Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of the Nuclear Enterprise.
Answered by Wes Streeting - Secretary of State for Defence
The Defence Nuclear Enterprise spent £12 billion in the financial year 2025-26. The Defence Investment Plan sets out a further £63.6 billion of planned investment in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise between 2026-27 and 2029-30.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK officials have discussed with their US counterparts the findings that US operations against the Houthis in Yemen in 2025 caused civilian deaths and injuries.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Our Ministers and officials speak regularly with their US counterparts on a wide range of defence matters to ensure coherence and alignment between our two nations. As a matter of longstanding policy, we do not offer comment or information relating to other foreign nations’ military operations.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent US Department of Defense findings concerning civilian casualties arising from US military operations against the Houthis in Yemen in 2025; and whether those findings have prompted any review of UK policy or operational practice in relation to future joint operations with the United States.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military operations. All UK support to allies for operational purposes is considered on a case-by-case basis and includes consideration of the legal basis and policy rational for the proposed activity.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether an assessment of civilian harm risks forms part of the decision-making process when determining whether to accept a request from the United States for UK military assistance in operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military operations. All UK support to allies for operational purposes is considered on a case-by-case basis and includes consideration of the legal basis and policy rational for the proposed activity.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has reviewed whether any civilian harm incidents identified by the US in their recent ‘1057’ review involved intelligence, targeting information, surveillance, refuelling, basing or other support provided by the United Kingdom.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military operations. All UK support to allies for operational purposes is considered on a case-by-case basis and includes consideration of the legal basis and policy rational for the proposed activity.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the UK rejoining the EU SAFE access scheme.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
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.
This Government remains committed to pursuing cooperation with the European Union and the Member States on defence and security that aligns with our NATO First policy, supports our defence objectives and delivers for the UK taxpayer.