Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December 2025, if he will list the capabilities that are due to be deployed in the water in 2026.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy will be deploying new undersea warfare technology as part of Atlantic Net, a new initiative that will see the Royal Navy rapidly field and iterate undersea warfare technology in collaboration with a commercial mission partner or partners. The competition for the first Atlantic Net commercial competition closed on 26 Nov 2025. I know the Hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister that public disclosure on the companies that have submitted proposals, or a breakdown of firms and capabilities involved would prejudice fair competition.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December 2025, if he will provide a breakdown of the firms that have submitted proposals to develop anti-submarine sensor technology by country of origin.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy will be deploying new undersea warfare technology as part of Atlantic Net, a new initiative that will see the Royal Navy rapidly field and iterate undersea warfare technology in collaboration with a commercial mission partner or partners. The competition for the first Atlantic Net commercial competition closed on 26 Nov 2025. I know the Hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister that public disclosure on the companies that have submitted proposals, or a breakdown of firms and capabilities involved would prejudice fair competition.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December 2025, if he will list the firms from (a) the UK and (b) Europe that have submitted proposals to develop anti-submarine sensor technology.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy will be deploying new undersea warfare technology as part of Atlantic Net, a new initiative that will see the Royal Navy rapidly field and iterate undersea warfare technology in collaboration with a commercial mission partner or partners. The competition for the first Atlantic Net commercial competition closed on 26 Nov 2025. I know the Hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister that public disclosure on the companies that have submitted proposals, or a breakdown of firms and capabilities involved would prejudice fair competition.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken to protect British waters from Russian submarines.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
As the Strategic Defence Review outlines, there is a persistent and growing underwater threat to the UK and NATO from a modernising Russian submarine force.
In response, the Ministry of Defence has announced Atlantic Bastion – the Royal Navy's programme creating an advanced hybrid naval force to defend the UK and NATO allies against this evolving threat.
Atlantic Bastion will see ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned vessels connected through AI-powered acoustic detection technology and integrated into a digital targeting web. Atlantic Bastion will enable the Armed Forces to find, track and, if required, act against adversaries with unprecedented effectiveness across vast areas of ocean. It represents a generational shift in capability and dominance in the North Atlantic.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the strength of the Joint Expeditionary Force to deter Russian threats in the High North.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Secretary of State for Defence last met with his Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) counterparts at the JEF Defence Ministers meeting from 4-5 November 2025 in Bodø, Norway. This was the first JEF Defence Ministers meeting to be held in the High North, demonstrating the JEF’s focus on the region. We are considering dates for the next meeting. Addressing threats in the High North will remain a key focus for discussion at the next JEF Leaders’ Summit, which will be held in Finland in Q1 2026.
While NATO remains the ultimate guarantor of European security, the JEF enhances the collective security and stability of Northern Europe, the High North, and the Baltic Region. It provides, a rapid, adaptable, high-readiness military capability for crisis response, collective defence, and security providing credible, high-readiness responses to hybrid scenarios across all domains, as was demonstrated with Nordic Warden in December 2024, the rapid response to the damage of the Esstlink-2 power cable in the Baltic Sea.
As Framework Nation for the JEF, the UK is constantly working to improve readiness and coordination amongst JEF members. Exercise TARASSIS, the JEF’s key activity in 2025 and the largest JEF activity in its 11-year history, was held across the High North and Baltic regions through September and October 2025. JEF activity will continue to develop in the region over the next year with an ambitious series of exercises designed to build upon TARASSIS and further strengthen the interoperability and effectiveness of the JEF.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last met with his counterparts from countries involved in the Joint Expeditionary Force to discuss Russian threats in the High North.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Secretary of State for Defence last met with his Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) counterparts at the JEF Defence Ministers meeting from 4-5 November 2025 in Bodø, Norway. This was the first JEF Defence Ministers meeting to be held in the High North, demonstrating the JEF’s focus on the region. We are considering dates for the next meeting. Addressing threats in the High North will remain a key focus for discussion at the next JEF Leaders’ Summit, which will be held in Finland in Q1 2026.
While NATO remains the ultimate guarantor of European security, the JEF enhances the collective security and stability of Northern Europe, the High North, and the Baltic Region. It provides, a rapid, adaptable, high-readiness military capability for crisis response, collective defence, and security providing credible, high-readiness responses to hybrid scenarios across all domains, as was demonstrated with Nordic Warden in December 2024, the rapid response to the damage of the Esstlink-2 power cable in the Baltic Sea.
As Framework Nation for the JEF, the UK is constantly working to improve readiness and coordination amongst JEF members. Exercise TARASSIS, the JEF’s key activity in 2025 and the largest JEF activity in its 11-year history, was held across the High North and Baltic regions through September and October 2025. JEF activity will continue to develop in the region over the next year with an ambitious series of exercises designed to build upon TARASSIS and further strengthen the interoperability and effectiveness of the JEF.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Joint Expeditionary Force in deterring Russian threats in the High North.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Secretary of State for Defence last met with his Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) counterparts at the JEF Defence Ministers meeting from 4-5 November 2025 in Bodø, Norway. This was the first JEF Defence Ministers meeting to be held in the High North, demonstrating the JEF’s focus on the region. We are considering dates for the next meeting. Addressing threats in the High North will remain a key focus for discussion at the next JEF Leaders’ Summit, which will be held in Finland in Q1 2026.
While NATO remains the ultimate guarantor of European security, the JEF enhances the collective security and stability of Northern Europe, the High North, and the Baltic Region. It provides, a rapid, adaptable, high-readiness military capability for crisis response, collective defence, and security providing credible, high-readiness responses to hybrid scenarios across all domains, as was demonstrated with Nordic Warden in December 2024, the rapid response to the damage of the Esstlink-2 power cable in the Baltic Sea.
As Framework Nation for the JEF, the UK is constantly working to improve readiness and coordination amongst JEF members. Exercise TARASSIS, the JEF’s key activity in 2025 and the largest JEF activity in its 11-year history, was held across the High North and Baltic regions through September and October 2025. JEF activity will continue to develop in the region over the next year with an ambitious series of exercises designed to build upon TARASSIS and further strengthen the interoperability and effectiveness of the JEF.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will next meet with his counterparts involved in the Joint Expeditionary Force to discuss Russian threats in the High North.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Secretary of State for Defence last met with his Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) counterparts at the JEF Defence Ministers meeting from 4-5 November 2025 in Bodø, Norway. This was the first JEF Defence Ministers meeting to be held in the High North, demonstrating the JEF’s focus on the region. We are considering dates for the next meeting. Addressing threats in the High North will remain a key focus for discussion at the next JEF Leaders’ Summit, which will be held in Finland in Q1 2026.
While NATO remains the ultimate guarantor of European security, the JEF enhances the collective security and stability of Northern Europe, the High North, and the Baltic Region. It provides, a rapid, adaptable, high-readiness military capability for crisis response, collective defence, and security providing credible, high-readiness responses to hybrid scenarios across all domains, as was demonstrated with Nordic Warden in December 2024, the rapid response to the damage of the Esstlink-2 power cable in the Baltic Sea.
As Framework Nation for the JEF, the UK is constantly working to improve readiness and coordination amongst JEF members. Exercise TARASSIS, the JEF’s key activity in 2025 and the largest JEF activity in its 11-year history, was held across the High North and Baltic regions through September and October 2025. JEF activity will continue to develop in the region over the next year with an ambitious series of exercises designed to build upon TARASSIS and further strengthen the interoperability and effectiveness of the JEF.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, as part of talks seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, they plan to raise the issue of Ukrainian children living in Russian-occupied territories being detained and taken to Russia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answers I provided to the House on Ukraine: Forcible Removal of Children on 24 November. We remain, as ever, committed to supporting Ukrainian efforts to facilitate the return and reintegration of children deported by Russia.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the re-entry of Russia into the G8; and what assessment they have made of whether Russia should pay compensation for the damage caused since its invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the statement the Prime Minister made in the House of Commons on 25 November 2025 [Columns 219] and to the answers provided by The Lord Privy Seal to the House of Lords on Ukraine on 26 November [Columns 1390 & 1392].