Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 45056 on Artillery: Procurement, what he expects the in service date for RCH155 to be.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The project aims to achieve Minimum Deployable Capability (MDC) within this decade and will deliver the Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) Calibre Wheeled Artillery System. The project remains in its assessment phase and therefore it remains too early to provide an exact in-service date.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of (a) 44-tonne, five-axle volumetric concrete mixers and (b) traditional drum mixers on (i) the number of vehicle movements, (ii) road wear and (iii) water usage.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not made a specific comparative assessment of the potential impact of 44-tonne, five-axle volumetric concrete mixers (VCMs) and traditional drum mixers.
The Department estimates there are in the region of 1,000 VCMs in operation alongside 20,000 drum mixers. The report undertaken by National Highways as part of the Department’s review of VCMs compared the forces exerted by the VCMs to the standard highway vehicle load model used for assessing bridges and found the effects were up to 17% greater than for vehicles complying with the current standard weight limits. This will likely result in increased wear and tear and may impact the durability and lifespan of existing bridges. In addition to the impact on bridges, heavier vehicles also put more stress on roads.
The outcome of the Department’s review into VCMs, including the report by National Highways, was published on 18 March 2025. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the annual economic contribution of volumetric concrete mixers to the economy.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport acknowledges the contribution VCMs make to our economy, particularly to the UK construction industry.
The outcome of my department’s review into VCMs was published on 18 March 2025. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-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 his Department's press release entitled, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, what the minimum number of UK based jobs is that the winning international partner of a UK defence contract will be required to provide.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy's commitment to backing British businesses, we launched a public consultation on a possible UK offset policy on 23 October. The consultation seeks input on key principles for implementation, including exploring effective ways of applying offset requirements to defence procurement contracts to deliver jobs. It is essential that any offset policy is explored and developed in partnership with the defence sector so we should not pre-empt the outcome of this consultation.
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, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, if he will list the skills that an international partner will be required to invest in if a UK defence deal contract is won.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy's commitment to backing British businesses, we launched a public consultation on a possible UK offset policy on 23 October. The consultation seeks input on key principles for implementation, including on the nature and level of obligations. It is essential that any offset policy is explored and developed in partnership with the defence sector so we should not pre-empt the outcome of this consultation.
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, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, where the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth will be based.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Office for Small Business Growth will reflect modern ways of working and will not be restricted by a physical location. Using a networked approach, support will be offered across the country and effective digital tools will enable small businesses to connect with the Office regardless of location. This approach removes a significant barrier to entry for smaller businesses.
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, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, when he expects to launch the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Planning for the Office for Business Growth is well underway. The support that will be offered by the Office has been developed following wide ranging consultation with a variety of stakeholders, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), prime contractors, trade associations, mid-tier suppliers, Regional Defence and Security Clusters, and academia. The Office will provide services to both small businesses and Ministry of Defence teams, which will focus on growth and shaping the defence industry landscape to develop resilient supply chains.
The Office will be established by late January 2026.
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 Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, what the total is cost of establishing the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Supporting the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth office is a priority, and we will ensure it has appropriate funding necessary to establish itself and deliver on its objectives.
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, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, whether the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth will consult with third parties.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Office for Small Business Growth is collaborative by design. In planning the scope of the Office, we have already consulted widely with third parties including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), prime contractors, trade associations, mid-tier suppliers, Regional Defence and Security Clusters, and academia to ensure that the new service meets defence SMEs needs and fully integrates with support offered to smaller companies by other organisations and Government Departments. Collaboration across the Defence enterprise will continue once the Office has been established to ensure it continues to be a user-centric service for SMEs, start-ups and non-traditional suppliers to Defence.
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 Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, how the Defence Office for Small Business Growth will interact with the Department for Business and Trade.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) commitment to the establishment of the Defence Office for Small Business Growth has been outlined in the Department for Business and Trade’s ‘Backing Your Business’ plan, published in July this year. The Office will work collaboratively with other MOD and Government organisations, including the Department for Business and Trade Growth Hubs, Regional Defence and Security Clusters, Trade Associations and Strategic Partners and other suppliers to bring coherence to the total support offering available to SMEs seeking to work in defence.