Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to identify and close remaining loopholes in the UK’s sanctions and maritime regulatory regime that allow UK linked shipping companies or insurers to support the transport of Russian liquefied natural gas, whether directly or indirectly.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 5 February 2026 to Question 109565. Since then, the UK has sanctioned a further 6 targets in Russia’s Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) industry including ships, traders and Russia’s Portovaya and Vysotsk terminals responsible for exporting Russian LNG, as part of our most recent sanctions package announced on 24 February 2026.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2026 to Question 117978 on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, how many registrations have been entered on the enhanced tier since the scheme's inception; and which countries have been identified on the enhanced tier.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Foreign Influence Registration scheme came into force on 1 July 2025 with Russia and Iran specified on the enhanced tier.
The Government do not intend to provide details of registrations beyond those that appear on the public Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) register, as doing so could identify information not intended to be published and undermine the scheme’s objectives. Registrations under the enhanced tier are not published unless they relate to political influence activities; there are also circumstances in which publication will not occur, for example where publication could create a risk to the safety or interests of the UK.
An annual report on the operation of FIRS will be laid before Parliament. This will include, among other things, the number of registrations under both tiers, the number of information notices issued, and the number of people charged and prosecuted for failing to comply with the scheme’s requirements. The first report will be published as soon as practicable after 30 June 2026.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of Ukraine’s approach to maintaining civil resilience and continuity of government during sustained attacks on critical infrastructure.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Ukraine continues to show great determination and ability to defend itself against Russia’s illegal invasion. Russia has gained less than 1.5% of Ukrainian territory since the frontlines stabilised in November 2022, suffering over 1 million casualties since the start of the full-scale invasion, and its economy is stagnating.
The UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. The Prime Minister has met with and spoken to President Zelenskyy on numerous occasions since taking office, most recently on March 17th to agree an Enhanced Security and Defence Industrial Collaboration Declaration. We are incorporating lessons relating to CNI, continuity of government and wider resilience from Ukraine’s extraordinary experience as outlined in the Resilience Action Plan and National Security Strategy.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war on the use of unmanned systems in warfare; and what steps his Department is taking to (a) incorporate lessons from Ukrainian battlefield use of drones into UK doctrine and (b) improve the UK’s defensive capabilities against hostile drone activity.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK’s Armed Forces are learning much from the war in Ukraine, particularly the need for a much faster ‘learn and adapt’ cycle to accelerate developments in our capabilities, doctrine, and tactics. More broadly, the Strategic Defence Review considered all aspects of Defence, including the capabilities required by the UK to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the twenty-first century. The Strategic Defence Review also highlighted the importance of autonomous systems both within the UK’s Integrated Force and the threats they pose to that force. Decisions on our equipment requirements, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the relevance of lessons from the war in Ukraine for addressing emerging security challenges in other regions, including the Middle East.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine on the sharing of knowledge, including insights about drones, missile threats and electronic warfare, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding has been allocated by his Department to programmes designed to incorporate lessons from the war in Ukraine into UK defence innovation since February 2022.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine and NATO partners on the sharing of knowledge and insights from the war in Ukraine, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia. UK Defence Innovation is informed by lessons from Ukraine, sharing knowledge internationally through NATO DIANA and AUKUS Pillar 2.
Under Programme LYRA, we are informing future defence and security innovation with the Government of Ukraine, sharing what works and what doesn't.
We are building a sustained defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine which will develop industrial capacity while supporting UK and Ukrainian security. The 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine facilities the rapid pursuit of sustainable production to create a dynamic ecosystem of defence innovation.
We recognise that Ukraine's experience in defending itself against large-scale aggression represents a unique and valuable resource for the development of modern defence capabilities. We are committed to promoting the systematic integration of Ukraine's operational experience into military training, doctrinal development, and capability planning.
We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the relevance to the UK defence innovation ecosystem of Ukraine’s approach to rapid defence innovation during the ongoing conflict.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine and NATO partners on the sharing of knowledge and insights from the war in Ukraine, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia. UK Defence Innovation is informed by lessons from Ukraine, sharing knowledge internationally through NATO DIANA and AUKUS Pillar 2.
Under Programme LYRA, we are informing future defence and security innovation with the Government of Ukraine, sharing what works and what doesn't.
We are building a sustained defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine which will develop industrial capacity while supporting UK and Ukrainian security. The 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine facilities the rapid pursuit of sustainable production to create a dynamic ecosystem of defence innovation.
We recognise that Ukraine's experience in defending itself against large-scale aggression represents a unique and valuable resource for the development of modern defence capabilities. We are committed to promoting the systematic integration of Ukraine's operational experience into military training, doctrinal development, and capability planning.
We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking with Ukraine and NATO allies to ensure that lessons from the war in Ukraine inform future cooperation on defence and security innovation.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine and NATO partners on the sharing of knowledge and insights from the war in Ukraine, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia. UK Defence Innovation is informed by lessons from Ukraine, sharing knowledge internationally through NATO DIANA and AUKUS Pillar 2.
Under Programme LYRA, we are informing future defence and security innovation with the Government of Ukraine, sharing what works and what doesn't.
We are building a sustained defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine which will develop industrial capacity while supporting UK and Ukrainian security. The 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine facilities the rapid pursuit of sustainable production to create a dynamic ecosystem of defence innovation.
We recognise that Ukraine's experience in defending itself against large-scale aggression represents a unique and valuable resource for the development of modern defence capabilities. We are committed to promoting the systematic integration of Ukraine's operational experience into military training, doctrinal development, and capability planning.
We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what programmes his Department has established to incorporate lessons from the war in Ukraine into UK defence innovation.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine and NATO partners on the sharing of knowledge and insights from the war in Ukraine, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia. UK Defence Innovation is informed by lessons from Ukraine, sharing knowledge internationally through NATO DIANA and AUKUS Pillar 2.
Under Programme LYRA, we are informing future defence and security innovation with the Government of Ukraine, sharing what works and what doesn't.
We are building a sustained defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine which will develop industrial capacity while supporting UK and Ukrainian security. The 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine facilities the rapid pursuit of sustainable production to create a dynamic ecosystem of defence innovation.
We recognise that Ukraine's experience in defending itself against large-scale aggression represents a unique and valuable resource for the development of modern defence capabilities. We are committed to promoting the systematic integration of Ukraine's operational experience into military training, doctrinal development, and capability planning.
We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which UK companies, universities or research institutions are participating in programmes designed to incorporate lessons from the war in Ukraine into defence innovation.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence continues to work closely with the Government of Ukraine and NATO partners on the sharing of knowledge and insights from the war in Ukraine, whose technologists and armed forces are constantly evolving capabilities to address a variety of threats from Russia. UK Defence Innovation is informed by lessons from Ukraine, sharing knowledge internationally through NATO DIANA and AUKUS Pillar 2.
Under Programme LYRA, we are informing future defence and security innovation with the Government of Ukraine, sharing what works and what doesn't.
We are building a sustained defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine which will develop industrial capacity while supporting UK and Ukrainian security. The 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine facilities the rapid pursuit of sustainable production to create a dynamic ecosystem of defence innovation.
We recognise that Ukraine's experience in defending itself against large-scale aggression represents a unique and valuable resource for the development of modern defence capabilities. We are committed to promoting the systematic integration of Ukraine's operational experience into military training, doctrinal development, and capability planning.
We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.