 on NHS: Palantir, whether she has undertaken analysis of potential negative impacts of removing Palantir from the Federated Data Platform programme.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department routinely monitors performance, costs, risks, and other factors in relation to all major contracts as part of its ongoing contract management processes.