Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of HMS President's significance as one of the last surviving Royal Navy First World War warships.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Ministry of Defence is no longer the owner of HMS President (formerly HMS Saxifrage) which was sold in the 1980s and as a result cannot directly influence her future.
We do, however, recognise the ship's historic importance and will continue to work with organisations within the maritime heritage sector to ensure HMS President is not forgotten.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to accelerate upgrades to the Devonport nuclear submarine dock.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Obese-Jecty) to question 19170 on the 2 September 2026.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-07-15/19170
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to speed up the a) development and b) deployment of new mine hunting capabilities for the Royal Navy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 March 2026 to Question 120373 to the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi):
The Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme continues to deliver an advanced suite of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) and SWEEP (the first Sovereign minesweeping capability since 2006) into service within the Royal Navy, enabling frontline mine warfare specialists to enhance operational effectiveness. These cutting-edge autonomous mine-hunting systems are deployed by the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group for evaluation, training, and operational deployment.
The comprehensive scope of the MHC programme encompasses multiple USVs, UUVs, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for identification and neutralisation, and a state-of-the-art, sovereign mine-sweeping capability. Additionally, the programme has delivered HMS STIRLING CASTLE, a dedicated support vessel designed to enhance the deployment and sustainment of autonomous systems.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to adapt laser directed-energy weapons for use on autonomous vehicles.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Recent conflicts in the Middle East have highlighted the growing threat posed by low-cost, massed drone attacks. Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) have the potential to provide a highly effective and cost-effective response to these threats, which is why the Ministry of Defence is investing £490 million over the next four years to bring these capabilities into service. DEW technologies have the potential to operate across a range of operational environments and roles. The Department continues to assess the most effective ways to deploy and integrate directed energy weapons across different environments and platforms to address threats and meet evolving military requirements.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, If he will take steps to increase the speed of upgrades to the Devonport nuclear submarine dock.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Obese-Jecty) to question 19170 (questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-07-15/19170)
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to increase the speed of the a) development and b) deployment of new autonomous vessels for the Royal Navy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Yes, we are already doing work on the Type 91-94 and Common Combat Vessel. Further detail will be released as appropriate as these programmes develop.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to defend freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is committed to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to freedom of navigation and overflight. We raise the importance of Freedom of Navigation regularly in bilateral and multilateral engagements.
Most recently, HMS TAMAR carried out Freedom of Navigation activity alongside the Royal Australian Navy on 1 September 2026 in the South China Sea.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide an list of engagements where the military had to respond to a legitimate threat to the British Overseas Territories in the last 5 years.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
For operational and security reasons the Ministry of Defence is unable to release this detail.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the living conditions of barracks for people in the armed forces.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Government is committed to improving the living conditions of Service personnel. The Defence Investment Plan includes £1.4 billion over the next four years for Single Living Accommodation, supporting the modernisation of accommodation and improvements to living standards across the Defence estate.
Accommodation improvements are being delivered through a number of programmes, including Defence Estate Optimisation, Future Defence Infrastructure Services and the SLA Framework Alliance, which are now moving into major delivery phases.
Defence launched an independent Single Living Accommodation and Overseas Estate Review in January 2026 to identify further opportunities to improve the lived experience of Service personnel and ensure accommodation better supports capability and retention.
Every two years, the department surveys Service personnel to understand their satisfaction with SLA. Findings from the 2026 survey will be published in August 2026.
Alongside accommodation investment, the Department is continuing to implement the Defence Catering Strategy to improve food quality, dining facilities and the overall experience of personnel living and working on the Defence estate.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the number of new cadets joining military cadet forces in 2026.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Government fully recognises the benefits of cadets. Participation in the Cadet Forces has significant positive impacts on young people, increasing their performance at school, and improving their employment and career prospects.
The Strategic Defence Review recommended an expansion of in-school and community-based Cadet Forces across the UK of 30% by 2030. This timeline has recently been re-set in the Defence Investment Plan to 2035 as one of the measures required to increase the rate of Armed Forces transformation. Nevertheless, we are continuing to invest to expand and modernise the Cadet Forces and improve opportunities for young people across the UK.
Work is currently underway to determine how the 30% increase in cadet numbers - which equates to an additional 40,000 cadets - will be delivered. We have been undertaking a detailed assessment of the enablers required to support expansion. This is a key element in setting the foundations for sustainable growth.
We are also developing a new Cadets Action Plan which will focus on modernising the cadet experience, providing an attractive offer to retain and recruit adult volunteers, and ensuring that our cadets and volunteers have the right resources and support.
In addition, the first National Cadets Week will be held in October 2026 to celebrate and raise the profile of the Cadet Forces, one of the country's most effective youth organisations. This will showcase the MOD Cadet Forces and give thousands of young people across the country the opportunity to discover the benefits of the cadet experience.