Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to introduce Lecanemab through the NHS.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund NICE-recommended medicines, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.

NICE is currently evaluating the disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s, lecanemab, but has been unable to recommend it in final draft guidance. NICE concluded that the relatively small benefits this medicine provides, balanced against the potential for serious side effects and the overall cost of providing it, means that it cannot currently be considered good value for the taxpayer. NICE has received one appeal against its draft recommendations for lecanemab and the appeal is due to be heard by NICE’s independent appeal panel in January 2026.

These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is right that they are taken independently and based on an assessment of the available evidence on the relative costs and benefits of a treatment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to reintroduce improving dementia diagnosis times into NHS Operational Planning Guidance.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the National Health Service does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus.

We recognise the importance of a timely diagnosis, and remain committed to increasing diagnosis rates and ensuring people can access any licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended treatment and/or support they need.

We will deliver the first ever modern service framework for frailty and dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect NHS priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to Urgent Question on 8 November 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Ajax programme safety investigations on the delivery of the Defence Investment Plan.

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

It would be inappropriate to comment on the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan and its content at this stage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 95697 on UK Defence and Security Exports, where UK Defence Exports is based.

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

Pursuant to the answer given to Question 95697, UK Defence Exports is based in the Ministry of Defence and headquartered in London.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when will the Warfighting Ready Plan 2029 reach full operating capability.

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

The Warfighting Ready Plan 2029 has been published internally within His Majesty's Government and is informing engagement across Defence and Government, with international allies, and partners in industry and academia.

The Warfighting Ready Plan 2029 sets a clear intent to enhance the Royal Navy's readiness with what we have today whilst prioritising what we need for the future. Rather than having full operating capability being defined as a single milestone, the Plan is iterative. It is designed to deliver significant transformation over the next four years whilst responding to emerging threats, novel capability and confirmed resource allocation as directed through the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to publish the Warfighting Ready Plan 2029.

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

The Warfighting Ready Plan 2029 has been published internally within His Majesty's Government and is informing engagement across Defence and Government, with international allies, and partners in industry and academia.

The Warfighting Ready Plan 2029 sets a clear intent to enhance the Royal Navy's readiness with what we have today whilst prioritising what we need for the future. Rather than having full operating capability being defined as a single milestone, the Plan is iterative. It is designed to deliver significant transformation over the next four years whilst responding to emerging threats, novel capability and confirmed resource allocation as directed through the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95413 on Military Exercises, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of plans to reduce Royal Navy training over the next four years on the delivery of the AUKUS partnership.

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

The Ministry of Defence is fully committed to delivering the AUKUS partnership alongside Australia and the United States. This trilateral agreement will provide Australia with conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and advance cooperation on cutting-edge defence technologies.

The Royal Navy constantly reviews and maintains the right level of high readiness forces to fulfil all of its commitments, including its contribution to AUKUS delivery.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 95703 on Defence: Contracts, what the contracts valued above £500 million for (a) Serco, (b) Rolls-Royce, (c) Rolls-Royce Submarines, (d) Sierra Nevada Company and (e) Foreland Shipping are for.

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

The Department confirms that details of contracts exceeding £500 million for the listed suppliers are provided below.

The Department is withholding some of this information for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

1. Serco - Support to In-port Marine Services & Vessel Replacement Programme. Delivery of Marine services to the Dockyard Ports, including core services such as towage - including nuclear safety - movements, pilot transfer & passenger transportation, fuels, liquids and stores transfer.

ii. The second contract with Serco is for Armed Forces Recruiting Service - Transition period.

1. Rolls Royce - Typhoon Engine Support Solution (TESS) The contract is for Repair services & maintenance of the EJ200 Typhoon engines.

1. Rolls Royce Submarines Limited - Nuclear Propulsion (NP) Unity. To support Royal Navy submarine fleet and bolster national security. Please note this information is in the public domain following this link: Landmark £9 billion contract for British business to boost jobs, growth and nuclear deterrent - GOV.UK

1. Foreland Shipping - Provision of Interim Strategic Sealift. Strategic Sealift provides UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) with a capability to deploy cargo overseas from the UK in support of the UK's standing commitments and contingent operations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide advice and support for headteachers to transition to a smartphone free school.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Mobile phones have no place in schools.

The department’s guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.

Alongside the guidance, the department has published a series of case studies showcasing good practice to support schools in prohibiting the use of mobile phones.

Schools also have access to a toolkit on communicating their policy with parents. This provides practical guidance to help schools gain parental support for their mobile phone policies.

Research from the Children’s Commissioner published in April 2025, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to the Urgent Question on 8 November 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, whether any decisions on the Ajax programme in the Defence Investment Plan have been changed as a result of the safety investigations into the Ajax vehicle.

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

The upcoming Defence Investment Plan will be released in the near future and as such it would be inappropriate to comment on its content at this stage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to the Urgent Question on 8 November 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, whether the Ajax programme safety investigations have caused a delay to the publication of the Defence Investment Plan.

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

The upcoming Defence Investment Plan will be released in the near future and as such it would be inappropriate to comment on its content at this stage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to the Urgent Question on 8 November 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, whether the Ajax programme will be considered in the Defence Investment Programme.

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

The upcoming Defence Investment Plan will be released in the near future and as such it would be inappropriate to comment on its content at this stage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June to Question 57673 on Military Intelligence, whether there have been any further industry days on the Digital Targeting Web since 18 July 2025.

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

Outreach and engagement with industry has continued on the Digital Targeting Web, across a number of areas since the Tech UK facilitated industry day on 18 July.

This has included: a series of open fora and a panel event at DSEI25 between 9 and 12 September, led by Cyber and Specialist Operations Command; a RUSI led workshop on 1 October in support of the Digital Targeting Web; and, discussions, as part of RUSI’s MilTech Conference, on 14 October on the Digital Targeting Web - alongside supporting research for that Conference.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many One-Way Effectors will be delivered under Project Brakestop.

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

No final decisions have been made on numbers of systems to be bought in BRAKESTOP as we are in the flight trial phase of the programme. The performance of the systems being trialed, the capacity of the companies involved as well as the final costs of the systems will all inform the numbers to be bought.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many One-Way Effectors will be delivered under Project Brakestop.

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

No final decisions have been made on numbers of systems to be bought in BRAKESTOP as we are in the flight trial phase of the programme. The performance of the systems being trialed, the capacity of the companies involved as well as the final costs of the systems will all inform the numbers to be bought.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to introduce technological standards on the use of AI.

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

The use of AI varies by sector, and sector specific standards are starting to take shape, for example self-driving cars will now be in the UK from next year thanks to new standards from DFT.

The Government supports the development and adoption of technical AI standards through international processes such as the ISO and IEC, driven by an inclusive multistakeholder community, in a way that can provide practical guidance for organisations deploying AI, reduce barriers to innovation and help unlock the opportunities AI offers.

At the same time, some AI systems are more general-purpose. For these AI systems, we have built a strong AI group in DSIT, including the world-class AI Security Institute that tests frontier AI models before release.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to Urgent Question on 8 December 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, Official Report, col 46, if he will name the external organisation with experience of noise and vibration that has been asked to assess Ajax.

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

For reasons of commercial sensitivity, it would be inappropriate to comment on the details of the Ministry of Defence’s work with external experts and organisations, which is in progress.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to Urgent Question on 8 December 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, Official Report, col 46, what form the expertise and challenge from the team of experts from organisations outside the GD production line will take.

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

For reasons of commercial sensitivity, it would be inappropriate to comment on the details of the Ministry of Defence’s work with external experts and organisations, which is in progress.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects HMS Diamond to complete the Power Improvement Project upgrade.

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

I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave him on 11 December 2025 to Questions 96770, 96771, 97300 and 97301 about the forward plans for the Type 45 Destroyer’s Power Improvement Project.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects HMS Duncan to complete the Power Improvement Project upgrade.

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

I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave him on 11 December 2025 to Questions 96770, 96771, 97300 and 97301 about the forward plans for the Type 45 Destroyer’s Power Improvement Project.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the safety of children online in South Suffolk constituency.

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

The Online Safety Act requires services to protect children in the UK, including South Suffolk, from illegal and harmful content online.

Services regulated by the Act are required to use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from encountering the most harmful content including pornography, and put in place age-appropriate protections from other harmful content, including violence and bullying. These protections have been in force since July 2025. We continue to monitor the Act’s effectiveness and will not hesitate to take further action to protect children online if evidence shows this is necessary.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Royal Navy trial high-tech autonomous mine hunting capability, published on 10 December 2024, how many trials have taken place as part of the Apollo Maritime Counter Measure programme since 10 December 2024.

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

The Apollo Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) platform is the UK concept demonstrator for the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Programme.

During the period 2021- 2025, the Royal Navy conducted a series of trials and evaluation work with the platform through the Maritime Autonomous Systems Trials Team (MASTT). No further trials have been carried out since as the vessel has been returned to the manufacturer for maintenance and critical system updates as part of its capability development phase, with a planned return to the fleet during 2026.

The MMCM Project is an Anglo-French collaboration under the Lancaster House agreement. The project will deliver four vessels to the Royal Navy, additional MMCM vessels have been ordered as part of the MMCM joint project.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Royal Navy trial high-tech autonomous mine hunting capability, published on 10 December 2024, how many Apollo Maritime Counter Measure vessels has he ordered since 10 December 2024.

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

The Apollo Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) platform is the UK concept demonstrator for the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Programme.

During the period 2021- 2025, the Royal Navy conducted a series of trials and evaluation work with the platform through the Maritime Autonomous Systems Trials Team (MASTT). No further trials have been carried out since as the vessel has been returned to the manufacturer for maintenance and critical system updates as part of its capability development phase, with a planned return to the fleet during 2026.

The MMCM Project is an Anglo-French collaboration under the Lancaster House agreement. The project will deliver four vessels to the Royal Navy, additional MMCM vessels have been ordered as part of the MMCM joint project.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to Urgent Question on 8 December 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, Official Report, col 46, whether any future decision on the Ajax programme will be made before the completion of all three reviews currently underway.

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

It would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ongoing investigations or to comment further at this stage. The investigations must be given adequate time to identify the root cause of the issue. Decisions will be taken by Ministers in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to Urgent Question on 8 December 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, Official Report, col 46, whether the work conducted by the team of experts from organisations outside the GD production line on the Ajax programme will be made public.

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

For reasons of commercial sensitivity, it would be inappropriate to comment on the details of the Ministry of Defence’s work with external experts and organisations, which is in progress.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to Urgent Question on 8 December 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, Official Report, col 46, whether the team of experts from organisations outside the GD production line will receive monetary compensations for their work.

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

For reasons of commercial sensitivity, it would be inappropriate to comment on the details of the Ministry of Defence’s work with external experts and organisations, which is in progress.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's answer to Urgent Question on 8 December 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, Official Report, col 46, whether the team of experts from organisations outside the GD production line will produce a report into the Ajax programme.

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

For reasons of commercial sensitivity, it would be inappropriate to comment on the details of the Ministry of Defence’s work with external experts and organisations, which is in progress.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the total cost of implementing the Warfighting Ready Plan 2029.

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

The Royal Navy Warfighting Ready Plan 2029 offers an ambitious and strategic blueprint outlining how the Navy will strengthen and evolve its capabilities over the next four years. The plan is designed to define our strategic priorities while delivering significant transformation. This iterative and agile approach enables the Royal Navy to focus on what matters most – acting decisively where it counts, responding to threat with the urgency it demands and learning rapidly, adjusting based on the resources available. The specific financial costs will therefore be subject to capability decisions and resource choices as directed within the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has (a) discussed and (b) decided the numbers of British troops that could be sent to Ukraine as part of the Multinational Force Ukraine.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Operational planning is ongoing but any deployment will depend on the conditions of the ceasefire and peace talks.

This Government is committed to ensuring our Armed Forces remain ready to respond to all challenges, including deployment to Ukraine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has agreed the roles performed by British troops in the Multinational Force Ukraine.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Multinational Force - Ukraine will strengthen Ukraine's path to peace and stability by securing Ukraine's skies, supporting safer seas, and regenerating Ukraine's own forces.

The focus is on developing a plan to meet the requirements of the peace deal in order to support Ukraine's Armed Forces to regenerate to defend Ukraine and support European security for generations to come.

Operational planning is ongoing but any deployment will depend on the conditions of the ceasefire and peace talks.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken to protect British waters from Russian submarines.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As the Strategic Defence Review outlines, there is a persistent and growing underwater threat to the UK and NATO from a modernising Russian submarine force.

In response, the Ministry of Defence has announced Atlantic Bastion – the Royal Navy's programme creating an advanced hybrid naval force to defend the UK and NATO allies against this evolving threat.

Atlantic Bastion will see ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned vessels connected through AI-powered acoustic detection technology and integrated into a digital targeting web. Atlantic Bastion will enable the Armed Forces to find, track and, if required, act against adversaries with unprecedented effectiveness across vast areas of ocean. It represents a generational shift in capability and dominance in the North Atlantic.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the speech given by the First Sea Lord entitled First Sea Lord's speech to the International Sea Power Conference, published on 8 December 2025, if he will list the unnecessary processes that have been stripped back in the last 100 days in the Royal Navy.

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

As the First Sea Lord made clear during his speech at the International Sea Power Conference the Royal Navy must strip back bureaucracies to keep pace of threats and technological changes. Great progress has been made over the last 100 days, in particular through greater digitalisation. A very clear example of this is a new Navy Booking Application which allow naval personnel to more easily book important serials such as fitness tests, gas mask testing and welfare briefs. The application is currently seeing a 30 per cent month-on-month growth in users and will be developed further so it can scale successfully as it uses grow across the Royal Navy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95423 on Cruise Missiles, what is the in-service date for the SPEAR cruise missile.

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

The SPEAR Capability 3 programme is currently undergoing a review. A Review Note is planned to be submitted in Quarter 1 2026 to revise its approval, which will determine the delivery of Initial Operating Capability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Royal Navy vessels Peregrine is currently deployed on.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Peregrine, the Royal Navy’s first Rotary Wing Uncrewed Aerial System is being recovered to the UK having been deployed in HMS Lancaster in the Gulf. Once returned, Peregrine will be reconfigured into a self-contained solution to deploy to other maritime platforms.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any of HMS Lancaster's crew will remain in Bahrain for the period of her decommissioning.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Crew will be required to decommission HMS Lancaster. Disposal options are currently under consideration, therefore I am unable to confirm when this process will be complete. The Royal Navy is committed to reuniting the crew with their loved ones as soon as possible and will maximise the number of personnel that can travel home for Christmas.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when will the decommissioning of HMS Lancaster be completed.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Crew will be required to decommission HMS Lancaster. Disposal options are currently under consideration, therefore I am unable to confirm when this process will be complete. The Royal Navy is committed to reuniting the crew with their loved ones as soon as possible and will maximise the number of personnel that can travel home for Christmas.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 100 new jobs created as drone factory opens in Swindon, published on 20 November 2025, if he will list all contracts placed by his Department with STARK since 5 July 2024.

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

The Department has not awarded any contracts to STARK to date.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 94226 on Ministry of Defence: Stark from the hon. Member for Rochdale.

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

The Department has not awarded any contracts to STARK to date.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter written to the Defence Committee entitled Ministry of Defence paper providing information on Defence Reform, published on 21 October 2025, if he will list the quarterly reform programme milestones for financial year 2025-26.

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

Defence Reform continues to make progress against its quarterly deliverables and across a variety of workstreams including the new ways of working between the four areas, design of the strategic cycles, modernised financial flows and agreed portfolio laydown. This will allow Defence Reform to finalise the unified Defence Operating model by the end of financial year 2025-26 for the next phase of implementation during financial year 2026-27. We will continue to keep Parliament updated on the progress of Defence Reform.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December 2025, if he will provide a breakdown of the firms that have submitted proposals to develop anti-submarine sensor technology by country of origin.

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

The Royal Navy will be deploying new undersea warfare technology as part of Atlantic Net, a new initiative that will see the Royal Navy rapidly field and iterate undersea warfare technology in collaboration with a commercial mission partner or partners. The competition for the first Atlantic Net commercial competition closed on 26 Nov 2025. I know the Hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister that public disclosure on the companies that have submitted proposals, or a breakdown of firms and capabilities involved would prejudice fair competition.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December 2025, if he will list the firms from (a) the UK and (b) Europe that have submitted proposals to develop anti-submarine sensor technology.

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

The Royal Navy will be deploying new undersea warfare technology as part of Atlantic Net, a new initiative that will see the Royal Navy rapidly field and iterate undersea warfare technology in collaboration with a commercial mission partner or partners. The competition for the first Atlantic Net commercial competition closed on 26 Nov 2025. I know the Hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister that public disclosure on the companies that have submitted proposals, or a breakdown of firms and capabilities involved would prejudice fair competition.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December 2025, if he will list the capabilities that are due to be deployed in the water in 2026.

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

The Royal Navy will be deploying new undersea warfare technology as part of Atlantic Net, a new initiative that will see the Royal Navy rapidly field and iterate undersea warfare technology in collaboration with a commercial mission partner or partners. The competition for the first Atlantic Net commercial competition closed on 26 Nov 2025. I know the Hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister that public disclosure on the companies that have submitted proposals, or a breakdown of firms and capabilities involved would prejudice fair competition.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New robots lead the way in bomb disposal innovation, published on 5 February 2025, how many contracts he has placed with AeroVironment since 5 February 2025.

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

The Department has not awarded any contracts to AeroVironment since 5 February 2025.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October to Question 82702, whether it remains the case that 9 inquests will be able to resume.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Office has written to the families of 8 cases to inform them that those inquests will be able to resume under clause 84(3) of the Northern Ireland (Troubles) Bill. These cases are; Dillon, Duffy, McCord, Loughgall, Stalker-Sampson series, Moran, McDaid & Slane, and Patterson.

The inquest into the death of Mr Joseph Campbell is included in the ‘9 cases’ allowed to resume as it was part of the ‘Five Year Plan’ for Legacy Inquests, and had started before the Legacy Act came into force. The Government is aware that the coroner in this case has provisionally determined that it can continue as a ‘non Troubles-related’ inquest.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December 2025, when Atlantic Bastion will reach full operating capability.

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

Atlantic Bastion is a portfolio of capabilities to enhance the UK’s ability to detect and act against undersea threats. Individual capabilities will have full operating capability dates as opposed to an overall date for Bastion. The Royal Navy intends to move as quickly as it can, within the bounds of UK commercial law, to bring new capabilities into service and enhance our ability to protect the UK and our allies.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September to Question 69422, whether it remains his plan to publish the Defence Investment Plan before the rise of the House on 18 December 2025.

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

We are working flat out between now and the end of the year to finalise the Defence Investment Plan. I am sure the hon. Gentleman will appreciate the scale of the decisions that we need to make including on AJAX. He will also appreciate the scale of the problems that we face, including those to do with a programme of the last Government’s that over-committed, and was underfunded and unsuited to meeting the threats that we will face in the future.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Minister of State's oral Answer to the Urgent Question on 8 November 2025 from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk, if he will list the other pieces of equipment in relation to which use has been paused since 5 July 2024.

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

In response to the urgent question, I was referring to the Department’s decision to pause use of the Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) in January 2025 in response to safety concerns. In this case, I ordered immediate action to replace ECBA on the frontline by flying new body armour to units worldwide.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New robots lead the way in bomb disposal innovation, published on 5 February 2025, how many trials for robot bomb disposal have taken place since 5 February 2025.

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

Since publication of the press release titled “New robots lead the way in bomb disposal innovation” on 5 February 2025, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has undertaken a further three trials for land-based robot-assisted bomb disposal.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December 2025, how much will be invested in Atlantic Bastion in each remaining financial year of the current Parliament.

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

Atlantic Bastion has only been allocated pre-concept funding to date, estimated at c£10 million. The Defence Investment Plan, when published, will set the funding envelope for the programme.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Underwater robot could improve pipeline and cable security, published on 9 June 2025, how many remotely operated vehicles for use by the Royal Navy has he ordered since 5 July 2024.

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

For reasons of operational security, we cannot provide details on the numbers of BriteStorm Electronic Warfare jamming systems procured by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Advanced attack drones for Ukraine in new deal struck by UK government and Anduril UK, published on 6 March 2025, how many Altius 700m drones his Department has ordered since 6 March 2025.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

For Ukrainian Operational Security reasons we are unable to provide the number of Altius 700M drones that have been ordered since March 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Advanced attack drones for Ukraine in new deal struck by UK government and Anduril UK, published on 6 March 2025, how many Altius 600m drones his Department has ordered since 6 March 2025.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

For Ukrainian Operational Security reasons we are unable to provide the number of Altius 600M drones that have been ordered since March 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many BriteStorm Electronic Warfare jamming systems has he procured since 5 July 2024.

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

For reasons of operational security, we cannot provide details on the numbers of BriteStorm Electronic Warfare jamming systems procured by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if any of HMS Lancaster's (a) weaponry, (b) munitions, (c) equipment and (d) other supplies will be repurposed.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

HMS Lancaster has exceeded the 18 years lifespan she was originally built for and, with almost 35 years of outstanding service, she has reached her planned out of service date. She has been forward deployed to the Middle East for the last three years where her output has been exceptional.

Rather than seek to extend her safety certification further, the Royal Navy is commencing preparations for her final disposal while she is in Bahrain. This decision has maximised operational output whilst ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of the Ships Company is paramount. As is standard practice for decommissioning ships, any material or supplies on HMS Lancaster that can be used elsewhere in the fleet will be repurposed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason HMS Lancaster will be decommissioned in Bahrain.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

HMS Lancaster has exceeded the 18 years lifespan she was originally built for and, with almost 35 years of outstanding service, she has reached her planned out of service date. She has been forward deployed to the Middle East for the last three years where her output has been exceptional.

Rather than seek to extend her safety certification further, the Royal Navy is commencing preparations for her final disposal while she is in Bahrain. This decision has maximised operational output whilst ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of the Ships Company is paramount. As is standard practice for decommissioning ships, any material or supplies on HMS Lancaster that can be used elsewhere in the fleet will be repurposed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on naval capability in the Persian Gulf of decommissioning HMS Lancaster.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to maintaining a presence in the Middle East, reassuring partners and contributing to regional security and stability. Central to this posture is the UK Maritime Component Command (UKMCC), located in Bahrain, with a footprint of c125 personnel, which commands and controls Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. This also includes the MOD’s role in the Combined Maritime Forces framework and the delivery of training to regional partners.

The Royal Navy is evolving its approach to operations in the Middle East, focusing on modernising capabilities, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring basing and access for times of crisis. The RN’s modernisation programme has already delivered an autonomous mine countermeasures capability operating in the Gulf, which continues to innovate at pace. In terms of personnel footprint, the RN maintains a strong regional presence, including roles within US Fifth Fleet Task Forces in Bahrain, Loan Service personnel in Oman, RN embeds in the British Military Mission in Kuwait, and RN personnel advising on seabed warfare through the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Programme (MODSAP) programme in Saudi Arabia.

The RN remains agile and ready to respond to emerging threats, deploying platforms to meet Defence Plan commitments and operational requirements, which are continuously reviewed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to replace HMS Lancaster with another Royal Navy vessel in the Persian Gulf.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to maintaining a presence in the Middle East, reassuring partners and contributing to regional security and stability. Central to this posture is the UK Maritime Component Command (UKMCC), located in Bahrain, with a footprint of c125 personnel, which commands and controls Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. This also includes the MOD’s role in the Combined Maritime Forces framework and the delivery of training to regional partners.

The Royal Navy is evolving its approach to operations in the Middle East, focusing on modernising capabilities, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring basing and access for times of crisis. The RN’s modernisation programme has already delivered an autonomous mine countermeasures capability operating in the Gulf, which continues to innovate at pace. In terms of personnel footprint, the RN maintains a strong regional presence, including roles within US Fifth Fleet Task Forces in Bahrain, Loan Service personnel in Oman, RN embeds in the British Military Mission in Kuwait, and RN personnel advising on seabed warfare through the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Programme (MODSAP) programme in Saudi Arabia.

The RN remains agile and ready to respond to emerging threats, deploying platforms to meet Defence Plan commitments and operational requirements, which are continuously reviewed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Land Autonomous Collaborative Platforms for the AH-64E Apache he plans to procure in the current Parliament.

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

Project NYX is a demonstrator to validate the concept of a Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform. Public information is available via the Defence Sourcing Portal, the Ministry of Defence’s tendering platform, and Find a Tender service.

The competition for Project NYX began on 28 November 2025 with the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire release. The Invitation to Tender will be issued week of 12 January 2026 and close 27 February 2026.

Completion will inform future procurement, with initial capability delivery expected from 2030. No decision has been made on platform numbers; these will depend on evolving strategies and requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the competition for the Land Autonomous Collaborative Platforms for the AH-64E Apache will (a) open and (b) close.

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

Project NYX is a demonstrator to validate the concept of a Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform. Public information is available via the Defence Sourcing Portal, the Ministry of Defence’s tendering platform, and Find a Tender service.

The competition for Project NYX began on 28 November 2025 with the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire release. The Invitation to Tender will be issued week of 12 January 2026 and close 27 February 2026.

Completion will inform future procurement, with initial capability delivery expected from 2030. No decision has been made on platform numbers; these will depend on evolving strategies and requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is to procure a Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform for the AH-64E Apache.

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

Project NYX is a demonstrator to validate the concept of a Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform. Public information is available via the Defence Sourcing Portal, the Ministry of Defence’s tendering platform, and Find a Tender service.

The competition for Project NYX began on 28 November 2025 with the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire release. The Invitation to Tender will be issued week of 12 January 2026 and close 27 February 2026.

Completion will inform future procurement, with initial capability delivery expected from 2030. No decision has been made on platform numbers; these will depend on evolving strategies and requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Department has ownership of the Office for Small Business Growth.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 December 2025 to Question 96235. The Office will be owned by the National Armaments Director.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Class 1 Raybird systems his Department has ordered since 5 July 2024.

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

The Department has not ordered any Raybird systems since 5 July 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the Power Improvement Programme will be completed for all Type 45 destroyers.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, in the House of Commons on 11 December 2025 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge), in response to Question 96770 about the forward plans for the Type 45 Destroyer's Power Improvement Project.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-12-03/96770