Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to improve the air-to-air refuelling capabilities of the Royal Air Force.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave to Question 63066 on 4 July 2025 to the hon member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty).
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will expand the nuclear capabilities of the Royal Navy.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There are no plans to expand the existing nuclear capabilities of the Royal Navy beyond those announced in the Strategic Defence Review published on 2 June 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to enter into an association agreement with the EU on (a) UK participation in (i) the European Defence Agency, (ii) the European Defence Fund and (iii) Permanent Structured Cooperation and (b) other defence matters.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As agreed in the Security and Defence Partnership, the EU and UK will regularly exchange on defence initiatives.
Implementation discussions will begin shortly, exploring the possibility of establishing an Administrative Arrangement between the UK and the European Defence Agency, as well as cooperation in individual PESCO projects. Currently participation in the European Defence Fund (EDF) is open only to industry located in European Union Member States and those members of the European Economic Area associated with the EDF (Norway).
Any UK commitment – financial or otherwise – will ensure value for taxpayers and support defence goals.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help support (a) UK and (b) allied operations aimed at disrupting cocaine trafficking networks operating (i) through Venezuela and (ii) in the wider Caribbean region.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 February 2025 to Question 26446. A Royal Navy ship maintains a persistent presence in the Caribbean Sea where it contributes to regional security through the conduct of counter-illicit trafficking operations.
Defence maintains close relationships with independent states throughout the region and works in partnership with Canada, France, the Netherlands and the United States to align and conduct joint activity.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of UK participation in EU defence industrial programmes on (a) the AUKUS agreement and (b) other existing defence procurement partnerships.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As the Strategic Defence Review recognised, international partnerships are crucial for the UK’s security and prosperity. The UK remains firmly committed to the AUKUS partnership and is working closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which AUKUS presents for our three nations. The new Security and Defence Partnership with the EU is complementary to our existing work and the full range of our defence partnerships.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the proposed Security Pact with the EU will be based on the 2018 EU template for third-country participation in EU defence and foreign policy structures.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
At the UK-EU Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU agreed a unique and bespoke Security and Defence Partnership. The Partnership has been designed to complement our core bilateral security partnerships and support this Government’s commitment to NATO, which remains the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security.
The partnership documents frames cooperation through dialogues, information exchange and identification of collaborative opportunities including case-by-case involvement in EU initiatives.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve defence co-operation with Singapore.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I am pleased to report positive momentum on our defence co-operation with Singapore. The Secretary of State for Defence met with the previous Singaporean Defence Minister in October 2024. Between March and May 2025, the Commander of UK Strategic Command, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Minister for the House of Lords and Chief of the Defence Staff met with their Singaporean counterparts to discuss means to enhance cooperation.
The Strategic Defence Review highlights the importance of our investment in the Five Power Defence Arrangements including Singapore to promote cooperation in the region. We have sought to deepen interoperability with Singapore including through shared logistics and support to enable the persistent deployment of our two offshore patrol vessels in the Indo Pacific. In May, we welcomed the RSS Formidable to London, the first Singaporean ship to the UK in 25 years.
Looking ahead, the UK's Carrier Strike Group will visit Singapore as its first port call in the region, during which time the Minister for the House of Lords and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff will visit.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve the defence of the maritime infrastructure of British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is responsible for the defence and security of all British Overseas Territories and takes these responsibilities incredibly seriously. The Ministry Of Defence routinely monitors for hostile activity and will take appropriate action in response to any legitimate threat, including providing high readiness maritime, land and air assets to deter and respond to threats as required. This includes defending our people, our territory, and our infrastructure, as necessary.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve British fixed undersea surveillance capabilities.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The recent Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 has set out strategic initiatives in the Maritime domain in terms of undersea surveillance capabilities to protect critical infrastructure and monitor threats. The SDR also advocates AI and machine learning to improve sonar algorithms and enhance data analysis for underwater surveillance. We will also continue our close collaboration with allies to monitor subsea threats and protect critical infrastructure.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve the maritime defence of British Exclusive Economic Zones.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The primary role of the Royal Navy is to defend and protect the UK, whilst enhancing its resilience. As part of this core task, it monitors, tracks and responds to any potential threats in the UK EEZ, through frequent patrolling by British warships, monitoring and shadowing warships in UK waters, and use of the Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) programme, among other activity and capabilities. The Government has also been clear on its readiness and willingness to respond decisively to any maritime threat to the UK and its interests.
The Strategic Defence Review has highlighted the enduring requirement to secure the UK maritime zone, and the steps needed to ensure the Royal Navy are equipped to respond to the changing nature of threat in this domain. The Government has accepted the review’s recommendations in full.