Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his German counterpart on ensuring that collaboration on the Boxer 155mm platform will not be subject to an export veto by the German (a) federal government and (b) parliament.

I have closely engaged with my German counterpart on the Boxer 155mm project, including consideration of future export prospects. The Prime Minister also discussed the project and the position on exports with Chancellor Scholz ahead of announcing the joint way ahead in Berlin on 24 April. Following the announcement, I also met with Secretary Zimmer in the Ministerial Equipment and Capability Cooperation(MECC) format on 8 May during which we discussed our plans to progress to the next stage of the programme.