Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in the development of technologies associated with the fourth industrial revolution.

Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Science and Technology Framework sets out our plan for investing in 5 critical technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI); engineering biology; future telecommunications semiconductors; and quantum technologies. These have been chosen because they draw on UK strengths and create opportunities for growth, while also supporting national security, and UK goals such as net zero. We have already committed significant investment to those technologies, including £2.5 billion for quantum technologies and £2 billion for semiconductors over the next decade; up to £1 billion through our Semiconductors Strategy; and £1.5 billion in compute infrastructure across the exascale and AI Research Resource (AIRR) programmes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there has been any change to the 2028 Out of Service Date (OSD) of RFA Fort Victoria.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Navy constantly explore options to ensure optimal availability of the fleet. However, in order to preserve the Operational Security of the Fleet, individual out of service dates are no longer released.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by The Earl of Minto on 11 March (HL Deb col 1805), how will the 138 F35B Lightning aircraft be allocated to squadrons.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Lightning Force is configured to be flexible and interchangeable as individual aircraft cycle between the Forward Fleet and periods of maintenance. Squadrons will gain aircraft from the available Forward Fleet in line with their readiness cycle, expeditionary deployment requirements, and associated training and exercises. The size of Air Groups for every Carrier deployment are tailored based on the overall balance of Defence requirements at that time.

Specific airframes are not allocated to specific Squadrons on a permanent basis. As is normal across all aircraft fleets, as part of the readiness cycle and routine fleet management across the Front-Line Squadrons and Operational Conversion Unit, the exact number of airframes operated by individual units varies day-to-day. A Squadron held at Very High Readiness will require a full complement of airframes, while a Squadron on lower readiness or undertaking post Operational deployment leave will require fewer airframes for day-to-day pilot currency and competency requirements.

Our plan remains to procure 138 aircraft through the life of the programme. This procurement is phased; our first acquisition phase of 48 aircraft is underway at present, with the second phase consisting of a further 27 aircraft now progressing through the approvals process, which will form the basis of our third Front-line Lightning Squadron with deliveries expected to continue into 2033. The Ministry of Defence will seek approval for further acquisition phases at the appropriate time.

Found: Letter dated 13/03/2024 from the Earl of Minto to Lord West of Spithead regarding the ability of the