Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the difference in time horizons between venture capital of three to four years, and defence procurement cycles that exceed a decade, on private investment in the domestic defence sector.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Venture capital is only a sub-section of the capital available to support defence and our transition to warfighting readiness; venture capital is most suited to innovative, high-growth potential companies, not the large defence programmes with the longest timelines and procurement cycles.
Through Procurement Segmentation, as announced in the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy, we are establishing a ‘rapid commercial exploitation’ segment and distinct acquisition pathways which will enable a time-to-contract of three-months for innovative technologies, more closely aligning the timelines between investors and defence.
This will drive the investability and bankability of the defence sector, in parallel to the support offered by the newly established UK Defence Innovation and wider public financial institutions (for example, the British Business Bank).
The Defence Finance and Investment Strategy, to be published in Spring, will provide a comprehensive view of the measures to increase the available capital to improve warfighting readiness while also driving growth.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has examined options for cooperation with France on the M51.4 submarine‑launched missile.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK and France work closely together on a range of nuclear research and technology matters, including as part of the 2010 Teutates Treaty. Our deepening co-operation under the 2025 Northwood Declaration includes nuclear policy, capabilities and operations.
The UK will continue to rely on its Trident II D5 submarine launched ballistic missiles, which we procure from the United States, significantly reducing the cost of our nuclear deterrent capability. The Trident missile system remains the most reliable weapons system in the world and the government has absolute confidence that the UK’s deterrent remains effective, dependable, and formidable.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether contractual mechanisms exist to recover costs if Ajax is cancelled; and what is the estimated financial exposure to the MoD.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, but the Ajax contract does contain mechanisms to ensure General Dynamics rectify any failure to meet requirements or obligations, as well as provisions for terminating the contract if there is a material breach of their obligations. This would allow the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to recover costs. The value of the Ajax contract is already published. It would undermine the MOD's position by exposing its view on the level of costs it feels would be claimed in the event of a termination event of this nature.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what investigations are underway into the safety case for Ajax and the decision-making process that led to Initial Operating Capability being signed off.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As the hon. Member will be aware, investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, and time must be given to ensure all information and evidence is considered. I will continue to keep the house informed of developments, as I have done since the issue arose n Exercise Titan Storm.
I released a written Ministerial Statement in the House on 22 January 2026 in which I provided an update to Parliament on the British Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme (commonly known as Ajax) and the findings of the Ministerial review which has now concluded. It would not be appropriate to release any further specific details than those contained in my previous statement.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the timetable expected for a full safety report into Ajax family vehicles.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As the hon. Member will be aware, investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, and time must be given to ensure all information and evidence is considered. I will continue to keep the house informed of developments, as I have done since the issue arose n Exercise Titan Storm.
I released a written Ministerial Statement in the House on 22 January 2026 in which I provided an update to Parliament on the British Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme (commonly known as Ajax) and the findings of the Ministerial review which has now concluded. It would not be appropriate to release any further specific details than those contained in my previous statement.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of serving British soldiers are classified as medically fit for immediate deployment; and how this compares to NATO readiness benchmarks.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The vast majority of our Service Personnel - around 90% - are deployable at any point, with most of the remaining members of our Armed Forces employed in wider military roles.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of delays to Challenger 3, Boxer, RCH155 and the Protected Mobility fleet on the British Army’s war‑fighting ability.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The ability to conduct high-end warfighting remains the core of the British Army, including being able to deploy a lethal warfighting Division that is fit for the modern battlefield.
The Department conducts an annual Capability Audit to assess our ability to meet Defence commitments and policy objectives. This process considers the impact of any changes or delays across all major programmes.
While detailed assessments cannot be shared for operational security reasons, we continue to monitor these programmes closely and manage any associated risks.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of converting Type 31 frigates into air‑defence or land‑attack variants through installation of Mk41 Vertical Launch Systems.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Type 31 frigate has been designed with flexibility and adaptability in mind, including provision within its baseline design to accommodate a range of future capability enhancements as required.
As part of routine capability planning, the Ministry of Defence keeps potential upgrades to all Royal Navy platforms under regular review.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department takes to help ensure that overseas‑owned original equipment manufacturers keep work in the UK supply chain in the event of delays or pauses to defence programmes.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Industrial Strategy sets out the commitment to make the UK a defence industrial leader by 2035, ensuring the UK becomes Europe’s leading defence exporter and the most attractive country in the world to grow a defence business. By reducing regulatory barriers, supporting our small and medium sized enterprises together with the work of our Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme, we are fostering closer collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and industry, helping shape the market, and embedding resilience by design into our supply chains.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many large-scale brigade-level live exercises have been conducted by the armed forces in the previous five years; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of those exercises on operational readiness.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Over the past five years, the British Army, Royal Marine Commandos, and Royal Air Force have participated in 12 large-scale brigade-level live exercises, alongside multiple multinational training operations.