Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference his Department’s press release on 28 December 2025 regarding the signing of a £52 million contract for RCH 155, what assessment has he made of the potential benefits to UK industry from this contract.

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

The Early Capability Demonstrator platforms of the RCH155, two for Germany and one for the UK, will be built in Germany for joint testing.

The project remains in its assessment phase and a production contract has not yet been placed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference his Department’s press release on 28 December 2025 regarding the signing of a £52 million contract for RCH 155, how much UK content will be part of the production of the capability.

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

The Early Capability Demonstrator platforms of the RCH155, two for Germany and one for the UK, will be built in Germany for joint testing.

The project remains in its assessment phase and a production contract has not yet been placed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference his Department’s press release entitled UK and Germany sign £52m contract for cutting-edge artillery, published on 28 December 2025, where the capability will be manufactured.

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

The Early Capability Demonstrator platforms of the RCH155, two for Germany and one for the UK, will be built in Germany for joint testing.

The project remains in its assessment phase and a production contract has not yet been placed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve the Service Justice System.

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

The Ministry of Defence is taking forward a comprehensive programme of reforms to strengthen and modernise the Service Justice System. As a result, investigations, prosecutions and victim support have all significantly improved in recent years. We want to build on the progress made and this is why the Armed Forces Bill strengthens how the Service Justice System tackles violence against women and girls, enhances support and rights for victims in the Service Justice System and, modernises investigation, charging and discipline procedures in the Service Justice System.

The Defence Serious Crime Command, launched in December 2022, operates independently of the Chain of Command, ensuring impartial investigations into serious offences committed in the UK and overseas. It is implementing the National Operating Model under Operation SOTERIA, in line with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing guidance. This ensures that investigations into rape and serious sexual offences are victim-centred, suspect-focused and consistent with nationally recognised policing standards. The Victim Witness Care Unit provides independent, trauma-informed, end-to-end support to victims and witnesses through dedicated Victim Liaison Officers and operates outside of the Armed Forces’ Chain of Command.

Noting the procedural differences between the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales and the Service Justice System, published administrative data drawn from the Criminal Justice System Delivery Dashboard and statistics on timeliness, victim withdrawal rates and conviction rates in adult-rape-flagged cases in the Service Justice System suggest that cases are dealt with much more quickly in the Service Justice System with a smaller proportion of victims withdrawing from proceedings. Following charge, adult-rape-flagged cases in 2024 reached an outcome in the Crown Court in 358 days with 19% of victims withdrawing from proceedings and 199 days in the Court Martial with no victims withdrawing from proceedings.

Whilst conviction rates cannot be reliably compared between the two systems due to differences in case volume, procedure, victim withdrawal rates and case profile, administrative data published in CPS quarterly data summaries and the above-mentioned statistics on timeliness, victim withdrawal rates and conviction rates in adult-rape-flagged cases in the Service Justice System also cast further doubt on claims that the conviction rate in the Crown Court is higher. Excluding guilty pleas, 51% of adult-rape-flagged cases in 2022 to 2024 in the Court Martial resulted in a conviction whereas 36% resulted in a conviction in the Crown Court.

In its November 2024 report regarding the Service Prosecuting Authority, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate stated that “the level of timeliness and support for victims in the Service Justice System is something we would like to see afforded to all victims in all jurisdictions.”

For more information on the statistics quoted above please see:

https://criminal-justice-delivery-data-dashboards.justice.gov.uk/all-metrics

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/service-justice-system-data-transparency-release/statistics-on-timeliness-victim-withdrawal-rates-and-conviction-rates-in-adult-rape-flagged-cases-in-the-service-justice-system

https://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/performance-management-and-case-outcomes/cps-quarterly-data-summaries

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to provide additional financial support for (a) estranged students, (b) care leavers in higher education and (c) students without living parents in the context of the potential impact of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 on student housing.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government recognises that independent students including care leavers, care experienced students and estranged students may require additional support to access higher education.

As announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper, we will increase student loan support in line with inflation and re-introduce targeted maintenance grants. We will also provide extra support for care leavers, ensuring all are automatically eligible to receive maximum student loan support, irrespective of their household income or living circumstances. In addition, care leavers will continue to receive a £2000 non-repayable bursary, to support with their living expenses.

We will work in collaboration with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and relevant external stakeholders to monitor the impacts of the Renters’ Rights Act and explore the accommodation needs of independent students studying in higher education. The department will soon be publishing a Statement of Expectations for the higher education sector, which will urge higher education providers to plan strategically for the supply of suitable accommodation for their students and include guidance on how providers can support the needs of vulnerable students.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Renters' Right Act on independent students who require accommodation between June and September.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government recognises that independent students including care leavers, care experienced students and estranged students may require additional support to access higher education.

As announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper, we will increase student loan support in line with inflation and re-introduce targeted maintenance grants. We will also provide extra support for care leavers, ensuring all are automatically eligible to receive maximum student loan support, irrespective of their household income or living circumstances. In addition, care leavers will continue to receive a £2000 non-repayable bursary, to support with their living expenses.

We will work in collaboration with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and relevant external stakeholders to monitor the impacts of the Renters’ Rights Act and explore the accommodation needs of independent students studying in higher education. The department will soon be publishing a Statement of Expectations for the higher education sector, which will urge higher education providers to plan strategically for the supply of suitable accommodation for their students and include guidance on how providers can support the needs of vulnerable students.

Marking the 60th anniversary of the University of the Air White Paper

Found: the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jonathan Davies; Mr Lee Dillon; Mary Glindon; Will Stone

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon; Will Stone;

Found: the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jonathan Davies; Mr Lee Dillon; Mary Glindon; Will Stone