Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 93964 on Defence: Contracts, what the 177 contracts valued between £100 million and £500 million are for.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department confirms that there were only twenty-six contracts valued between £100 million and £500 million. Details of these contracts are provided below.
The Department is withholding information on six of these contracts for the purposes of safeguarding national security.
1. SODEXO LTD - OPC Cyprus Soft Facilities Management. The OPC SFM contract refers to the UK Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Soft Facilities Management (SFM) services on an overseas estate.
2. RHEINMETALL BAE SYSTEMS LAND LIMITED - Heavy Armour Post Design Services (Land Common Pillar.)
3. BRIGGS MARINE CONTRACTORS LIMITED - DMS Supply and Maintenance of Authority Moorings, Markers and Targets. The Contract covers the following services: the maintenance of moorings, target moorings and navigation marks owned by the Authority, the replacement of moorings and navigation marks and the sourcing, storage and supply of moorings and navigation mark components.
4. SERCO LIMITED – Defence Marine Services Offshore Support to Military Training and Exercises. The contract will provide discrete Defence services for Offshore Support to Military Training and Exercises in UK waters and select overseas territories.
5. GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS, INC. - Protector Availability Support Solution (PASS.) The provision of spares and logistics support to the Protector Air Vehicle
6. BAE SYSTEMS SURFACE SHIPS LIMITED - In Service Support for Combat Management Systems (CMS) SI and Networks. This Contract provides In Service Support (ISS) of CMS, BAES Shared Infrastructure (SI) & Networks for Royal Navy platforms, Land-Based Test Sites & training sites as well as the installation of SI Version 3 on Type 45 Destroyers. The full Contract Award Notice can be found at the link below and provides full details: RECODE - In Service Support for Combat Management Systems (CMS), Shared Infrastructure (SI) and Networks - Contract Awarded - Contracts Finder.
7. THALES UK LIMITED – Maritime Communication Capability Support.
8. ROKE MANOR RESEARCH LTD - Science & Technology Oriented Research & development in Missile defence (STORM)
9. FR AVIATION LIMITED – IMSORTS. The provision of IMSORTS includes medium/fast speed Operational Readiness Training, simulating an enemy airborne threat, principally for the Combat Air Force part of Next Generation Operational Training (NGOT) and RN (FOST).
10. GENERAL DYNAMICS UNITED KINGDOM LIMITED - Design Services Contract 2 (DSC2)
11. HONEYBEERECRUITMENT.COM LTD - Provision of Temporary Healthcare Workers for Ministry of Defence
12. BOVIS CONSTRUCTION (EUROPE) LIMITED - DEO Kendrew Barracks & Bulwell ARC Design & Build. for Infrastructure Design & Build works at Kendrew Barracks and Bulwell ARC.
13. THALES UK LIMITED - Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM)
14. IBM UNITED KINGDOM LIMITED - Defence Equipment Engineering Asset Management System (DEEAMS)
15. KIER CONSTRUCTION LTD - DEO Rock Barracks Design & Build. For Infrastructure Design & Build works at Rock Barracks.
16. KIER CONSTRUCTION LTD - Keogh Design & Build. Design & Build for Infrastructure works at Keogh Barracks.
17. CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT (NORTH) LIMITED – Hotel accommodation and assisted travel costs.
18. VITOL AVIATION UK LTD - A-Supply of Fuel to Singapore F-76 Marine Fuel VITOL (2025 to 2029)
19. BOXXE LIMITED - Microsoft Enterprise Agreement 2025 to 2028. The Contracting Authority (Defence Digital) has a requirement to contract with a supplier who can support with the renewal and running of Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.
20. AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE LIMITED - Project OBERON - Design, build and Launch SAR LEO Cluster of Satellites. Project OBERON is a multi-year Contract that will be for the full design, build, integration, Launch and first year of mission operations for a LEO Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote Northern Ireland’s economic and cultural interests through UK embassies overseas.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to ensuring the Devolved Governments' economic and cultural interests are promoted internationally. Invest Northern Ireland officials are co-located in a number of FCDO overseas posts, and across the world our missions work to promote Northern Ireland, and the UK as a whole. This includes supporting Northern Ireland Ministers when they travel overseas.
As part of a series of new Heads of Mission Roadshows to UK countries and regions, our High Commissioner to Singapore visited Northern Ireland in September 2025 to advance opportunities for Singaporean foreign direct investment in Northern Ireland. The most recent Soft Power Council Meeting was also held in Belfast in October. This was a key forum for the FCDO, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Devolved Governments and stakeholders in Northern Ireland to come together and create a unified strategy that can leverage the UK's cultural offer internationally.
I was delighted to host representatives of Northern Ireland creative industries at the recent Western Balkans summit at Hillsborough Castle, and to showcase the best of Northern Ireland to visiting Foreign Ministers and officials.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of foreign investment in the UK comes from countries situated in (1) the European Union, (2) the Commonwealth and (3) the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership area.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Darren Tierney | Permanent Secretary
The Lord Risby
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
25 November 2025
Dear Lord Risby,
As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question to asking what proportion of foreign investment in the UK comes from countries situated in (1) the European Union, (2) the Commonwealth and (3) the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership area (HL12070).
Our statistics for inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) positions measure the investment held by UK-resident companies that have foreign immediate parent companies. These are essentially the stock of investment held at a point in time. Table 3.1 of our annual Foreign direct investment involving UK companies (directional): inward statistics shows that the stock of inward direct investment from the European Union was £758,137 million at the end of 2023[1]. This was equivalent to 34.8% of the UK total inward FDI position.
We do not publish a total value for inward FDI with the Commonwealth. However, we have published FDI statistics for all countries. Table 1 below includes the FDI inward FDI position values and percentage of the UK total FDI position accounted for by each Commonwealth country in 2023.
We also do not routinely publish a total value for inward FDI with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) countries. However, we have published FDI statistics for all countries. Table 2 below includes the FDI inward position values and percentage of the UK total accounted for by each member of the CPTPP in 2023.
Yours sincerely,
Darren Tierney
Table 1: Inward foreign direct investment positions with Commonwealth countries at the end of 2023, £ million and as a percentage of the UK total inward FDI position[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]
Economy | Value (£ million) | Percentage of UK total |
Antigua and Barbuda | 2 | 0.0 |
Australia | 20,781 | 1.0 |
The Bahamas | c | z |
Bangladesh | 1,060 | 0.0 |
Barbados | 19,190 | 0.9 |
Belize | 44 | 0.0 |
Botswana | 16 | 0.0 |
Brunei Darussalam | 6 | 0.0 |
Cameroon | 3 | 0.0 |
Canada | 29,513 | 1.4 |
Cyprus | 6,065 | 0.3 |
Dominica | 6 | 0.0 |
Eswatini | low | 0.0 |
Fiji | 8 | 0.0 |
Gabon | 1 | 0.0 |
The Gambia | 4 | 0.0 |
Ghana | 674 | 0.0 |
Grenada | low | 0.0 |
Guyana | 1 | 0.0 |
India | 12,419 | 0.6 |
Jamaica | 37 | 0.0 |
Kenya | 24 | 0.0 |
Kiribati | low | 0.0 |
Lesotho | low | 0.0 |
Malawi | 4 | 0.0 |
Malaysia | 1,679 | 0.1 |
Maldives | low | 0.0 |
Malta | 6,554 | 0.3 |
Mauritius | 689 | 0.0 |
Mozambique | low | 0.0 |
Namibia | 3 | 0.0 |
Nauru | low | 0.0 |
New Zealand | 908 | 0.0 |
Nigeria | 489 | 0.0 |
Pakistan | 90 | 0.0 |
Papua New Guinea | 2 | 0.0 |
Rwanda | 671 | 0.0 |
St Kitts and Nevis | 31 | 0.0 |
Saint Lucia | 7 | 0.0 |
St Vincent and the Grenadines | 19 | 0.0 |
Samoa | 219 | 0.0 |
Seychelles | 152 | 0.0 |
Sierra Leone | 2 | 0.0 |
Singapore | 19,107 | 0.9 |
Solomon Islands | low | 0.0 |
South Africa | 3,641 | 0.2 |
Sri Lanka | 13,124 | 0.6 |
Tanzania | 2 | 0.0 |
Togo | low | 0.0 |
Tonga | low | 0.0 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 0.0 |
Tuvalu | low | 0.0 |
Uganda | 5 | 0.0 |
Vanuatu | 8 | 0.0 |
Zambia | 3 | 0.0 |
Table 2: Inward foreign direct investment positions with Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership countries at the end of 2023,
£ million and as a percentage of the UK total 3,5,6,[7]
Economy | Value (£ million) | Percentage of UK total |
Australia | 20,781 | 1.0 |
Brunei Darussalam | 6 | 0.0 |
Canada | 29,513 | 1.4 |
Chile | c | z |
Japan | 78,424 | 3.6 |
Malaysia | 1,679 | 0.1 |
Mexico | c | z |
New Zealand | 908 | 0.0 |
Peru | 7 | 0.0 |
Singapore | 19,107 | 0.9 |
Vietnam | 9 | 0.0 |
[2] There were 55 other members of the Commonwealth plus the UK as of 21 November 2025 according to the Commonwealth Secretariat: https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries
[3] “c” denotes value suppressed to protect confidentiality so that individual companies cannot be identified.
[4] “low” denotes a value below £0.5 million.
[5] “z” is used where the country value is suppressed, and the percentage of the UK total will not be available.
[7] CPTPP membership was taken from gov.uk, and includes the members that had ratified the UK’s accession and those that had yet to ratify as of 21 November 2025
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much paid civil service time did it take to create The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK is the most targeted country in Europe for cyber-attacks and with most connected products used here manufactured abroad, so developing these Regulations required collaboration with international partners to reduce complexity for manufacturers and consumers.
The process of developing any legislation is inherently complex and time-consuming, involving extensive consultation, drafting, and scrutiny. Development of the draft Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 was no different and involved a collaborative effort between DSIT policy officials and legal experts, as well as discussing the appropriate terminology used in the draft Regulations with our counterparts in Japan and Singapore.
We do not have figures for the exact amount of civil service time involved but can confirm that developing this Statutory Instrument was part of the work of the Cyber Security & Digital Identity Directorate within DSIT.
We have worked closely with global partners to develop the internationally recognised European Standard for Cyber Security in Consumer Internet of Things devices ETSI EN 303 645. This standard is the foundation for nearly every major consumer product security regime worldwide and we are engaging with international partners to encourage its uptake in their connected devices regimes.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what review process the Department has in place to assess the suitability of (a) the UK-Singapore Bilateral Investment Treaty and (b) other trade and investment treaties.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s International Investment Agreements (IIAs) aim to enhance opportunities for UK businesses to expand overseas, with commitments that seek to limit the barriers they face, make it easier to navigate local rules, and ensure investments are treated lawfully, and protected against unfair or arbitrary action.
The UK draws on the full range of investment commitments and international best practice in our international investment agreements to promote growth, deliver our clean energy goals, and continue to uphold the UK’s right to regulate and build strong trade and investment relationships. There is no specific review process within such Agreements.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 78 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, who the UK’s regional partners are in the South China Sea.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK's regional partners listed in the Strategic Defence Review include Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The UK also has a long-standing partnership with Brunei, where we have recently renewed our agreement to maintain the Garison, which is home to a battalion from the Royal Gurkha Regiment. Alongside New Zealand and Australia, Singapore and Malaysia, the UK is a member of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, which promotes cooperation and interoperability in the region. The UK also regularly collaborate with our remaining Five Eyes partners Canada and the United States.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to page 11 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what diplomatic steps she has taken with her counterpart in Singapore to help shape International norms.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is delivering this objective through both multilateral fora, including the World Trade Organisation and United Nations, and through bilateral engagement with a range of global partners, including Canada. The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to counterparts across the world about trade cooperation and security, to ensure we can deliver for the UK's future.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential barriers to UK investment in Singapore.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UK companies and investors experience relatively few barriers to investment in Singapore. At the end of 2023, the stock of Foreign Direct Investment from the UK in Singapore was £15.9 billion, a 23% increase on the end of 2022.
UK investors can benefit from provisions in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which provides guarantees on market access and treatment they will receive when accessing and operating in Singapore. This includes ensuring that they are not discriminated against relative to domestic investors.
The Government continues to invite business views and feedback regarding any potential barriers.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to track the potential impact of UK-Singapore co-operation on digital trade.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA), and associated Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), support cooperation on key themes of digital trade. We monitor impact via regular dialogue with the Singaporean government, as part of the UK-Singapore free trade agreement subcommittee, and through regular engagement with businesses. Recent business engagement resulted in analysis (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identifying-new-growth-opportunities-within-the-uk-singapore-dea/identifying-new-uk-growth-opportunities-within-the-uk-singapore-dea-and-future-digital-partnerships) showing that stakeholders believe these MoUs support collaboration and lead to tangible benefits as seen, for example, in pilot projects conducted under the Digital Trade Facilitation MoU. For more on the DEA’s impact on reducing non-tariff barriers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer to UIN 44934: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ratify the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation; and by when they expect it will be ratified.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the important role that mediation can play in resolving commercial disputes and promoting access to justice, alongside other dispute resolution methods such as litigation and arbitration.
The UK signed the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (known as the Singapore Convention) in May 2023. The Government is currently consulting stakeholders in the UK legal and mediation sectors, and other experts, on how the Convention could be implemented in domestic law. We are committed to ratifying the Convention once all the necessary domestic implementing measures are in place.