Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-France Joint Leaders' Declaration, published on 23 March 2023, what steps he has taken to demonstrate the sequencing of a more persistent European carrier strike group presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK and France, along with Italy, have jointly sequenced aircraft carrier deployments, including coordinating the deployment of HMS Prince of Wales with France's Charles de Gaulle and Italy's Cavour, to strengthen European naval presence in the Indo-Pacific. This cooperation, part of broader initiatives like the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative, enhances regional security and strategic alignment.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Government property was stolen during his disputed taxi journey from Italy to France.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No government property or material was stolen. The incident in question was reported to local Police authorities at the time and as far as we are aware is currently subject to an investigation, it would be inappropriate to discuss any matters regarding an ongoing case.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the Arab Plan for Early Recovery, Reconstruction and Development.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary welcomed the Arab initiative of a Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, alongside Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy on 8 March. To prepare for implementation, the UK has been working with partners to build international support for the Arab plan. In addition, we are exploring innovative finance mechanisms to scale up financing. With our Egyptian partners, we will be co-chairing the Humanitarian and Reconstruction working group at the postponed Two State Solution conference. We will use this opportunity to further mobilise international support for the plan and cohere international donor support and planning.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how long the Global Combat Air Programme development phase is expected to last.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Work is ongoing with our GCAP Partners Japan and Italy to establish the core platform concept and set up the structures needed, ready to launch the Development Phase in 2025.
The programme's ambition remains to deliver an aircraft into service from 2035, and the detailed milestones will be agreed following completion of the Concept and Assessment phase.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made on implementing the Arab Plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary welcomed the Arab initiative of a Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, alongside Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy on 8 March. However, reconstruction can only fully begin once there is a long-term ceasefire. To prepare for implementation, the UK has been working with partners to build international support for the Arab plan. In addition, we are exploring innovative finance mechanisms to scale up financing. With our Egyptian partners, we will be co-chairing the Humanitarian and Reconstruction working group at the Two State Solution conference in New York from 17-19 June. We will use this opportunity to further mobilise international support for the plan and cohere international donor support and planning.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 44 of his Department's policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, what estimate he has made of the change in the UK’s participation in EU (a) training and (b) education activities.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) agreed with the EU will strengthen NATO, the cornerstone of the UK’s defence. It will complement our core European bilateral partnerships – particularly France, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Norway.
The SDP will enable dialogue and cooperation on key issues like Ukraine, space, hybrid, maritime security and resilience of critical infrastructure. These exchanges will be flexible and scalable according to need. For example, we are working to ensure that our personnel and assets can more easily move across the European continent in times of both peace and crisis, including exploring participation in PESCO projects that bolster our NATO warfighting plans.
Implementation will be overseen jointly by the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary. The detail of the terms and the modalities for implementation are under discussion, including any exploration of an Administrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency, UK participation in additional EU crisis management activity and attendance at working level policy and information exchanges or secondments.
Any commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value to the UK taxpayer and deliver the UK’s defence.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 44 of his Department's policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, under what circumstances the UK will facilitate the participation of the EU in UK-led training activities.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) agreed with the EU will strengthen NATO, the cornerstone of the UK’s defence. It will complement our core European bilateral partnerships – particularly France, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Norway.
The SDP will enable dialogue and cooperation on key issues like Ukraine, space, hybrid, maritime security and resilience of critical infrastructure. These exchanges will be flexible and scalable according to need. For example, we are working to ensure that our personnel and assets can more easily move across the European continent in times of both peace and crisis, including exploring participation in PESCO projects that bolster our NATO warfighting plans.
Implementation will be overseen jointly by the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary. The detail of the terms and the modalities for implementation are under discussion, including any exploration of an Administrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency, UK participation in additional EU crisis management activity and attendance at working level policy and information exchanges or secondments.
Any commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value to the UK taxpayer and deliver the UK’s defence.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 44 of his Department's policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, under what circumstances the EU will allow the UK to increase participation in European Security and Defence College activities.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) agreed with the EU will strengthen NATO, the cornerstone of the UK’s defence. It will complement our core European bilateral partnerships – particularly France, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Norway.
The SDP will enable dialogue and cooperation on key issues like Ukraine, space, hybrid, maritime security and resilience of critical infrastructure. These exchanges will be flexible and scalable according to need. For example, we are working to ensure that our personnel and assets can more easily move across the European continent in times of both peace and crisis, including exploring participation in PESCO projects that bolster our NATO warfighting plans.
Implementation will be overseen jointly by the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary. The detail of the terms and the modalities for implementation are under discussion, including any exploration of an Administrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency, UK participation in additional EU crisis management activity and attendance at working level policy and information exchanges or secondments.
Any commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value to the UK taxpayer and deliver the UK’s defence.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 48 of his Department's policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, if he will list the groups that UK posts in third countries will cooperate with.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) agreed with the EU will strengthen NATO, the cornerstone of the UK’s defence. It will complement our core European bilateral partnerships – particularly France, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Norway.
The SDP will enable dialogue and cooperation on key issues like Ukraine, space, hybrid, maritime security and resilience of critical infrastructure. These exchanges will be flexible and scalable according to need. For example, we are working to ensure that our personnel and assets can more easily move across the European continent in times of both peace and crisis, including exploring participation in PESCO projects that bolster our NATO warfighting plans.
Implementation will be overseen jointly by the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary. The detail of the terms and the modalities for implementation are under discussion, including any exploration of an Administrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency, UK participation in additional EU crisis management activity and attendance at working level policy and information exchanges or secondments.
Any commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value to the UK taxpayer and deliver the UK’s defence.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 51 of the policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, under what circumstances he would consider (a) seconding staff (i) from and (ii) to their respective institutions and (b) collaborating on joint training initiatives.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) agreed with the EU will strengthen NATO, the cornerstone of the UK’s defence. It will complement our core European bilateral partnerships – particularly France, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Norway.
The SDP will enable dialogue and cooperation on key issues like Ukraine, space, hybrid, maritime security and resilience of critical infrastructure. These exchanges will be flexible and scalable according to need. For example, we are working to ensure that our personnel and assets can more easily move across the European continent in times of both peace and crisis, including exploring participation in PESCO projects that bolster our NATO warfighting plans.
Implementation will be overseen jointly by the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary. The detail of the terms and the modalities for implementation are under discussion, including any exploration of an Administrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency, UK participation in additional EU crisis management activity and attendance at working level policy and information exchanges or secondments.
Any commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value to the UK taxpayer and deliver the UK’s defence.