Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the £80 million funding announced for children’s hospices in October 2025 on the (a) availability and (b) sustainability of community-based social palliative care services for children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Children’s hospices often provide holistic care, wrap-around services and additional support to children and their families that extend beyond core healthcare provision. This, for example, includes complementary therapies, respite care, and short breaks. The £80 million of revenue funding should help give children’s hospices the stability they need to plan ahead and will help them to continue to offer social palliative care services, such as respite care and short breaks, for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, as well as their families.

We see children’s hospices and children’s social palliative care services as playing an important role in neighbourhood health and the shift to community. Achieving our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service will rely critically on strong partnership working between health and social care, also working closely with wider local government services and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. Our aim is to have a Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.     

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential role of community-based social palliative care services for children in the context of his policy on shifting care from hospital to community settings.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Children’s hospices often provide holistic care, wrap-around services and additional support to children and their families that extend beyond core healthcare provision. This, for example, includes complementary therapies, respite care, and short breaks. The £80 million of revenue funding should help give children’s hospices the stability they need to plan ahead and will help them to continue to offer social palliative care services, such as respite care and short breaks, for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, as well as their families.

We see children’s hospices and children’s social palliative care services as playing an important role in neighbourhood health and the shift to community. Achieving our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service will rely critically on strong partnership working between health and social care, also working closely with wider local government services and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. Our aim is to have a Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.     

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on UK air and missile defence of Ukraine’s approach to air defence, including the role of trained personnel and real-time coordination.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The UK Armed Forces are drawing key lessons from Ukraine, particularly the need for a much faster ‘learn and adapt’ cycle to accelerate developments in our capabilities, doctrine, and tactics.

Lessons from both Ukraine and the Middle East are already being applied to deliver cost-effective air defence solutions for the UK and its partners. The Strategic Defence Review announced up to £1 billion for UK air and missile defence. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Reviews recommendations, including on Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on improving the lethality of the armed forces since the publication of the Strategic Defence Review.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Whether it is drones, counter-drone systems, ASGARD or Atlantic Bastion. We have made significant improvements to lethality of the Armed Forces since the Strategic Defence Review’s publication.

We are delivering the capabilities and skills needed for the new operating environment. We have increased the number of uncrewed systems used by our Armed Forces, with delivery of over 8000 since July 2024, alongside developing the digital tools to support our warfighters, and establishing the Centre for Uncrewed Systems to cohere the skills and development of this crucial technology. We are fostering the UK's next generation autonomous technology base and working with European partners on our new generations of munitions and deep precision strike as we continue to drive our Armed forces' lethality. For example, we have also signed a multi-million contract with UK start-up Cambridge Aerospace to supply new interceptor missiles and launchers to the UK Armed Forces and Gulf partners. These are designed to counter Shahed-style attack drones, with the first deliveries to the MOD expected in May.

Our work to strengthen our armed forces is never done. We will set out how we are implementing the Strategic Defence Review's recommendations and improve the lethality and effectiveness of our Armed Forces through our forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to incorporate lessons from Ukraine into the development of UK air and missile defence capabilities, including counter-drone systems and electronic warfare.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The UK’s Armed Forces are learning much from the war in Ukraine, particularly the need for a much faster ‘learn and adapt’ cycle to accelerate developments in our capabilities, doctrine, and tactics. More broadly, the Strategic Defence Review considered all aspects of Defence, including the capabilities required by the UK to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the twenty-first century.

Integrated Air and Missile Defence investments will be prioritised appropriately against the assessed threat picture as part of the future Integrated Force. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on Integrated Air and Missile Defence, drones and electromagnetic warfare will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to help ensure increased investment in defence innovation and supply chains arising from lessons learned in Ukraine for regional areas including North Durham.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has established UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) which represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) approaches innovation.

Learning lessons from Ukraine as well as other international partners UKDI will act and operate differently, ruthlessly prioritising to focus on the areas with most potential, with significant freedoms to contract with speed, simplicity, and flexibility, harnessing and bolstering the competitiveness of the UK’s tech sector.

UKDI has established Regional and Devolved Authorities Engagement Teams across the UK to systematically identify and nurture dual-use innovation from SMEs, mid-tier companies, and academic spin-outs.

The core mission of the Regional and Devolved Authorities Engagement Teams is to deliver targeted outreach, support business development, foster supply chain collaboration, and accelerate the commercialisation of emerging technologies aligned with Defence and National Security priorities.

These teams will facilitate regional access to defence-focused loans, investors, and venture builder services, while gathering critical market intelligence for MOD and National Security stakeholders.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Department is considering Project GRAYBURN as the anchor for a longer-term strategic supplier relationship covering wider dismounted close combat weapons and associated support.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Project GRAYBURN seeks to establish a strategic relationship with industry to deliver, manage, spirally develop and support the weapons portfolio. In time, this could be extended to the wider dismounted close combat weapons portfolio.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Department has made of the operational risks of replacing the SA80 service weapon without including modern optics within the scope of Project GRAYBURN.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Project GRAYBURN is in the Concept Phase during which the requirements for modern optics will be defined.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for (a) his Department’s policies and (b) the Strategic Defence Review of Ukraine’s use of rapidly developed battlefield technologies, particularly in relation to accelerating UK capability development.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 31 March 2026 to Question 123249 to the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Holden).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Department has made of the industrial lead times associated with establishing UK small arms manufacturing capacity for Project GRAYBURN, including facilities, specialist machinery, and workforce requirements.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Project GRAYBURN is in the formal concept phase and therefore the scope, timeline and complexity are yet to be determined. Project GRAYBURN will deliver against the Defence Industrial Strategy and our strategic partnership with industry will generate new long-term skilled jobs, including in STEM, and increase our industrial capacity and resilience.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Department has made of the potential strategic benefits of restoring sovereign UK capability for the manufacture, maintenance and through-life support of small arms used by the British Armed Forces.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The potential strategic benefits of restoring sovereign UK capability for the manufacture, maintenance and through-life support of small arms include greater strategic resilience, operational independence, skilled jobs, export opportunities and the development of a strategic partner relationship between the Ministry of Defence and industry. This could contribute to the wider ambition of the Defence Industrial Strategy to deliver a resilient UK industrial base and make Defence an engine for growth.

Project GRAYBURN is in the Concept Phase. As such, it is considering the potential strategic benefits of restoring sovereign UK capability for the manufacture, maintenance and through-life support of small arms used by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the proposed timeline is for Project GRAYBURN, including the anticipated date of contract award; and what assessment his Department has made of the principal risks to delivering the first 10,000 new weapons into service by 2030.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Project GRAYBURN is currently in the concept phase with the aim of identifying and understanding requirements. As the exact delivery schedule will be determined in due course, I am unable to provide further detail at this stage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to engage with early-stage initiatives such as the UK/EU–Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor to support collaboration on defence innovation and capability development.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Ministry of Defence officials met representatives of the UK/EU-Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor in March 2026 and advised on how any proposal could best align with existing UK-Ukraine defence engagement. We will keep early‑stage initiatives under review.

Regarding helping UK companies exporting to Ukraine, building on our seventh and largest Trade Mission programme to Ukraine in March 2026; we are opening a Business Centre in Kyiv later this year, as we move to a permanent presence in Ukraine. This will help UK firms identify collaboration, partnership, and future export opportunities, for the UK and Ukraine's mutual benefit.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential for UK companies to access future partnership and export opportunities arising from the UK/EU–Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Ministry of Defence officials met representatives of the UK/EU-Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor in March 2026 and advised on how any proposal could best align with existing UK-Ukraine defence engagement. We will keep early‑stage initiatives under review.

Regarding helping UK companies exporting to Ukraine, building on our seventh and largest Trade Mission programme to Ukraine in March 2026; we are opening a Business Centre in Kyiv later this year, as we move to a permanent presence in Ukraine. This will help UK firms identify collaboration, partnership, and future export opportunities, for the UK and Ukraine's mutual benefit.

Falkland Islands

Ban trophy hunting imports

Ban on prison officer industrial action

100th anniversary of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II