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 ensure that the Royal Fleet Auxiliary has adequate support capacity pending the fulfilment of the Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) continues to play a vital role in sustaining Royal Navy operations worldwide, and the Department remains committed to ensuring that sufficient support capacity is maintained ahead of the delivery of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships.
In the interim period, the Ministry of Defence has taken measures to mitigate any potential capability gap, including the careful management and sustainment of existing RFA replenishment vessels. In addition, the Royal Navy routinely works with allies and partners to provide mutual logistical support when operating in combined task groups, ensuring that deployed forces can be sustained effectively.
Work on RFA Resurgent is underway in yards across the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to extend the operational life of the remaining Type 23 Frigate Fleet.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy is carefully managing a surface fleet transition plan to ensure maximum availability maintained through the 2020s and into the next decade. We are replacing our ageing Type 23 Frigates with eight of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare ships, the Type 26 Frigates. They will be bolstered by five general purpose Type 31 Frigates, providing opportunity to project power, support NATO operations and influence on the global stage.
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 help improve low-cost counter-drone capabilities within the a) Army b) Royal Navy and c) Royal Airforce.
Answered by Al Carns
Low-cost counter drone capabilities are applicable across the Integrated Force, rather than single Services.
Ongoing capability development and innovation continues to ensure our systems are improved or complimented with new capabilities within a layered system to deal with the spectrum of threats.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to extend the operational life of the Type 45 Destroyer.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
All decisions on capabilities will be made in the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) which the Prime Minister is determined to publish before the NATO summit. The DIP will lay out the plan, leveraging Atlantic Shield under the Hybrid Navy construct to ensure the Royal Navy maintains warfighting readiness and is ready for future threats.
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 facilitate investment in defence infrastructure at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Ministers and officials regularly meet with Navantia UK to discuss a range of topics including Harland and Wolff shipyard.
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 has taken to improve the operational readiness of the Type a) 45 Destroyer and b) 23 Frigate.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence keeps the readiness of its Destroyer and Frigate fleets under continual review to meet operational tasking.
For security reasons, we do not routinely disclose elements of the Fleet's schedule and readiness profiles.
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 has taken to help ensure that the training of Armed Forces personnel keeps pace with technological development in systems.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Defence Training and Education policy, set out in JSP 822, embeds Training, Education and Learning (TEL) and digital capability as core enablers of modern training. This is currently under review and an updated version is expected to be published in the autumn of 2026.
Through the Defence Learning Management Capability (DLMC) programme, the Department is delivering a more coherent and integrated digital learning ecosystem. This programme is progressing the consolidation of legacy training systems into a more unified set of approved TEL capabilities, improving interoperability, scalability, and the pace at which training can adapt to new technologies, including AI where the Department has also introduced formal policy direction on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Defence training.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his Department’s policy to increase the number of operational submarine bases.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There are no current plans to increase the number of operational submarine bases. For reasons of operational security, further details on specific basing arrangements cannot be disclosed.
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 support the development of new defence shipbuilding infrastructure in British shipyards.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
After the underinvestment and hollowing out of our Armed Forces by the previous administration the Government recognises the importance of developing new infrastructure and continued investment to our sovereign shipbuilding sector, supporting the delivery of vessels for our Royal Navy.
Productivity improvements and large infrastructure upgrades are frequently made possible because of shipyards’ successful tenders awarded by the Ministry of Defence, underpinning the government's commitment to deliver growth for the sector, including through reinvestment to create social value.
Upgrades have taken place at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard, with its Janet Harvey Hall built as part of £300 million worth of investment made possible by the Type 26 programme and the UK’s successful £10 billion export deal with Norway, as well as at Babcock’s Rosyth shipyard where £200 million of upgrades were made possible by the Type 31 programme.
The Royal Navy’s ambitions for a hybrid force offers potential opportunities for our small and medium shipyards and supply chain which will drive further investment in infrastructure and capability.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will release a non-classified summary of Royal Navy tasking, deployments and readiness measures relevant to the protection of merchant shipping and UK economic interests.
Answered by Al Carns
Details of current and future tasking, specific deployments and readiness measures are not routinely disclosed where doing so could prejudice operational security or the safety of our personnel. Where it is possible to do so without compromising security, we will continue to provide non-classified information about Royal Navy activity that supports freedom of navigation, maritime security, protection of UK trade routes and of course protection of our critical undersea infrastructure and data cables.