Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, the (a) number and (b) value of Defence Innovation Loans made in each round since 4 July 2024.

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

The number and value of Defence Innovation Loans made since 4 July 2024, by financial year (FY), are as follows:

DIL Round Number Value

Defence Innovation Loan FY2023-24 Cycle 4 1 £881,570

Defence Innovation Loan FY2023-24 Cycle 7 1 £1,247,513

Defence Innovation Loan FY2024-25 Cycle 2 1 £750,000

Defence Innovation Loan FY2024-25 Cycle 5 1 £451,600

TOTAL 4 £3,330,683

Defence Innovation Loans are considered to be “made” when funding is agreed at the end of the two-stage decision process, finalised by the Innovate UK Credit Committee, which can sit several months after the initial DASA/F&G decision conference. This is why two projects appear in this list despite their DIL Cycle being prior to the date stated in the PQ.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 124580 on Defence: Small Businesses, by what date he expects to have in place the wider range of indicators to measure his Department’s success in attracting new suppliers.

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

Subsequent to the establishment of the Defence Office for Small Business Growth in January, the Department is currently working to deliver full operating capability by the end of this year.

This activity is being aided by engagement with a pathfinder group of SMEs to ensure we are addressing the needs of smaller and non-traditional suppliers. As part of this work, we will develop a range of metrics to measure the impact of the Office.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to answer question 115383, tabled on 24 February 2026.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I will respond to the right hon. Member shortly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS sites offering diagnostics have seen at least one modality removed in the last 12 months.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold official data on how many National Health Service sites offering diagnostics have seen at least one modality removed in the 12 months.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Ministry of Defence small and medium-sized enterprise engagement published on 24 March 2026, whether his Department plans to publish the (a) the SME action plan and (b) a direct spending target on the same day as the Defence Investment Plan.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan as a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs.

On current plans, the MOD’s full annual SME action plan, including direct spending target will not be published concurrently with the Defence Investment Plan. The action plan which will include a spending target are currently forecast to be published in the second quarter of 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many jobs at NHS England have been advertised since 13 March 2025.

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

A total of 1,214 vacancies advertised - 637 were medical vacancies and 577 non-medical vacancies advertised.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been removed from the waiting lists for treatment for any other reason than the treatment had been completed, by month since July 2024.

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

The information requested is shown in the following table:

Number of cases per month, from July 2024 to September 2025, where patients were removed from the Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting list for reasons other than treatment:

The information for the table above was extracted from the Waiting List Minimum Data Set (WLMDS) on 18 November 2025.

A breakdown of reasons for coming off the waiting list is not available in the aggregate monthly official statistics. However, the information is collected in the weekly management information from the Waiting List Minimum Data Set (WLMDS). The WLMDS is subject to less validation than the monthly official statistics and totals do not match between the two sources.

Reasons for patients being removed from the waiting list can include them starting a period of active monitoring, a clinical decision not to treat, a patient declining treatment or a patient dying before treatment starts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer question 82312, tabled on 15 October 2025.

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

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 April 2026 to Question 82312.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of applicants to the UK's Active Reserve forces successfully joined in the last year for which figures are available.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The UK’s Reserve Forces are a vital component of Defence, providing critical capability, specialist skills and a strong connection to wider society, while offering a flexible and cost‑effective means of meeting operational demand. Reserves underpin the Armed Forces’ ability to respond to threats at home and overseas, and the Strategic Defence Review has reinforced their importance, including our ambition to grow the Active Reserve by at least 20 per cent.

In Financial Year 2024-25, the proportion of people who applied to join the Armed Forces Reserves and who subsequently became untrained entrants was as follows: Royal Navy 7%, British Army 4%, Royal Air Force 5%, in line with a long-standing trend.

Between the point of application and becoming an untrained entrant, a variety of checks and tests are conducted to ensure that any applicant entering training is suitable for military service and that it is credible that the applicant will complete training. This ensures that the standards of the Armed Forces are maintained and that public funds and resources are not wasted. There are a number of reasons for an applicant not being successful, including medical scrutiny. Reserve applications, when compared to Regulars, also reflects an older profile of applicants together with a need to balance service with civilian work and family life. In addition, historically these tests and checks in the recruiting process have involved multiple stages and appointments, which can lengthen timelines and increase drop‑out before entry.

The Department has taken urgent and targeted action since November 2024 to improve throughput which has been low historically. The Services have already streamlined recruiting processes by reducing the number of appointments, increasing automation and using digital tools to speed up decision‑making, which has improved conversion in some areas. Reserves‑specific national and local marketing campaigns are being used to better target likely candidates and set clearer expectations from the outset. From next year, Reserve recruiting will also transition to the new Armed Forces Recruiting System, which will use modern technology and industry expertise to deliver a faster, more effective and more consistent recruiting experience across Defence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS jobs in which Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is the primary function have been advertised in the most recent 12-month period for which data are available.

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

This data is not centrally held.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the longest time that (a) an SME and (b) a person has waited for security vetting in the last two years; and whether either application is still ongoing.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Secretary of State for Defence

UKSV continues to meet its agreed KPIs across each product type. The time taken to complete a vetting assessment varies according to the level of clearance required and the complexity of an individual’s background.

In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not disclose granular performance data or specific case details, as to do so could prejudice national security and provide insights into the operational thresholds of our security safeguards. UKSV remains focused on ensuring the vetting process is both rigorous and timely.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rising fertiliser costs on (a) farm profitability and (b) food security.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is conscious of the increases to prices of fertiliser, influenced by the continued instability in the Middle East.

Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise, including to farmers. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets throughout the year, including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.

The UK has a resilient food system, producing around 65% of all the food we eat. We have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, which supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks do not affect the UK's overall security of supply.

Defra is monitoring risks posed by the Middle East conflict to our critical supply chains. At present, there are no significant impacts to the supply of consumer goods and food, and we do not expect any short-term disruption.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to question 124579, if he will publish the (a) KPIs that apply to UKSV and (b) most recent performance data relating to those KPIs.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Secretary of State for Defence

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS England staff have accepted voluntary redundancy since 13 March 2025; and what the total financial cost of those voluntary redundancies was to the public purse.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

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