Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 14 July 2026, entitled The Armoured Cavalry Programme, UIN HCWS237, if he will publish the full report of the Ajax Independent Expert Panel Review.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The safety of our Service personnel remains paramount throughout this process, and we continue to work closely with General Dynamics to deliver the vehicle that provides the world-leading capability they need.
I will continue to keep the House updated on the programme’s progress. However, there are currently no plans to publish the full Independent Expert Panel Review.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 14 July 2026, entitled The Armoured Cavalry Programme, UIN HCWS237, what the cost to the public purse is of implementing the recommendations of the Ajax Independent Expert Panel Review.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Approved Budgetary Limit of the Armoured Cavalry programme remains £6.3 billion which covers the Demonstration and Manufacture phases and Initial In-Service Support. Work is underway to align the findings of the Independent Expert Panel Review with the findings the Army Safety investigation Team report.
This alignment will be completed in the summer and will include a timetable of resulting actions. Therefore, it is too early at this stage to confirm any costs associated with implementing the findings of the investigations.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 14 July 2026, entitled The Armoured Cavalry Programme, UIN HCWS237, what criteria were used to determine the prioritisation of the 41 recommendations.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Independent Expert Panel Review made 41 recommendations for the Armoured Cavalry Programme and the wider Army. The Independent Expert Panel identified the priority recommendations and suggested timeframes, with soldier safety the key consideration.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of whether the Defence Investment Plan enables the UK to meet all capability commitments agreed at the NATO Summit.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan implements the UK’s ‘NATO First’ approach. It places NATO requirements at the heart of UK capability planning and has been developed to deliver the optimal UK contribution into NATO’s warfighting plans, driving vital transformation of our warfighting approach and modernisation of our Armed forces.
We are investing in the capabilities NATO requires of the UK, underpinning our central role in deterrence and defence. This includes our NATO Defence Planning Process obligations around our Strategic Reserve Corps, 5th Generation Strike from Sea and Air and IAMD, as well as operational priorities such as enhancing our anti-submarine warfare capability in the North Atlantic and developing Digital Targeting and Deep Precision Strike capabilities capable of deterring adversaries’ aggression and striking in combat.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled At least six new air defence warships to defend UK waters and boost shipbuilding, published on 29 June 2026, how many Type 94 uncrewed sensor platforms will be delivered for the Royal Navy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan announced the development of the Type 94 uncrewed sensor platform as part of the Royal Navy’s future Hybrid Navy capability. The number of platforms to be procured, and the construction schedule for those platforms, have not yet been determined. Detailed requirements will be considered as the programme progresses through its concept and assessment phases.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled At least six new air defence warships to defend UK waters and boost shipbuilding, published on 29 June 2026, when (a) Atlantic Bastion, (b) Atlantic Shield and (c) Atlantic Strike will reach full operating capability.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The programmes referred to in the Defence Investment Plan remain in their development phases and the Department continues to refine delivery schedules. Full Operating Capability dates will be confirmed as the programmes mature and contractual arrangements are finalised.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what is the maximum amount of investment that the National Security Investment Fund can provide.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
NSSIF has no specific minimum or maximum amount of investment, and invests through a range of cheque sizes, co-investing typically at Seed or Series A. NSSIF tends to take a minority stake and not lead the rounds. Details of many of the companies in NSSIF's investment portfolio are published on NSSIF's website
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what is the minimum amount of investment that the National Security Investment Fund can provide.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
NSSIF has no specific minimum or maximum amount of investment, and invests through a range of cheque sizes, co-investing typically at Seed or Series A. NSSIF tends to take a minority stake and not lead the rounds. Details of many of the companies in NSSIF's investment portfolio are published on NSSIF's website
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Committee session on the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) on 7 July 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of General Sir Richard Barrons' comments that the defence industry has been depleted due to the delay in the DIP.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We are grateful to General Sir Richard Barrons for his contribution to the Strategic Defence Review. The Defence Investment Plan implements the Strategic Defence Review.
We have continued to invest significantly in UK defence industry throughout the development of the Defence Investment Plan. Since July 2024, the Ministry of Defence signed more than 1,400 defence contracts, with 94% of their value awarded to UK-based businesses and spent more than £31 billion with UK industry last year.
Engagement with UK Industry continued through our strategic partnering and supplier relationship management processes, as well as forums, such as the Defence Industrial Joint Council. In addition, the Ministry of Defence continued to monitor the health of the defence industrial base closely and worked with suppliers to manage risks and opportunities while the Defence Investment Plan was being developed.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much money will be assigned to the Defence Housing Service in (a) each remaining financial year of the current Parliament and (b) each financial year of the next Parliament.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We inherited an appalling situation in defence housing and as a Government we are determined to resolve it, as set out the Defence Housing Strategy. This means nine-in-10 military housing upgraded or replaced and a new approach to the development of surplus Ministry of Defence land to deliver 100,000 new homes for both military and civilian families across Britain.
The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) confirms the commitment made in the Defence Housing Strategy to provide £9.2 billion over the next decade to deliver a generational renewal of military family housing. This work has started with 1,250 of the worst homes already upgraded, with more underway this year.
To meet today's threats, the Defence Secretary made the decision to re-prioritise elements of the early years DIP funding to deliver rapid and critical capability upgrades by 2030. This decision to reprofile equates to approximately £3 billion for this Parliament, and around £6 billion for the next Parliament and the next subsequent financial year, compared to around £4 billion and around £5 billion previously stated. This substantial investment in the early years of the DIP will enable us to continue to deliver improvements to military housing.