Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 26 November 2025 on Ajax Programme Update, HCWS 1099, which Ajax variants are being assessed as part of the safety investigation.

On 22 November, during a routine training exercise, around 30 soldiers operating in Ajax reported being affected by noise and vibration exposure. Out of an abundance of caution, and in line with our safety protocols, the exercise was halted within 30 minutes so that those affected could receive appropriate medical care.

Fortunately, none of the symptoms were severe enough to require hospitalisation,.

As a result, I directed the Army to pause all use of Ajax for training and exercising, while a safety investigation is carried out into the events. Those investigations are ongoing and I will update the House at an appropriate point.

I have 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 me and report to the Defence Secretary.