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

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

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 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

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.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to assess the number of people who are not able to access a social home due to pre-tenancy affordability checks.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 98397 on 17 December 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of gender dysphoria clinics in the North East of England.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is committed to supporting people who need these specialist gender services and commissions three adult gender dysphoria clinics in Newcastle, Sheffield, and Leeds. While they are regionally commissioned to meet the demand of the local population, these services are accessed by patients from across the country and this has an impact on waiting times.

In some areas, general practices (GPs) are also supporting stabilised patients by prescribing their treatment locally with specialist support, ensuring the care and treatment needs of these individuals are met locally when appropriate.

NHS England has now completed its review of adult gender services, which looked at how to overcome the challenges that some individuals continue to face in accessing services in a timely manner. The review includes 20 recommendations and NHS England, in full partnership with regions and the Department, will now lead the next stage of the system-wide response.

A National Portfolio Board is being established to build and develop a full implementation plan, which will address each of the recommendations in turn and be aligned with the ambitions of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/10-year-health-plan-for-england

Immediate priorities include working with professional bodies to establish a new professional role of GP with an Extended Role in Gender Medicine, to provide support to those who have completed their care within the adult gender service clinics and to provide leadership and knowledge sharing with primary care in every neighbourhood.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are currently on the waiting list for gender dysphoria clinics in i) the North East of England and ii) nationally.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The number of adult patients who are registered with a general practice in the North East and Yorkshire region and who are on a waiting list for an adult gender dysphoria clinic is 5,966 at the date of 31 January 2026.

The total number of adult patients on a waiting list for an adult gender dysphoria clinic is 44,579 at the date of 31 January 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes his Department has made to defence procurement since 2024 to reduce barriers to entry for non‑traditional defence suppliers, including businesses specialising in software, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has taken significant strides in our approach to defence procurement since 2024, as laid out in both the Defence Industrial Strategy and in a recent Gov.UK notice titled “Ministry of Defence small and medium-sized enterprise engagement”.

The establishment of UK Defence Innovation in 2025, as well as the continued efforts of Commercial X including the new Defence Unicorn Fund from earlier this year, are helping our Armed Forces obtain innovative, ground-breaking technologies faster, speeding up procurement cycles, and simplifying terms & conditions where needed. This includes working with non-traditional players in areas such as software, AI, and data analytics.

Potential suppliers are also welcome to join the Defence Sourcing Portal, the Neutral Vendor Framework, the Dynamic Marketplace, and the Defence Innovation Marketplace, as appropriate, as a means to promote their services to the MOD.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK-based defence technology firms are able to remain internationally competitive with firms in allied countries.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) makes clear that strengthening UK defence firms’ international competitiveness depends on working closely with our allies. It promotes deeper collaboration through co‑research, co‑development and co‑production, helping UK companies share costs, access larger markets and deliver interoperable capabilities.

The DIS emphasises closer alignment with NATO standards and allied procurement approaches, so UK firms can design once and export across multiple allied markets. It also embeds exportability from the outset of procurement and commits to clearer long‑term demand signals, giving UK industry the confidence to invest, innovate and compete successfully alongside allied firms.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department intends to evaluate progress towards increasing the proportion of defence spending directed towards emerging technologies during this Parliament.

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

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) highlights the need for an innovative defence industry that adapts to changing warfare by utilising data, software, procurement, exports, innovation, and R&D to promote UK science and emerging technologies, including clean technology.

Following on from the DIS and the Strategic Defence Review. UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has been established to harness UK ingenuity and boost military technology, as part of the Government’s drive to turbocharge innovation in defence and deliver growth as part of the Plan for Change.

UKDI will be fully operational by July 2026 and will have a ringfenced budget of at least £400 million from financial year 2025-26 with the ambition for this to rise as UKDI becomes established.

The Ministry of Defence will evaluate progress by regularly reviewing defence spending data to measure the proportion allocated to emerging technologies, setting clear targets, and reporting on these metrics to ensure commitments made for this Parliament are met.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of neo-prime defence companies on returns on investment for defence procurement.

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

As outlined in the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Defence needs to look beyond traditional defence companies to redefine the industrial base, reflecting the deep range of partners and expertise both within our traditional defence sector but also those in adjacent sectors. To improve value for money, we are opening-up procurement to innovative, non traditional suppliers, accelerating delivery through spiral development, and strengthening competition — ensuring we deliver more capable outcomes to the front line at better value for the taxpayer.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to defence research and development funding for small and medium‑sized businesses specialising in software, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

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

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has been established to harness UK ingenuity and boost military technology, as part of the Government’s drive to turbocharge innovation in defence and deliver growth as part of the Plan for Change.

UKDI will be fully operational by July 2026 and will have a ringfenced budget of at least £400 million from financial year 2025-26 with the ambition for this to rise as UKDI becomes established.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with UK industry and academia, including Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME), to identify and invest in innovative technologies that address our most pressing capability challenges. This includes businesses specialising in software, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the role of software firms in advancing defence research and development, compared to traditional prime defence contractors.

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

The Department recognises that software firms are increasingly vital to defence research and development, providing specialised expertise and innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data analytics. While traditional prime contractors continue to play a key role in large-scale system integration and delivery, software companies complement this by accelerating technological advancement and agility.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department defines novel technologies, with regard to the commitment in the Strategic Defence Review that at least 10 per cent of equipment spending be allocated to such technologies.

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

The Government has set out its ambition for the Ministry of Defence to spend at least 10% of its equipment procurement budget on novel technologies, including areas such as uncrewed and autonomous systems and AI-enabled capabilities. Work is currently ongoing across the Department, to develop the policy arrangements underpinning this commitment in order to support effective prioritisation, reporting and delivery. The formal framework, including the definition of novel technologies, will be finalised as part of the Defence Investment Plan which will set out Defence’s approach to delivering against this ambition.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference Answer of 9 February 2026 to Question HL14107, whether his Department has plans to assess the health needs of male veterans and service personnel in particular.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Veterans have access to all National Health Services across the United Kingdom and male veterans will benefit from the implementation of the Men’s Health Strategy. In addition, NHS England has introduced several bespoke services to improve healthcare support available to veterans. This includes Op RESTORE, Op COURAGE, and Op NOVA.

The health of service personnel is the responsibility of the Defence Medical Services.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in fuel costs on voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations; and whether he plans to extend support measures to assist the VCSE sector.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We are closely monitoring the impact of fuel and energy prices on businesses and communities caused by the instability in the Middle East, and much will depend on the length of the ongoing crisis. We will not hesitate to act in a targeted and timely manner as we assess the impact of this crisis on voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, local industries and small businesses, including those in rural areas which can be most impacted by fuel costs.

The Government will not tolerate profiteering or unfair practices. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as the independent body responsible for protecting consumers and ensuring competition, is undertaking a detailed examination of the heating oil market and is urgent looking into concerning reports from consumers. Where companies are found to have breached consumer protection law, the CMA will not hesitate to act.

The Chancellor has frozen fuel duty since this Government came to office, extending the 5p fuel duty cut until September and the government has implemented Fuel Finder which will enable VCSEs to access accurate, up-to-date fuel prices wherever they are. These measures will help VCSEs in England and Wales most impacted by rising energy and fuel prices, particularly in rural areas, by providing greater certainty over fuel prices.

Burnhope Miners' Gala Centenary Celebration

Orgreave Inquiry

Parliament Education and Engagement Outreach Service

75th anniversary of the Easington Pit Disaster

Mabel Hempton Award for Bravery and HMP Frankland staff

Support for the Red Arrows

Bank holiday for celebrations if England win the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Jonathan Frisher

Ban on industrial action by prison officers

Liushenyu mining disaster and workers’ safety

Trade union support for Durham Pride

Trophy hunting imports

Falkland Islands

Ban trophy hunting imports

Ban on prison officer industrial action

Found: Clive Efford (Labour, Eltham and Chislehurst) (Chair) (added 9 Feb 2026) 16 of 16 (100.0%) Luke Akehurst

Found: Armed Forces Bill 202426 Wednesday 11 February 2026 Members present Clive Efford, in the Chair Luke Akehurst

Found: Committee membership Clive Efford (Labour; Eltham and Chislehurst) (Chair) Luke Akehurst (Labour; North