Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the title is of the Senior Responsible Owner leading on the (a) Home Defence Programme and (b) Resilience Action Plan.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Resilience Action Plan and Home Defence Programme are led by the COBR Director and COBR Directorate, with oversight by the Deputy National Security Advisor (DNSA) for Intelligence, Defence and Security. Ministerial oversight is provided by the Security Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what part of his Department is leading on the Home Defence programme.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Resilience Action Plan and Home Defence Programme are led by the COBR Director and COBR Directorate, with oversight by the Deputy National Security Advisor (DNSA) for Intelligence, Defence and Security. Ministerial oversight is provided by the Security Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, following the decision to disband the Resilience directorate in the Cabinet Office, who is responsible for implementing the Resilience Action Plan.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The COBR Directorate in the Cabinet Office is responsible for the coordination of resilience, civil contingencies planning, and crisis management across the system.

This brings together the former Resilience Directorate and the former COBR Unit, which will ensure that all phases of the crisis management cycle report to a single Director and is in line with the Cabinet Office vision for a specialist, smaller and more strategic centre.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on taking steps to ensure that properties under their responsibility comply with Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has published guidance to support understanding and compliance with the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and has since updated this to ensure it meets the needs of users including social housing providers.

Officials have frequently presented at forums with local authorities and engage regularly at official level with those who are responsible for the Regulations to understand how these are working on the ground, alongside providing policy expertise and identifying where further or amended guidance is needed.

A 2023 survey indicated that understanding and compliance with the Regulations is positive. A review of the Regulations is being planned, and the Government will use any learning from this to address any questions or queries around the requirements of the Regulations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants FTE work on the Home Defence Programme within the Cabinet Office.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Home Defence Programme (HDP) is led by the COBR Directorate in the Cabinet Office. COBR is responsible for coordinating preparedness and response to a range of risks facing the UK, including potential hostilities affecting the UK. For national security reasons, the government does not routinely comment publicly on the size of such teams.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to strengthen the UK’s preparedness, in coordination with NATO allies, for threats to the security of British Overseas Territories.

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

The Ministry of Defence remains firmly committed to ensuring the security and resilience of the United Kingdom and its Overseas Territories. In line with our obligations and strategic priorities, we continue to take steps to strengthen preparedness against emerging threats, working closely with NATO allies and other international partners.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who is the Chief Risk Officer for national security risks relating to the work of their Department.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As part of its risk management activities, MHCLG monitors a range of national emergency and security risks, based broadly on those risks set out in the National Risk Register (NRR). Each risk in the NRR has a designated risk owner, working within the Lead Government Department (LGD) which is responsible for that designated risk. MHCLG is the LGD for several of the risks on the NRR. Our LGD risks are overseen collectively by a Resilience Board. Our Secretary of State and our Permanent Secretary (as the department’s accounting officer) are ultimately responsible for all risks owned by the department where it is the designated LGD.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will ensure that her Department has contingency plans in place to respond to any invasion or hostile act against Greenland by a foreign power.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

It has been the long-standing policy of the United Kingdom under successive governments never to speculate on hypothetical operational responses to hypothetical scenarios.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate, where she set out in comprehensive terms the UK's position on Greenland.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will (a) review and (b) update the UK’s Defence Contribution in the High North strategy, published in March 2022, to ensure it (i) reflects the Government’s policies and (ii) adequately addresses (A) current and (B) emerging security challenges in the arctic region.

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

The 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets out the Government's approach to deterring threats and strengthening security in the Euro-Atlantic area, including the Arctic and High North. The region features strongly in the SDR's strategic thinking, particularly in relation to the Royal Navy's Atlantic Bastion concept (which includes securing the North Atlantic and adjacent waters), the importance of NATO's Northern Flank, our co-operation through the Joint Expeditionary Force and bilaterally with nations such as Norway, and the anticipated geostrategic shifts due to climate change, including increased accessibility and competition in the High North.

The Government continues to monitor developments in the Arctic region closely, including Russia's military posture and capabilities in the region. This is achieved through a combination of intelligence assessments, engagement with allies, and participation in multinational fora such as the JEF and NATO.

NATO is strengthening its deterrence and defence as a result of the increasing threat from Russia and will continue to adapt as necessary.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to strengthen the UK’s preparedness, in coordination with NATO allies, in response to threats to the security of Greenland.

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

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which is a member of NATO. NATO has made clear that the North Atlantic, High North and Arctic is a priority area for deterrence and defence and Allies are stepping up to enhance security in the region. As a NATO ally the United States is an essential partner in this endeavour. As the Strategic Defence Review makes clear, the UK is increasing its presence, activities and investments to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries, including through Atlantic Bastion and leadership of the Joint Expeditionary Force.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to strengthen the UK’s preparedness, in coordination with NATO allies, for threats to the security of NATO members in the Baltic region.

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

In coordination with NATO allies, we have committed to strengthening preparedness and deterrence to counter threats to the Baltic region, ensuring that our forces remain capable, credible, and ready to respond to any threat to Alliance security.

This is demonstrated through the UK’s lead as framework nation for NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Estonia and contribution of surveillance aircraft to NATO’s BALTIC SENTRY, which protects critical national infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

Additionally, and in line with our NATO Article 3 commitments, the UK is the framework nation for the Joint Expeditionary Force, which has demonstrated the UK’s leadership, preparedness and responsiveness to security threats in the High North and Baltic.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will (a) have discussions with cabinet colleagues on the merits of reducing student loan debt as part of a recruitment package for attracting and retaining recent graduates into the armed forces and (b) estimate the cost to the public purse of such a policy.

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

The Armed Forces already provide several opportunities to support tertiary education both before service and while serving. These include bursaries, sponsored degree study, in-service degrees and Learning Credits to offset the cost of undergraduate and postgraduate study. These schemes ensure that personnel are supported in gaining valuable qualifications and skills benefiting not only the individual, but also enhancing operational capability.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces in England do not require their officers to declare membership of any potentially influential organisation that is hierarchical, has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other; and what assessment she has made of the compatibility of membership of such organisations with adherence to the College of Policing's ethical policing principles.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

All police officers are under a statutory obligation to abstain from any activity which is likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of their duties. Failure to do so could lead to disciplinary action being taken.

The Home Office does not hold information on individual force policies regarding membership of organisations.

However, the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on counter corruption sets out that, as part of force notifiable association policies, officers should declare association with any individual, group, organisation or society which may cause a conflict of interest.

The ethical policing principles set out by the College of Policing are designed to support decision-making that is fair, unbiased, and open and honest about the reasons for decisions. The wider Code of Ethics, supported by a statutory Code of Practice for Ethical Policing, provides guidance on ethical and professional behaviour, including how officers and staff should manage business interests or personal associations to ensure there is no conflict with their policing duties.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to improve the defence capability to shoot down ballistic missiles targeted at the UK.

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

Ballistic Missiles are one of several threat categories that are managed through our Integrated Air and Missile Defence enterprise.

Integrated Air and Missile Defence investments will be prioritised appropriately against the threat as part of the future Integrated Force. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be prioritised appropriately against the assessed threat picture as part of the future Integrated Force and 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 steps he is taking to improve the armed forces’ ability to conduct ground launched conventional deep precision strikes.

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

Activities under the Trinity House partnership between the UK and Germany are progressing technical work to mature and inform choices for very long-range Deep Precision Strike capabilities that would expand the UK's options for retaliation to attack, or threat of attack, on the UK or its Allies.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information she holds on the value of US bonds held by the Bank of England.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK’s foreign currency assets are held by:

a) HM Treasury in the Exchange Equalisation Account (EEA). HM Treasury appoints the Bank of England as its agent to manage the EEA on a day-to-day basis.

b) The Bank of England.

Data on the UK’s holdings of foreign currency assets, split by currency, is published quarterly (with a one month lag) by the Bank of England. The latest is available here: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/uk-international-reserves/2025/december-2025

As of 30^th September 2025, the EEA holds $60,083 million of US dollar-denominated assets. The Bank of England holds $15,183 million of US dollar-denominated assets.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Mr Calvin Bailey; Lincoln Jopp

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Mr Calvin Bailey; Lincoln Jopp

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Mr Calvin Bailey; Lincoln Jopp

Found: Q41 Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: Mr Keatinge, I will start with yourself, if I may.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Mr Calvin Bailey; Alex Baker;

Submit Evidence (by 25 Mar 2026)

The inquiry will examine the current and emerging threats in the region. It will ask what the UK’s defence and security interests are, and whether we have the correct strategies, capabilities and alliances to counter these threats, particularly from Russia.