Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with references to the Written Statement on the Armoured Cavalry Programme (HCWS1099), published on 26th November 2025, what assurances was the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry given prior to announcing Initial Operating Capability.

Before declaring Initial Operating Capability, I received written assurances from the Chief of the General Staff and the acting NAD that the vehicle was safe to operate. Within the letter note AJAX the vehicle was described as ‘demonstrably safe to operate”.