Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

As confirmed to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Defence on July 1 2021 [HCWS142] AWE plc became a Non-Departmental Public Body, wholly owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). That decision followed a review of the AWE governance model which concluded the change in operating model was required to enhance both the MOD and AWE’s ability to put in place the skills and facilities required to deliver the Replacement Warhead Programme and deliver value for money to the taxpayer.