Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has a formal target date to create an Integrated Force.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Integrated Force Model as per the Strategic Defence Review has four elements: a single force design; a common set of foundational enablers; digital enablement at its core; and collaboration with other Government Departments in real time. The first element – a single force design – will be delivered through the ongoing work to develop the Defence Investment Plan. The integrated force design will be completed this year, with implementation thereafter. The other three elements will be delivered incrementally as part of continued efforts to modernise and reform Defence.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Valour Veterans' Support Programme will include working with existing social enterprises that provide advice, services and support to veterans.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The VALOUR programme will engage across a wide range of stakeholders who provide support services for veterans, including social enterprises. VALOUR Field Officers will work with these stakeholders to improve the coordination of veteran support. The programme will also work with existing organisations to ensure VALOUR Recognised Centres provide a holistic network of support centres for veterans, in areas such as health, housing, employment and finance.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what are the restrictions on officer roles for late entry officers in the Army; and why those restrictions are in place.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Late Entry (LE) officers are eligible to apply for the same appointments as Direct Entry (DE) officers, and since 2023 all officers have been considered together for roles under a single, merit-based system.
There are no formal restrictions preventing LE officers from being appointed to particular posts. However, in practice some roles require specific experience or career pathways that DE officers are more likely to have, while other posts-particularly those drawing heavily on soldiering experience-are better suited to LEs. Selection is always based on the needs of the Army and the knowledge, skills and experience required for each role.
The Army is currently reviewing how to improve parity between LE and DE career structures, including how LE officers might access a broader range of roles and development opportunities, while ensuring operational effectiveness remains the priority.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that the consultation process for the independent review into foreign interference in UK politics remains (i) transparent and (ii) accessible to people outside major political parties.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Decisions made about the Rycroft Review, within the scope of its terms of reference, are a matter for the independent reviewer and his team.
The review team’s email address is published online alongside the terms of reference here.
The review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the current online Royal Navy recruitment campaign, how many merchant seafarers currently employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary work a 3-month on, 3-month off schedule; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The ability to opt-in to a reduced assignment length continues to be available to all Royal Fleet Auxiliary Seafarers. As of January 2026, 10% of permanent employees have chosen this schedule. The previous detail on the recruiting site suggesting this as the default crewing model has been removed.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the financial stability of Thames Water.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The water white paper published on the 20 January sets out the Government’s plans to reform the water sector and the wider water system. It will create a new regulator with powers to prevent companies from accumulating unmanageable debts and to ensure the sector as a whole is financially resilient.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of publishing a call for evidence for the independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Decisions made about the Rycroft Review, within the scope of its terms of reference, are a matter for the independent reviewer and his team.
The review team’s email address is published online alongside the terms of reference here.
The review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding was allocated to the Greater London Authority in each year of the 2026-36 affordable housing programme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Greater London Authority has secured up to £11.7 billion to deliver the London portion of the government’s Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which will run from 2026 to 2036.
The programme will support the delivery of thousands of new social and affordable homes across London, with the overall housing target for the programme to be confirmed after the initial bidding round.
Funding is available to deliver projects that can start on site by March 2036 and complete by March 2039.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to establish the (a) hourly rate of pay and (b) annual hours of each seafarer grade at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We are already working to redefine Terms and Conditions of service for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, including salaried obligations, is already underway. This work will inform a pay and reward strategy to enhance lived experience and optimise effective and efficient capability in line with the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review.
Asked by: Lee Barron (Labour - Corby and East Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the temporary removal of tariffs on egg imports from Ukraine on UK egg producers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2028 following the two-year extension announced on 19 January 2026.