Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on advertising on podcasts in each of the last three years.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This response provides details of the Ministry of Defence's advertising expenditure on podcasts over the last three calendar years. The information has been provided by the single Services, as most advertising expenditure supports recruitment efforts.
Calendar Year | Spend |
2024 | Nil |
2025 | £49,516.85 (includes January 2026) |
2026 (up to 5 June 2026) | £23,736.51 |
All spending is subject to scrutiny and regular review to ensure it delivers value for money.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of support given to veterans in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This government is committed to ensuring that veterans and their families are easily able to access support in Lincolnshire and across the country, when and where it is needed.
Last year we launched a new Veterans Strategy which recognises veterans as a national asset and resets the nation’s relationship with those who have served. Alongside this, we launched the £50 million VALOUR programme, which will make it easier for veterans to access the care and support they deserve.
For general support, Ministry of Defence Veterans Services provides tailored, holistic information, guidance and welfare support to those who need it through a national network of Case Managers across the UK, ensuring that individuals and families receive comprehensive, joined-up support tailored to their needs.
This government removed local connection tests for veterans of the regular armed forces in England applying for social housing, and extended the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme to deliver wraparound care and support services across the UK.
In addition, dedicated support is available to veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness or mental and physical health needs through Ops FORTITUDE, COURAGE and RESTORE. Employment support is delivered through Op ASCEND and programmes such as the Career Transition partnership. For those in contact with or at risk of contact with the Criminal Justice System support is available through Op NOVA.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on his review of the records of nuclear test veterans.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The records exercise is nearing completion, and I shall update the House in due course. In parallel, as part of wider work, over 19,300 historic nuclear testing records are now publicly accessible having been transferred to the National Archives from the Merlin database.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the training programmes used by civil servants in his Department since 2020.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Civil servants have access to a wide range of training through the Government Campus and Civil Service Learning (CSL), covering areas including leadership, policy, digital and project management skills. Key provision includes Civil Service Essentials, Line Management Induction, and specialised courses on security, policy‑making and communications. A recommended learning curriculum is published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-civil-service-recommended-curriculum.
Defence also provides training for its Civil Service workforce through a range of internal programmes, including classified courses and profession and domain specific training, which are organised and delivered at a local level.
A comprehensive list of all training programmes within the scope of the question is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has used artificial intelligence to assist with drafting (a) legislation and (b) policy in the past 12 months.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is exploring various applications of AI to enhance corporate services and drive efficiency. Officials may use approved AI tools (such as large language models) to help with drafting policy and legislation, but responsibility for finalising and approving resulting outputs rests with officials.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has paid for followers on social media platforms it uses.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has not paid for followers on its social media platforms.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether legal advice has been received in regard to an Atomic Weapons Establishment report that claimed fallout data affecting British troops had been covered up.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their service and the huge contribution they made to the UK’s security. We remain committed to listening to their concerns and are working collaboratively to address them.
I reiterated the government’s approach on working with the nuclear test veterans community in the debate in the House on 25 March and made a commitment to undertake work to fully understand the implications of the 2014 report and its handling, and to take action if necessary.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) reports Special Severance Payments in its Annual Report and Accounts in accordance with HM Treasury and FREM requirements. For core MOD, the audited figures published in the Annual Report and Accounts are as follows (rounded to the nearest £1,000):
2022–23: £556,000 (14 cases)
2023–24: £1,074,000 (13 cases)
2024–25: £3,418,000 (40 cases)
In addition, the UK Hydrographic Office has reported two Special Severance Payments in 2025, totalling £80,000. UKHO data is not included in the MOD Annual Report and Accounts as UKHO publishes its own accounts separately.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any civil servants hired by his Department were recruited over another person on the basis of a protected characteristic in each of the last three years.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence does not recruit candidates on the basis of protected characteristics. All appointments are made on merit, in line with the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. Compliance with these principles is overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission. Civil Service recruitment is governed by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, which requires that all appointments to the Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department are reliant on a visa for employment.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As at 5 March 2026, 163 individuals are recorded as being employed on a visa by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) or its Arm’s Length Bodies.
MOD Civil Service jobs generally require candidates to be either UK nationals, Commonwealth citizens, or EEA nationals. Foreign nationals with valid visas, such as Skilled Worker Visas, are eligible to apply but must be able to provide evidence of their right to work.