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 26 November 2025, what steps he has taken to help tackle issues relating to noise and vibration prior to declaring Initial Operating Capability.

Ajax has been through rigorous trials and an assured safety process, including with the Health and Safety Executive, with the evidence showing it is safe to operate.

We will always put the safety of our personnel first and the current pause shows that we will investigate any issues when they arise.

I am also putting in place a Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme, which will assess how effective the department has been at implementing the actions of previous reviews, and seeking anything further that is required regarding safety.

It will be conducted by experts who are not part of the AJAX programme, including Malcolm Chalmers, to provide a more independent view. It will be overseen by myself and report to the Defence Secretary.