Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the is taking to help ensure the security of Northern Ireland connected underseas cables against military and criminal risks.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Defence is committed to advancing HMG's work against hostile states and ensuring national security.
The Ministry of Defence works with and supports other Government departments, including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to safeguard critical infrastructure such as underwater cables throughout UK waters.
Through Atlantic Bastion, the Royal Navy is accelerating capabilities with UK industry to defend underwater infrastructure and play an even greater role in protecting critical underwater infrastructure.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help ensure that membership of cadet forces in Northern Ireland is supported.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government is committed to supporting the Cadet Forces across the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland, recognising the significant benefits participation brings to young people and wider society. Cadets develop vital life skills such as self-discipline, confidence and resilience, while the cadet experience improves educational attainment and employment prospects, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
I recently had the opportunity to meet cadets and adult volunteers at the Ballygowan Army Cadet Detachment in Belfast. During my visit, I saw cadets demonstrating a range of skills which they had developed through their training. They shared with me what being a cadet means to them, and I also talked to adult volunteers who discussed their experiences, and the benefits they have gained as a vital part of the cadet movement.
Recognising the significant benefits that participation in the cadets brings to young people and wider society, through the Strategic Defence Review we are working to grow cadet numbers by 30% by 2030, with an ambition to reach 250,000 in the longer term.
As part of this initiative, we are looking forward to the launch in October of the first National Cadets Week, which is an opportunity for us all to come together to celebrate and support the outstanding contributions of our cadets and adult volunteers.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure research of veteran's mental health in Northern Ireland is undertaken.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government is committed to ensuring that veterans in Northern Ireland and across the UK, have easy access to support when and where they need it.
In 2025, we awarded £300,000 to the Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) to deliver their ‘Improving NI Veterans Mental Health’ project, to help veterans and their families access mental health support and manage complex mental health conditions such as PTSD. This follows a DMWS pilot providing support for mental and physical health needs, such as PTSD, anxiety and depression, musculoskeletal problems and bereavement. Such projects provide valuable insight to improve our understanding of veterans’ health needs locally and complement existing provision by MOD Veterans Services NI, which provides direct support including psychological therapies, psychiatric assessment and physiotherapy.
As part of the UK-wide VALOUR initiative, we recently announced that Brooke House Health and Well-being Centre has been awarded £1 million to develop a VALOUR Recognised Centre (VRC) in Northern Ireland. The centre will provide trauma-informed health, welfare, housing and employment support to veterans through a six counties hub and spoke model.
VALOUR staff will maintain and evolve existing stakeholder networks within NI, improving collaboration, coordination, and access to services for veterans, enabling data-driven policy and service development to ensure that services are designed to meet local needs.
These initiatives build on the work of the 11 Veterans’ Champions in councils across Northern Ireland and the role of the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support the 2025 Apprenticeship Action Plan launched by the Northern Ireland Minister for the Economy.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence recently launched the Northern Ireland Defence Growth Deal, which will deliver £50 million of defence investment in Northern Ireland over the next five financial years. Alongside the Defence Industrial Strategy, we have also launched a £182 million defence industry skills package that will support apprentices across the UK, including in Northern Ireland.
We are consulting with the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department for the Economy, as well as industry, academia and other key stakeholders, to determine the best use of this funding and how it can align with existing initiatives, such as the 2025 Apprenticeship Action Plan.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with maritime training providers and coastal communities on encouraging recruitment into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy regularly engages with maritime training providers, schools, coastal communities industry bodies, including Maritime UK, to support recruitment into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. This includes nationally delivered outreach, including in coastal towns, delivered through established partnerships and showcasing RFA employment opportunities, career pathways and contribution to Defence and the wider maritime sector.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to expand defence-related apprenticeships.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence already supports over 460,000 jobs and 25,000 apprentices across the UK, providing sustainable, high-quality, well-paying jobs.
Alongside the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Defence announced a £182 million skills package that includes a range of initiatives to support defence-oriented careers and apprenticeships UK-wide. This includes initiatives such as establishing five Defence Technical Excellence colleges in England, and the creation of the Apprenticeship and Graduate Clearing System which will become live in due course.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the relevance of lessons from the war in Ukraine for addressing emerging security challenges in other regions, including the Middle East.
Answered by Al Carns
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine on the sharing of knowledge, including insights about drones, missile threats and electronic warfare, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Government of Ukraine on collaboration between government, universities and industry to support Ukraine’s long-term defence technological development.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
On 17 March 2026, the UK and Ukraine signed an enhanced security and defence industrial declaration, which strengthens collaboration between Ukrainian and British defence innovators.
The UK has delivered seven successful trade missions to Ukraine, bringing together UK industry and likeminded European partners to discuss opportunities for long-term cooperation and investment, and to promote greater collaboration with defence industrial companies inside Ukraine.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding has been allocated by his Department to programmes designed to incorporate lessons from the war in Ukraine into UK defence innovation since February 2022.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine and NATO partners on the sharing of knowledge and insights from the war in Ukraine, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia. UK Defence Innovation is informed by lessons from Ukraine, sharing knowledge internationally through NATO DIANA and AUKUS Pillar 2.
Under Programme LYRA, we are informing future defence and security innovation with the Government of Ukraine, sharing what works and what doesn't.
We are building a sustained defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine which will develop industrial capacity while supporting UK and Ukrainian security. The 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine facilities the rapid pursuit of sustainable production to create a dynamic ecosystem of defence innovation.
We recognise that Ukraine's experience in defending itself against large-scale aggression represents a unique and valuable resource for the development of modern defence capabilities. We are committed to promoting the systematic integration of Ukraine's operational experience into military training, doctrinal development, and capability planning.
We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the relevance to the UK defence innovation ecosystem of Ukraine’s approach to rapid defence innovation during the ongoing conflict.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine and NATO partners on the sharing of knowledge and insights from the war in Ukraine, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia. UK Defence Innovation is informed by lessons from Ukraine, sharing knowledge internationally through NATO DIANA and AUKUS Pillar 2.
Under Programme LYRA, we are informing future defence and security innovation with the Government of Ukraine, sharing what works and what doesn't.
We are building a sustained defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine which will develop industrial capacity while supporting UK and Ukrainian security. The 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine facilities the rapid pursuit of sustainable production to create a dynamic ecosystem of defence innovation.
We recognise that Ukraine's experience in defending itself against large-scale aggression represents a unique and valuable resource for the development of modern defence capabilities. We are committed to promoting the systematic integration of Ukraine's operational experience into military training, doctrinal development, and capability planning.
We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.