Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his EU counterparts on whether there is any unallocated money in the EU SAFE fund.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
UK negotiations with the EU on a bilateral agreement to facilitate UK participation in the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument concluded last year. The UK entered negotiations in good faith, recognising our mutual strategic interest and commitment to work with the EU on defence. However, this Government has always been clear that we will only sign agreements that are in the national interest. The UK’s defence industry continues to have access to SAFE under standard third country terms with the potential to contribute up to 35% of the content of SAFE contracts. We remain fully committed to our close cooperation with the EU and European partners to strengthen European security and continue to work to progress commitments on security and defence made at the 2025 UK-EU Summit.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his EU counterparts on whether there will be a second round of the EU SAFE fund.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
UK negotiations with the EU on a bilateral agreement to facilitate UK participation in the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument concluded last year. The UK entered negotiations in good faith, recognising our mutual strategic interest and commitment to work with the EU on defence. However, this Government has always been clear that we will only sign agreements that are in the national interest. The UK’s defence industry continues to have access to SAFE under standard third country terms with the potential to contribute up to 35% of the content of SAFE contracts. We remain fully committed to our close cooperation with the EU and European partners to strengthen European security and continue to work to progress commitments on security and defence made at the 2025 UK-EU Summit.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has authorised changes to the in-service date of the Tempest Jet as part of the Global Combat Air Programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State has authorised no changes to the in-service date for the Global Combat Air Programme.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many training exercises will take place at the Land Regional Hub Germany in the (a) current and (b) next financial year.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Land Regional Hub in Germany is a vital asset for the British Army, providing a forward-deployed presence to support NATO's collective defence and enabling rapid responses to potential threats in Europe. It serves as a key logistics and operational hub, supporting training, exercises, and deployments, while fostering interoperability with allied forces. The Hub is actively utilised for multinational training and exercises, and its role in enhancing readiness and collaboration with European partners remains a priority. Future use of the Hub will continue to align with the UK's defence commitments and NATO objectives.
Exercises at the Land Regional Hub Germany are recorded by calendar year rather than financial year. In line with the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the Army continues to adapt its training programme to support NATO requirements, enhance land forces competency, and deliver wider defence engagement.
For calendar year 2026, 14 exercises are currently planned. These activities are designed to be larger in scale and longer in duration, reflecting our focus on more complex and demanding training to meet NATO’s evolving needs.
Exercise plans are kept under regular review to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities. Planning for 2027 is ongoing and final exercise numbers are yet to be confirmed.
Uncrewed systems will be utilised in exercises as part of routine Army Training.
The Ministry of Defence does not hold centralised records for the overall operating costs of the Land Regional Hub Germany (LRH(G)), as it is comprised of multiple component sites and functions, each managed by different organisations within Defence. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a consolidated figure for the operating costs of the Land Regional Hub in Germany for this financial year or future years of this Parliament.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to increase the Army's use of the Land Regional Hub Germany in this Parliament.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Land Regional Hub in Germany is a vital asset for the British Army, providing a forward-deployed presence to support NATO's collective defence and enabling rapid responses to potential threats in Europe. It serves as a key logistics and operational hub, supporting training, exercises, and deployments, while fostering interoperability with allied forces. The Hub is actively utilised for multinational training and exercises, and its role in enhancing readiness and collaboration with European partners remains a priority. Future use of the Hub will continue to align with the UK's defence commitments and NATO objectives.
Exercises at the Land Regional Hub Germany are recorded by calendar year rather than financial year. In line with the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the Army continues to adapt its training programme to support NATO requirements, enhance land forces competency, and deliver wider defence engagement.
For calendar year 2026, 14 exercises are currently planned. These activities are designed to be larger in scale and longer in duration, reflecting our focus on more complex and demanding training to meet NATO’s evolving needs.
Exercise plans are kept under regular review to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities. Planning for 2027 is ongoing and final exercise numbers are yet to be confirmed.
Uncrewed systems will be utilised in exercises as part of routine Army Training.
The Ministry of Defence does not hold centralised records for the overall operating costs of the Land Regional Hub Germany (LRH(G)), as it is comprised of multiple component sites and functions, each managed by different organisations within Defence. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a consolidated figure for the operating costs of the Land Regional Hub in Germany for this financial year or future years of this Parliament.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Army is utilising the Land Regional Hub Germany.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Land Regional Hub in Germany is a vital asset for the British Army, providing a forward-deployed presence to support NATO's collective defence and enabling rapid responses to potential threats in Europe. It serves as a key logistics and operational hub, supporting training, exercises, and deployments, while fostering interoperability with allied forces. The Hub is actively utilised for multinational training and exercises, and its role in enhancing readiness and collaboration with European partners remains a priority. Future use of the Hub will continue to align with the UK's defence commitments and NATO objectives.
Exercises at the Land Regional Hub Germany are recorded by calendar year rather than financial year. In line with the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the Army continues to adapt its training programme to support NATO requirements, enhance land forces competency, and deliver wider defence engagement.
For calendar year 2026, 14 exercises are currently planned. These activities are designed to be larger in scale and longer in duration, reflecting our focus on more complex and demanding training to meet NATO’s evolving needs.
Exercise plans are kept under regular review to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities. Planning for 2027 is ongoing and final exercise numbers are yet to be confirmed.
Uncrewed systems will be utilised in exercises as part of routine Army Training.
The Ministry of Defence does not hold centralised records for the overall operating costs of the Land Regional Hub Germany (LRH(G)), as it is comprised of multiple component sites and functions, each managed by different organisations within Defence. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a consolidated figure for the operating costs of the Land Regional Hub in Germany for this financial year or future years of this Parliament.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department is of running Land Regional Hub Germany for (a) this financial year and (b) each remaining financial year of this Parliament.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Land Regional Hub in Germany is a vital asset for the British Army, providing a forward-deployed presence to support NATO's collective defence and enabling rapid responses to potential threats in Europe. It serves as a key logistics and operational hub, supporting training, exercises, and deployments, while fostering interoperability with allied forces. The Hub is actively utilised for multinational training and exercises, and its role in enhancing readiness and collaboration with European partners remains a priority. Future use of the Hub will continue to align with the UK's defence commitments and NATO objectives.
Exercises at the Land Regional Hub Germany are recorded by calendar year rather than financial year. In line with the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the Army continues to adapt its training programme to support NATO requirements, enhance land forces competency, and deliver wider defence engagement.
For calendar year 2026, 14 exercises are currently planned. These activities are designed to be larger in scale and longer in duration, reflecting our focus on more complex and demanding training to meet NATO’s evolving needs.
Exercise plans are kept under regular review to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities. Planning for 2027 is ongoing and final exercise numbers are yet to be confirmed.
Uncrewed systems will be utilised in exercises as part of routine Army Training.
The Ministry of Defence does not hold centralised records for the overall operating costs of the Land Regional Hub Germany (LRH(G)), as it is comprised of multiple component sites and functions, each managed by different organisations within Defence. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a consolidated figure for the operating costs of the Land Regional Hub in Germany for this financial year or future years of this Parliament.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to use the Land Regional Hub Germany for the testing of uncrewed systems in this Parliament.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Land Regional Hub in Germany is a vital asset for the British Army, providing a forward-deployed presence to support NATO's collective defence and enabling rapid responses to potential threats in Europe. It serves as a key logistics and operational hub, supporting training, exercises, and deployments, while fostering interoperability with allied forces. The Hub is actively utilised for multinational training and exercises, and its role in enhancing readiness and collaboration with European partners remains a priority. Future use of the Hub will continue to align with the UK's defence commitments and NATO objectives.
Exercises at the Land Regional Hub Germany are recorded by calendar year rather than financial year. In line with the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the Army continues to adapt its training programme to support NATO requirements, enhance land forces competency, and deliver wider defence engagement.
For calendar year 2026, 14 exercises are currently planned. These activities are designed to be larger in scale and longer in duration, reflecting our focus on more complex and demanding training to meet NATO’s evolving needs.
Exercise plans are kept under regular review to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities. Planning for 2027 is ongoing and final exercise numbers are yet to be confirmed.
Uncrewed systems will be utilised in exercises as part of routine Army Training.
The Ministry of Defence does not hold centralised records for the overall operating costs of the Land Regional Hub Germany (LRH(G)), as it is comprised of multiple component sites and functions, each managed by different organisations within Defence. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a consolidated figure for the operating costs of the Land Regional Hub in Germany for this financial year or future years of this Parliament.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to publish the Defence Investment Plan in the form of a single document.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We are working flat out and intend to publish the Defence Investment Plan as soon as possible.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any spending commitments for his Department will not be included in the Defence Investment Plan.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) will provide a comprehensive overview of the Department's forward investment priorities across equipment, infrastructure, people, and supporting capabilities.