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Caroline Nokes Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield) (Con)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Government placed a written ministerial statement on today’s Order Paper to update the House on the much-troubled Ajax armoured fighting vehicle programme. However, the media have reported within the last two hours that, according to urgent briefing from the Ministry of Defence, the statement will now be delayed until later next week due to the need to seek further interdepartmental approval across Whitehall. Given that the strategic defence review was published months late, the defence investment plan, including vital new equipment programmes, is still unpublished nine months on, and now the MOD is putting out WMSs on the Order Paper and then refusing to publish them, the Department is clearly in a state of chaos. Can you advise me on how we can force the MOD to clarify this utterly confusing situation later today, or on Monday at the very latest?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

I thank the hon. Member for giving notice of her point of order. This House is entitled to expect that when a written statement is to be delivered to the House, it will be done promptly on the day the Government have given notice that it will be made. Those on the Government Front Bench will have heard her point of order, and may wish to verify what is happening about the written statement. The hon. Member may wish to take advice from the Table Office on the steps that she can take to obtain clarity on the substance of the matter.