Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, what proportion of the £26 billion investment is allocated to (a) new capabilities, (b) accommodation.

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

The £26 billion investment of Project Royal Oak is an aggregate package inclusive of HMNB Clyde, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth. This package encompasses a broad range of infrastructure, estate renewal, accommodation, engineering, sustainment and operational support activity. The disaggregation of these outputs includes aspects that are commercially and operationally sensitive, however financial data on MOD major projects is published in the Annual Report on the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, what assessment he has made of the contribution of Project Royal Oak to meeting the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review.

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

Project Royal Oak delivers key Strategic Defence Review recommendations by recapitalising the Defence estate and strengthening the Strategic Base. Through £26 billion of investment over the next decade, including major upgrades at Faslane, Portsmouth and Devonport, the programme will enhance warfighting readiness, support the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, enable the future Hybrid Navy, and improve the resilience of critical maritime infrastructure in support of NATO and UK national security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, how much of the announced £26 billion investment under Project Royal Oak represents (a) new funding, (b) previously announced funding.

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

The £26 billion investment of Project Royal Oak represents the future investment package agreed through the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which was a zero-based review of Defence budgets. This investment package encompasses a broad range of infrastructure, estate renewal, accommodation, engineering, sustainment, and operation support activity.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, how many apprentices and adult learners the proposed Skills Development Centre expects to support each year.

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

The Skills and Development Centre scope is currently being refined. The number of apprentices and adult learners it will be capable of supporting will be confirmed once that work has concluded.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, what timetable has been set for the modernisation of 10 Dock at HMNB Devonport.

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

As part of Project Royal Oak, £7.1 billion will be invested in HMNB Devonport and Devonport Dockyard over the next decade. This investment includes continued upgrades to 15 Dock to enhance capability and resilience for the submarine maintenance programme, the modernisation of 10 Dock, and completion of the 14 Dock recommissioning programme, which will enable legacy submarine defuelling operations to resume. It also includes broader infrastructure renewal and maintenance across the site.

This significant investment reflects both historic underinvestment in infrastructure and evolving operational requirements. The 15 Dock programme has already enabled the successful docking of the first Astute-class submarine at Devonport.

Following the nuclear regulatory review, we are currently exploring opportunities to accelerate work on 10 and 14 Dock, and we continue to drive forward delivery of these projects at the earliest possible opportunity.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, what timetable has been set for the upgrade of 15 Dock at HMNB Devonport.

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

As part of Project Royal Oak, £7.1 billion will be invested in HMNB Devonport and Devonport Dockyard over the next decade. This investment includes continued upgrades to 15 Dock to enhance capability and resilience for the submarine maintenance programme, the modernisation of 10 Dock, and completion of the 14 Dock recommissioning programme, which will enable legacy submarine defuelling operations to resume. It also includes broader infrastructure renewal and maintenance across the site.

This significant investment reflects both historic underinvestment in infrastructure and evolving operational requirements. The 15 Dock programme has already enabled the successful docking of the first Astute-class submarine at Devonport.

Following the nuclear regulatory review, we are currently exploring opportunities to accelerate work on 10 and 14 Dock, and we continue to drive forward delivery of these projects at the earliest possible opportunity.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled The Armoured Cavalry Programme, published on 14 July 2026, what specific measures are being introduced to address the recommendations relating to vibration and noise, and what testing will be undertaken to demonstrate their effectiveness.

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

The safety of our Service personnel remains paramount. The Army Safety Investigation Team investigation and the Independent Expert Panel Review have both completed, and their findings indicate no single causal mechanism of the symptoms reported by soldiers but a combination of multiple factors. Both reports agreed that the platform is safe when operated and maintained within the correct parameters and that noise and vibration were both within legal limits.

Work is underway to align the findings of the Independent Expert Panel Review with the findings the Army Safety investigation Team report. Progress against recommendations is being actively tracked and managed within the programme, ensuring a controlled, transparent and evidence-led approach to delivery.

I will continue to keep the House informed about developments with Ajax, as I have done since Exercise Titan Storm via Written Ministerial Statement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled The Armoured Cavalry Programme, published on 14 July 2026, what the planned completion date is for each recommendation.

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

Work is underway to align the findings of the Independent Expert Panel Review with the findings of the Army Safety investigation Team report.

Progress against recommendations is being actively tracked and managed within the programme, ensuring a controlled, transparent and evidence-led approach to delivery.

It is too early to confirm planned completion dates for the recommendations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, what timetable has been set for the works on 14 Dock at HMNB Devonport.

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

As part of Project Royal Oak, £7.1 billion will be invested in HMNB Devonport and Devonport Dockyard over the next decade. This investment includes continued upgrades to 15 Dock to enhance capability and resilience for the submarine maintenance programme, the modernisation of 10 Dock, and completion of the 14 Dock recommissioning programme, which will enable legacy submarine defuelling operations to resume. It also includes broader infrastructure renewal and maintenance across the site.

This significant investment reflects both historic underinvestment in infrastructure and evolving operational requirements. The 15 Dock programme has already enabled the successful docking of the first Astute-class submarine at Devonport.

Following the nuclear regulatory review, we are currently exploring opportunities to accelerate work on 10 and 14 Dock, and we continue to drive forward delivery of these projects at the earliest possible opportunity.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled The Armoured Cavalry Programme, published on 14 July 2026, what steps his department will take to determine whether implementation of the recommendations of the Ajax Independent Expert Panel Review has successfully improved the user experience.

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

The safety of our Service personnel remains paramount. The Army Safety Investigation Team investigation and the Independent Expert Panel Review have both completed, and their findings indicate no single causal mechanism of the symptoms reported by soldiers but a combination of multiple factors. Both reports agreed that the platform is safe when operated and maintained within the correct parameters.

Progress against recommendations is being actively tracked and managed within the programme, ensuring a controlled, transparent and evidence-led approach to delivery. User feedback is a key element of this evidence.

I will continue to keep the House informed about developments with Ajax, as I have done since Exercise Titan Storm via Written Ministerial Statement.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to enable small rural communities to access funding for flood prevention from the proceeds of the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Levy.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Regional Flood and Coastal Committees (RFCCs) which include locally elected members, can use their Levy to fund flood resilience projects that are locally important, guided by local priorities and business plans. This includes projects that benefit small rural communities.

Recently, RFCCs have heavily supported Property Flood Resilience (PFR) projects, particularly in smaller rural communities where investment in larger engineered solutions is not always viable.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, what proportion of contracts awarded under Project Royal Oak are expected to be placed with UK based suppliers.

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

Project Royal Oak will deliver more than £26 billion of investment over the next decade to modernise His Majesty’s Naval Bases at Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth. As the programme remains in its early stages, detailed commercial and contracting arrangements are still being developed. It is therefore not yet possible to forecast the proportion of contracts that will be awarded to UK-based suppliers.

The hon. Member will be aware of this Government’s commitment to a Back British approach to Defence. The Ministry of Defence will continue to work closely with industry to deliver Project Royal Oak, maximising economic opportunities across the United Kingdom while ensuring value for money for the taxpayer.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, whether major contracts under Project Royal Oak will be subject to competitive tender.

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

Project Royal Oak will deliver more than £26 billion of investment over the next decade to modernise HM Naval Bases Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth. Detailed commercial and procurement arrangements are being developed.

All procurement activity undertaken by the Ministry of Defence is conducted in accordance with the relevant procurement legislation, policy and value-for-money requirements. The procurement approach for individual contracts will be determined as programme requirements are developed and approved.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4425 on Animal Experiments: Shellfish, what recent progress her Department has made in considering whether decapod crustaceans should be regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and when she expects that consideration to conclude.

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

The Government has not decided whether to extend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to decapod crustaceans. The Home Office is continuing a phased, evidence-based programme of work to improve protections for decapods used in science and inform and inform any future decision on regulation.

This includes developing baseline welfare standards, voluntary reporting arrangements and identifying evidence, guidance and technical gaps. The Home Office is establishing an expert working group to support this work and is developing a roadmap setting out the key stages towards considering the potential future inclusion of decapods as protected animals under the Act.

Any decision to bring forward legislation will be informed by the evidence and advice produced. It would therefore be premature to set a date for the conclusion of that consideration. The Government will provide further updates as the work progresses through appropriate forums.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to extend the protections provided by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to decapod crustaceans.

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

The Government has not decided whether to extend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to decapod crustaceans. The Home Office is continuing a phased, evidence-based programme of work to improve protections for decapods used in science and inform and inform any future decision on regulation.

This includes developing baseline welfare standards, voluntary reporting arrangements and identifying evidence, guidance and technical gaps. The Home Office is establishing an expert working group to support this work and is developing a roadmap setting out the key stages towards considering the potential future inclusion of decapods as protected animals under the Act.

Any decision to bring forward legislation will be informed by the evidence and advice produced. It would therefore be premature to set a date for the conclusion of that consideration. The Government will provide further updates as the work progresses through appropriate forums.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of applying a zero rate of VAT to repairs and maintenance works carried out on places of worship.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the standard rate of 20 per cent applies to most goods and services, including most construction works. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability concerns.

To support the repair and maintenance of places of worship, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport administer the Places of Worship Renewal Fund which will allocate £92m over four years. The Fund provides upfront capital grants to enable essential capital works for buildings in greatest need.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's statement entitled Naval Base Infrastructure, published on 14 July 2026, what the expected completion date is for each element of project Bentham.

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

Project Royal Oak allocated £26 billion across our three naval bases and provided £3.9 billion for HMNB Portsmouth. Project Bentham is part of that funding and work on the delivery programme for Project Bentham is ongoing. Completion dates for the individual elements will be confirmed as the programme progresses and delivery schedules are finalised.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on Local Government Reorganisation a) nationally and b) in Suffolk.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out by the Secretary of State in her oral statement of 7 September, the Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused decisions for the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible. We also recognise that areas will have committed resources to reorganisation and ministers will consider this matter alongside the review.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much will be spent on uncrewed and autonomous testing for the British Army in the (a) current and (b) remaining financial years of this Parliament.

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

The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

There is a range of test and evaluation activity planned across Project CORVUS, Project NYX, Uncrewed Ground Vehicle development activities and other Army uncrewed and autonomous capability programmes. However, costs specific to test and evaluation are not accounted for separately from wider programme and operating costs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much will be spent on uncrewed and autonomous testing for the Royal Air Force in the (a) current and (b) remaining financial years of this Parliament.

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

The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

There is a range of Test and Evaluation activity planned across the Protector RG1 programme, the Stormshroud programme, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and other technology development programmes. However, costs specific to Test and Evaluation are not accounted for separately from wider programme and operating costs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total amount is that will be spent on developing Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the RAF in the (a) current and (b) remaining financial years of this parliament.

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

The UK's Defence Investment Plan (DIP) allocated £300 million specifically to launch a dedicated UK Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme. This targeted funding is aimed at kickstarting a domestic autonomous jet programme, with the government expecting a flying technology demonstrator by 2030.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total amount is that will be spent on uncrewed and autonomous testing for the Royal Navy in the (a) current and (b) remaining financial years of this parliament.

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

The information required to answer the question is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost to the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much he plans to spend on (a) uncrewed systems and (b) counter drone systems for the Army in each of the remaining financial years of this Parliament.

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

Across the remainder of this Parliament the Ministry of Defence plans to spend £1.26 billion on Land domain uncrewed systems and £482 million on deployable counter drone systems for the Army. This latter figure does not include funding for counter drone systems being procured for UK Homeland Defence or deployable Ground Based Air Defence systems capable of targeting drones.

The breakdown of spend per Financial Year is not held centrally and therefore cannot be provided within this response.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the £220million allocated to the Barrow Transformation Fund will be included in UK NATO qualifying defence spend.

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

In line with NATO guidance, all relevant Government expenditure will be counted towards defence spending, including Departments outside of MOD, provided it specifically meets the needs of the UK Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much he intends to spend on developing a Hybrid Navy in each of the remaining financial years of this Parliament.

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

Defence will invest at least £1.5 billion over the next four years to begin delivering the Hybrid Navy, including the integration of autonomous underwater, surface and airborne systems to deliver mass and persistence. By 2030, we aim to have brought the first large autonomous vessels of into service, including a prototype uncrewed missile platform and extra-large uncrewed underwater vessels (XLUUVs), with payloads developed through AUKUS. The optimal breakdown of this £1.5 billion investment between different types of vessel will now be developed in consultation with industry.