Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel have had a hearing assessment following operating within an Ajax or Ajax-platform vehicle.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

All Ajax users follow routine audiometry protocols which includes an annual hearing test. This is required for users of all armoured vehicles.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of (a) noise and (b) vibration on the (i) Ajax, (ii) Ares and (iii) Athena vehicles on the health of service personnel.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As safety of our personnel is the top priority for the Ministerial Team, prior to Ajax Initial Operating Capability being announced, I sought assurances in writing from the Chief of the Defence Staff and the National Armaments Director that the system was safe to operate, which I received..

As such, following the recent incident where noise and vibration symptoms were reported by some personnel operating Ajax, and out of an abundance of caution, I directed a pause on the use of Ajax for training and exercising, while a safety investigation is carried out.

The Defence Accident Investigation Board are working with the Army Safety Investigation Team and General Dynamics at pace to conduct an investigation into the incident.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many instances of vibration sickness have been recorded with a) Ajax, b) Ares, c) Athena and d) other Ajax-variants since 6th November 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Safety of personnel is a top priority for me. As reported to the House in my recent Written Statement dated 26 November. On 22 November, during a routine training exercise, around 30 soldiers operating in Ajax reported being affected by noise and vibration exposure. Out of an abundance of caution, and in line with our safety protocols, the exercise was halted within 30 minutes so that those affected could receive appropriate medical care. Importantly, none of the symptoms were severe enough to require hospitalisation.

Of the 61 vehicles of all AJAX types were involved in the exercise, 23 AJAX Vehicles were linked to soldiers suffering from noise or vibration injury.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the £360m Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund has been invested since the fund was announced.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

On 19 May 2025, the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund was announced to support the next generation of fishers. A key principle of the fund is that we will work with the industry to target investment where it matters most. That engagement has started and will continue until the end of 2025. The fund is intended for delivery from 2026/27, so engagement is a key priority for this year. As such, no funds have yet been invested as we are working through the fund’s priorities with stakeholders. Once this engagement has concluded, further details on the fund will be provided.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of the additional £32 billion required to meet the pledge to spend 3.5% of GDP identified by the Office for Budget Responsibility in its 2025 Economic Financial Outlook.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

We are set to spend 2.6 percent of GDP on defence spending in 2027, with an ambition to spend 3 percent of GDP on defence next Parliament when economic and fiscal conditions allow.

The Government is also committed to hitting a headline ambition of 5 percent of GDP on national security spending by the Parliament after next. This is currently split into 1.5% on security and resilience-related spend, and 3.5% core defence spending.

This new NATO target is a decade away. We remain committed to plans announced at the Spending Review. In 2029, when NATO review capability requirements and this pledge, the UK and Allies will review the trajectory and the balance of spending between defence and wider national resilience.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of the collapse of negotiations on UK access to the SAFE fund.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union on 19 May is an example of this Government's commitment to delivering on its manifesto pledges to strengthen European security, support economic growth, and reinforce NATO.

We are working swiftly with the EU to implement the Partnership and are prioritising cooperation on key areas, including support for Ukraine, countering hybrid threats, and promoting stability in the Western Balkans.

As the Minister for the Cabinet Office set out in his Written Ministerial Statement on 1 December, the Security and Defence Partnership also unlocked the possibility for enhanced UK participation in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument. Earlier this autumn, the UK and the EU entered into formal negotiations on a bilateral agreement to facilitate UK participation in SAFE. The UK entered these negotiations in good faith, reflecting our shared strategic interests. However, it was not possible to conclude these negotiations with an agreement.

This Government has been clear that we will only enter into agreements that serve the national interest. In this case, the negotiations did not yield an agreement that met this standard.

It is disappointing that an agreement on UK participation in the first round of SAFE could not be reached; however, the UK's defence industry will retain access to SAFE under standard third-country terms, with the potential to contribute up to 35% of the content of SAFE contracts.

This Government remains committed to pursuing cooperation with the European Union on defence and security that aligns with our NATO First policy, supports our defence objectives and delivers for the UK taxpayer.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the (a) immediate and (b) longer-term impact of grounding the SV fleet following the issues encountered during Exercise Titan Storm.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The safety of our personnel is always our utmost priority. A number of Rheinmetall MAN Military (RMMV) Support Vehicles (SV) been affected by a minor mechanical fault, which is being quickly rectified. This issue did not occur on Exercise TITAN STORM.

Following advice from the Defence Safety Authority and Defence Equipment and Support, Field Army has directed a pause on its use of the vehicles while action is taken at pace to rectify the issue as a matter of priority. Whilst repair analysis is ongoing, initial estimates indicate that all vehicles will be returned to full use by early 2026 in accordance with formation priorities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to announce how her Department will move to a) 3.0% of GDP and b) 3.5% of GDP on defence spending.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

We are set to spend 2.6 percent of GDP on defence spending in 2027, with an ambition to spend 3 percent of GDP on defence next Parliament when economic and fiscal conditions allow.

The Government is also committed to hitting a headline ambition of 5 percent of GDP on national security spending by the Parliament after next. This is currently split into 1.5% on security and resilience-related spend, and 3.5% core defence spending.

This new NATO target is a decade away. We remain committed to plans announced at the Spending Review. In 2029, when NATO review capability requirements and this pledge, the UK and Allies will review the trajectory and the balance of spending between defence and wider national resilience.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, from which local authorities in Cambridgeshire he has received formal submissions for the proposed local government reorganisation.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department has received submissions from all councils in the invitation area of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has she made in fulfilling the UK contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund in 2025-26.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 25 November to Questions 91556 and 91557, which sets out the UK's contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF). In 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has so far disbursed £1 million to the CNF.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his comment given to British Forces Broadcasting Service following reporting of medical discharges relating to operating in Ajax vehicles that Medical discharges are not attributed to individual vehicles or pieces of equipment, what assessment has he made of the correlation between medical discharges and use of Ajax.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As a former member of the Armed Forces the hon. Member will know that the nature of military service exposes Service personnel to a wide range of hazards. For example, noise from weapons systems, Armoured Fighting Vehicles and helicopters over a full career often make a ‘condition’ attributable to service in general, rather than a specific cause or event. It is therefore inherently difficult to make direct linkages or define what is reasonably attributable to Ajax, or any other specific contributing factor, and medical discharge.

We are currently undertaking reviews into the medical injuries sustained by Ajax crews and more details on the findings will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 93240 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement, what was the a) start and b) finish date of Project RARDEN.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Project RARDEN is a legacy project that introduced the Rarden cannon into service in the 1970s. On current planning, the Rarden cannon will be removed from service December 2027.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the National security risk posed by (a) ownership and (b) investment by Chinese companies in Heathrow Airport.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government takes its responsibility for national security extremely seriously and balances this with its continued commitment to welcome inward investment in a way that provides investors with the certainty and transparency they need to do business in the UK.

We work across government to conduct due diligence and other assessments and ensure that any potential national security risk to the UK is handled appropriately. For any new qualifying investments in sensitive sectors, which include transport, we will use the powers in the National Security and Investment Act 2021 to scrutinise transactions and intervene if necessary to protect national security.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of (a) ownership and (b) investment in Heathrow Airport by Chinese companies.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government takes its responsibility for national security extremely seriously and balances this with its continued commitment to welcome inward investment in a way that provides investors with the certainty and transparency they need to do business in the UK.

We work across government to conduct due diligence and other assessments and ensure that any potential national security risk to the UK is handled appropriately. For any new qualifying investments in sensitive sectors, which include transport, we will use the powers in the National Security and Investment Act 2021 to scrutinise transactions and intervene if necessary to protect national security.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of the Chinese market share of the electric vehicle market on risks to national security.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is closely monitoring China's role in the automotive industry and UK electric vehicle (EV) market, including potential risks to national security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 18th March 2025 to question 37371 on F-35 Aircraft: Procurement, what progress has he made on securing delivery of the remaining F-35B aircraft from the first tranche.

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 East Londonderry (Mr Gregory Campbell) on 19 November 2025 to Question 91099.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-11-14/91099

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Budget 2025: Strong Foundations, Secure Future, page 47, what is the breakdown of the £2.8billion efficiencies and savings target for 2028-29 across each department.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The £2.8 billion efficiencies and savings represent 0.5% of departmental day-to-day budgets set at Spending Review 2025.

Efficiencies and savings achieved within the NHS will be reinvested to improve patient care, and the government will ensure it continues to meet existing NATO spending commitments.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what was the budget for a) security and b) cyber security in the National Gas business plan each year for the past five years.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Funding for National Gas Transmission is set by Ofgem’s RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs) framework for each five-year regulatory period.

For security reasons, Ofgem does not publish the specific allowances awarded for physical or cyber security. These investments are designed to strengthen resilience, often for Critical National Infrastructure, and disclosure could increase risks to individual companies and the wider energy sector.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with references to the Written Statement on the Armoured Cavalry Programme (HCWS1099), published on 26th November 2025, by when does he intend to complete the safety investigation into Ajax.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The safety of our personnel is paramount. The Defence Accident Investigation Board are conducting an investigation into the incident at pace with support from the Army Safety Investigation Team and General Dynamics.

While the relevant investigations take place the Ministerial team have directed a pause on the use of Ajax for training and exercising. It is currently anticipated that the investigation will take at least two weeks.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what does he estimate the total cost of implementing digital ID cards to be across the a) resource departmental expenditure limit and b) capital departmental expenditure limit budgets.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Any costs in this Spending Review period will be met within existing settlements. The Government will run a public consultation in the new year.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has she made of the impact of treating 50% of the gain in disposal to trustees of an Employee Ownership Trust as the disposers' chargeable gain for CGT purposes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Budget 2025, the Chancellor announced that the relief from Capital Gains Tax available on qualifying disposals to Employee Ownership Trusts will be reduced from 100% to 50%. This will retain a strong incentive for employee ownership, whilst ensuring that business owners pay their fair share of tax. The relief remains more generous than alternative reliefs that individuals might use when disposing of their companies, such as Business Asset Disposal Relief.

An assessment of the impacts can be found in the Tax and Information Note for this measure, here: Capital Gains Tax — Employee Ownership Trusts - GOV.UK

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current cost of maintaining HMS Albion is.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

HMS Albion was never due to go to sea ahead of its out-of-service date in 2033. It’s disposal shows that we are delivering for defence by divesting ourselves of old capabilities to make way for the future. This ship was effectively mothballed by the previous Government.

The Current Book Value of HMS ALBION is zero. The shift was valued to zero following the Defence Secretary's announcement to remove it from service last year.

The annual maintenance cost for HMS ALBION is circa £2 million per annum.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current book value of HMS Albion is.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

HMS Albion was never due to go to sea ahead of its out-of-service date in 2033. It’s disposal shows that we are delivering for defence by divesting ourselves of old capabilities to make way for the future. This ship was effectively mothballed by the previous Government.

The Current Book Value of HMS ALBION is zero. The shift was valued to zero following the Defence Secretary's announcement to remove it from service last year.

The annual maintenance cost for HMS ALBION is circa £2 million per annum.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many portable 3D printers manufactured by Bambi Labs the (a) Royal Navy, (b) British Army and (c) Royal Air Force currently have.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Safeguarding the UK’s national security is the foundation of everything the Ministry of Defence (MOD) does. Therefore, the MOD works closely with the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) on cyber security testing to strengthen the professionalisation and coherence of our policies and procedures.

The MOD’s use of 3-D printers forms part of its trial and experimentation efforts. Consequently, details relating to 3-D printing equipment is not held centrally.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the sale of HMS Albion.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

HMS ALBION is currently moored at HMNB Devonport. No plans for HMS ALBION’s disposal have been confirmed.

HMS Albion was never due to go to sea ahead of its out-of-service date in 2033. It’s disposal shows that we are delivering for defence by divesting ourselves of old capabilities to make way for the future. This ship was effectively mothballed by the previous Government.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current book value is of the British Army’s Warrior fleet of vehicles.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The current Net Book Value of the British Army’s Warrior fleet of vehicles is £19,029,595.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the benefits of signing the Security and Defence Partnership in May 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 8 December to question 95528.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime Minister’s comment that You will see 3,000 neighbourhood police officers on your streets by March in his speech on 1st December 2025, what recent progress has she made in delivering those additional officers.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

We have made £200 million available in 2025/26 to support the first steps towards delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this parliament, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of March 2026.

The Government has committed to publishing neighbourhood policing numbers every six months to align with the official police workforce statistics, with the next update due at the end of January 2026 setting out the numbers in neighbourhood policing roles as at the end of September 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the risk posed by UK armed forces of using 3D printers manufactured by Chinese firm Bambu Labs.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has strict security procedures in place to ensure all sensitive information is protected. Safeguarding the UK’s national security is the foundation of everything the MOD does.

Our policies and procedures take account of the potential risk from all types of 3D printers, not just those manufactured in China, and we are working across the MOD to ensure risks are appropriately managed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of equipment of Chinese origin, used by the UK armed forces, which are subject to China’s National Intelligence Law.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As the Secretary of State and I have made clear, there is risk in Chinese components being present in in civil and military technology in the UK and across our alliances. We keep technology under review to protect our national security.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic Financial Outlook on the potential impact of the new pay-per-mile tax on electric vehicle sales.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028. The rate of eVED for EVs will be half of the equivalent fuel duty rate paid by the average petrol/diesel driver, ensuring that EVs are cheaper to own and run for the majority of EV drivers.

As set out by the OBR, the estimated net impact of eVED and other Budget measures, including the ECG and ECS, is 120,000 fewer new EV sales across the forecast period. This is against a baseline which assumes EV sales more than triple from 2025-26 levels by 2030-31, which means the net impact of eVED represents only 2% of total new EV sales in the period.

The Government has set out expected impacts from eVED and other Budget measures in the Budget 2025 Policy Costings document at GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the projected cost is of the abolition of NHS England, including staff redundancy packages, consultancy fees, administration and restructuring costs.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of mitigating the financial risk of the removal of the statutory override from local authorities regarding the requirement to balance budgets in 2028.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.

We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the removal of the statutory override on local authority budgets by the end of the 2027-28 financial year.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.

We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date was the Gazelle AH Mk1 helicopter withdrawn from service In Northern Ireland.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Gazelle AH Mk1 helicopter was withdrawn from service in Northern Ireland on 26 October 2023.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities which may need to issue Section 114s if required to recognise historic DSG deficits on their balance sheets, identified by the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic Financial Outlook, November 2025 (page 128).

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Office for Budget Responsibility gave an assessment of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits which are based on current Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) policy. This government has clarified that we will set out ambitious plans for reform of SEND provision early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the DSG Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.

The government does not speculate on the number of local authorities that will need financial support, but we recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of these deficits on their accounts. We will set out further details on our plans for support with historic and accruing deficits the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 94926 on Ajax Vehicles: Health and Safety, if he will set out the criteria that will allow the pause to be lifted.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Investigations by the Defence Accident Investigation Branch supported by the Army Safety Investigation Team and General Dynamics are ongoing. Further detail will be available once the investigation has concluded. Any decisions on the pause will be made by Ministers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact on airline ticket prices from Heathrow Airport of the need to fund the public consultation process for the proposed third runway.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to delivering a third runway at Heathrow in a cost-effective way. The Civil Aviation Authority have launched a consultation on their working paper of regulatory options in their role as the independent economic regulator for the aviation industry. They propose several criteria for assessing future regulatory models, including how effective these options are in keeping costs for the travelling public low.

Aviation operates predominantly in the private sector, with ticket prices determined by many factors including competition between airlines.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the projected total cost of a third runway at Heathrow, including the consultation process; and who will be responsible for funding the planning and construction.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has been clear that any expansion at Heathrow must be affordable and firmly in the interests of passengers. The costs of the scheme, should be kept to a minimum and met through private funding, including any associated surface-transport requirements.

Whilst we have set out our ambition to move at pace, decisions on construction and operational costs are ultimately a matter for the scheme promoter. Scheme promoters are responsible for any consultation in relation to their DCO application in accordance with Planning Act 2008 requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the full scope of the five point action plan to tackle release inaccuracy announced by him on 11 November 2025.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Releases in error are never acceptable, and we are bearing down on those errors that do occur.

Releases in error have always existed, and are another long-term symptom of the prison system crisis this Government inherited. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are taking decisive action to address this issue to reduce the risk of future mistakes.

On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan. This includes:

• a new Justice Performance Board which will give a comprehensive view of performance across the criminal justice system;
• the introduction of an urgent query process to allow prisons to quickly escalate warrant-related queries;
• a multi-million pound investment in new technology to reduce human error;
• the simplification of release policy to reduce the scope for errors through the implementation of the Sentencing Bill; and
• an independent system-wide review, led by Dame Lynne Owens, which will report its recommendations in spring next year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timeline is for the Warrior disposal plan up to its out of service date in 2027.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As of 8 December 2025, there are 388 Warrior vehicles in service in the active fleet and those yet to start the disposal process:

The Out of Service date for Warrior is 2027 with all vehicles to be withdrawn from service by the end of the decade. Any vehicles that remain beyond this will be classed as surplus to requirements.

The Ministry of Defence does not provide a breakdown of equipment by unit or sub-unit for reasons of operational security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of each Warrior variant are still in service; and with which sub-units.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As of 8 December 2025, there are 388 Warrior vehicles in service in the active fleet and those yet to start the disposal process:

The Out of Service date for Warrior is 2027 with all vehicles to be withdrawn from service by the end of the decade. Any vehicles that remain beyond this will be classed as surplus to requirements.

The Ministry of Defence does not provide a breakdown of equipment by unit or sub-unit for reasons of operational security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025 to question 93243 on Defence: Procurement, for what reason was Project Magenta cancelled.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

A routine programme review found Project Magenta was no longer viable in terms of cost or time. The review led to an alternate solution that was not available at the time of project approval.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what element of Ajax Initial Operating Capability was declared by General Dynamics on 23 July 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Initial Operating Capability for the Ajax Programme was not declared by General Dynamics on 23 July 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Challenger 2 tanks remain in service with cavalry regiments following the donation of tanks to Ukraine and the conversion programme to Challenger 3.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There are 285 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks in service in the British Army. The Ministry of Defence does not break down equipment numbers further due to operational sensitivity.

Eight vehicles are allocated to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) for the design, build and testing phase of Challenger 3 conversion. The manufacturing phase is yet to start.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Challenger 2 tanks have now begun conversion to Challenger 3.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There are 285 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks in service in the British Army. The Ministry of Defence does not break down equipment numbers further due to operational sensitivity.

Eight vehicles are allocated to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) for the design, build and testing phase of Challenger 3 conversion. The manufacturing phase is yet to start.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the reservoir from which the proposed new town at Tempsford plans to draw its water supply.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Anglian Water has a statutory obligation to provide water supplies and will plan provision of this supply for the proposed Tempsford New Town, through the Water Resources Management Plan process.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the reservoir from which the proposed Universal Studios Bedford theme park plans to draw its water supply.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Anglian Water has an existing program to upgrade water resources in the region by 65Ml/d which will provide infrastructure to the Universal application.

Universal has committed to a program to minimise water usage through collection of on-site water resources, be that rainwater run-off, lake abstraction, water recycling or possible use of borehole abstraction, as part of the application submission.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to question 94541 on Ministry of Defence: Asbestos, what the cost was of the 119 awards for mesothelioma.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

To provide the cost of the 119 War Pension Scheme awards for mesothelioma or any asbestos-related condition made 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 would require a manual review of each case to determine the exact money paid and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

As reported in the War Pensions Scheme Accredited Official Statistic, 96 lump sum awards for mesothelioma were paid out in the 2024-25 financial year at a cost of £13.2 million.

The latest WPS Annual Statistics can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/war-pensions-scheme-statistics-2025

As there is a delay between a mesothelioma claim being awarded and being paid, those paid out in 2024-25 could have been awarded in either 2023-24 or 2024-25.

Since 16 December 2015, veterans diagnosed with service-attributable mesothelioma have had the choice between a one-off, tax-free lump sum of £140,000 or regular, smaller payments in the form of an ongoing disablement pension. Disablement pensioners already in receipt of an ongoing pension on 16 December 2015 were entitled to receive a lump sum payment of £140,000 less any monies already received. Lump sum payments have been made since 11 April 2016. Further details on the policy change can be found on GOV.UK website.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the logistical burden of (a) armoured battlegroups and (b) vehicles from the (i) Ajax, (ii) Boxer and (iii) 433 families on the Army.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The British Army assesses logistic requirements as part of the process to deliver new vehicles and equipment into service. For reasons of operational security, I am unable to provide the details requested as to do so would reveal the readiness levels of specific platforms.

On 22 November, during a routine training exercise, around 30 soldiers operating in Ajax reported being affected by noise and vibration exposure. Out of an abundance of caution, and in line with our safety protocols, the exercise was halted within 30 minutes so that those affected could receive appropriate medical care.

Importantly, none of the symptoms were life-threatening or severe enough to require hospitalisation, and most soldiers have already shown significant improvement, with many returning back to their duties.

As a result, I directed the Army to pause all use of Ajax for training and exercising, while a safety investigation is carried out into the events. Those investigations are ongoing and I will update the House at an appropriate point.

I have in place a Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme, which will assess how effective the Department has been at implementing the actions of previous reviews, and seeking anything further that is required regarding safety.

It will be conducted by experts who are not part of the AJAX programme, including Malcolm Chalmers, to provide a more independent view. It will be overseen by me and report to the Defence Secretary.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the provision of (a) suitably qualified and (b) experienced engineers to meet the operational workforce requirements of the Lightning programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his previous Question 87989 on 18 November 2025:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-11-04/87989

I refer the hon. Member to page 15, paragraphs 15-17 of the Fifty First Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2024-26 on The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability, HC 1232, published on 31 October 2025.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has increased its recruitment of engineers significantly in the last two years; offering joining bonuses and increasing the capacity of its technical training skills to enable more recruits to be trained more quickly. To improve retention the RAF has implemented a Financial Retention Incentive for engineers.

The MOD has acknowledged that the F35 programme suffers from a shortage of engineers and that it is crucial that the Department addresses this issue, with significant steps already having been taken to improve the situation. However, training time required for engineers means that it is expected to take three or four years before the programme has the required numbers.

The MOD has noted the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendations related to personnel and will be responding through the Treasury Minute Process in due course. The recruitment and retention of personnel remains one of the top two priorities for the Chief of the Defence Staff.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date did Project Matcha (a) start and (b) end.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The then Secretary of State for Defence granted approval for Project MATCHA in May 2021. The final programme activity occurred through a Closure Board in November 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 94926 on Ajax Vehicles: Health and Safety, whether vehicles within the Ajax programme will be available for use prior to the a) conclusion and b) implementation of recommendations of that review.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

On 22 November, during a routine training exercise, around 30 soldiers operating in Ajax reported being affected by noise and vibration exposure.

As a result, I directed the Army to pause all use of Ajax for training and exercising, while a safety investigation is carried out into the events. Those investigations are ongoing and I will update the House at an appropriate point.

I am putting in place a Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme, which will assess how effective the Department has been at implementing the actions of previous reviews, and seeking anything further that is required regarding safety.

It will be conducted by experts who are not part of the AJAX programme, including Malcolm Chalmers, to provide a more independent view. It will be overseen by me and report to the Defence Secretary. It will be conducted at pace, but it will not be rushed. We will have the Terms of Reference before Christmas.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 94926 on Ajax Vehicles: Health and Safety, when the review into the Ajax programme will a) start and b) conclude.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

On 22 November, during a routine training exercise, around 30 soldiers operating in Ajax reported being affected by noise and vibration exposure.

As a result, I directed the Army to pause all use of Ajax for training and exercising, while a safety investigation is carried out into the events. Those investigations are ongoing and I will update the House at an appropriate point.

I am putting in place a Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme, which will assess how effective the Department has been at implementing the actions of previous reviews, and seeking anything further that is required regarding safety.

It will be conducted by experts who are not part of the AJAX programme, including Malcolm Chalmers, to provide a more independent view. It will be overseen by me and report to the Defence Secretary. It will be conducted at pace, but it will not be rushed. We will have the Terms of Reference before Christmas.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the growth in the availability of open source Chinese AI platforms on the UK.

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

The Government continues to monitor global developments in AI, including open-source platforms. Open-sourcing AI models decentralises control, enabling more developers to innovate, experiment and deploy systems for diverse purposes.

This approach can deliver significant benefits by fostering innovation, competition and transparency. However, decentralisation also introduces security risks. Open model releases may allow malicious actors to remove safeguards and fine-tune models for harmful purposes.

Consumers and businesses should choose the AI system most suitable for their purpose, considering whether they trust the organisation hosting the model and handling of potentially sensitive queries. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published guidance to help individuals use AI tools safely, including advice on understanding how personal information is processed and shared.

As part of its research to understand the capabilities and impacts of advanced AI and develop and test risk-mitigations, the AI Security Institute (AISI) takes a leading role in safety-testing open and closed AI models wherever they come from.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on funding SEND provision of the mainstream school spending per pupil on page 122 of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic Financial Outlook.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has set out its position on page 105 of the budget document, confirming that special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pressure will be absorbed within the overall government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) budget from the financial year 2028/29 onwards such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have illustrated the impact in the funding required for this, estimated at £6 billion, if these costs were met by diverting mainstream schools funding. However, that is only an indicative example and does not reflect government policy. We have confirmed that SEND pressure will be absorbed within the overall government DEL budget from 2028/29 onwards, not that it will be absorbed within the core schools budget.

Furthermore, the £6 billion figure quoted by the OBR is based on current spending trajectories and does not take account of future government decisions on reforms to the SEND system, details of which will be set out in the Schools White Paper in the new year.

Budgets from 2028/29 onwards, including the core schools budget, will be confirmed at the 2027 Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is the total cost to the public purse of the decision to extend the statutory override for the cost of SEND to 2027-28.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The statutory override is an accounting measure, designed to keep Dedicated Schools Grant deficits separate from local authorities’ wider financial position. The extension of the override to the end of the 2027/28 financial year does not affect local authorities’ statutory duties to provide support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), nor does it change how much they spend to fulfil those duties. As these duties remain unchanged and, as with the previous government’s decision to extend the statutory override to the end of 2025/26, the extension itself does not result in any additional cost to the public purse.

The government recognises many local authorities are likely to continue to accrue deficits due to their spending on high needs, as we have seen in recent years, as they ensure that there are sufficient resources to secure provision for children and young people with SEND in mainstream or in specialist education. We will set out our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of funding the cost of SEND provision from RDEL allocations on local authorities.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has set out its position on page 105 of the budget document, confirming that special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pressure will be absorbed within the overall government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) budget from the financial year 2028/29 onwards such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have illustrated the impact in the funding required for this, estimated at £6 billion, if these costs were met by diverting mainstream schools funding. However, that is only an indicative example and does not reflect government policy. We have confirmed that SEND pressure will be absorbed within the overall government DEL budget from 2028/29 onwards, not that it will be absorbed within the core schools budget.

Furthermore, the £6 billion figure quoted by the OBR is based on current spending trajectories and does not take account of future government decisions on reforms to the SEND system, details of which will be set out in the Schools White Paper in the new year.

Budgets from 2028/29 onwards, including the core schools budget, will be confirmed at the 2027 Spending Review.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, whether the Attorney General has had recent discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill’s legal compatibility with the Windsor Framework in relation to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Attorney sits on the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee. As part of the process of approving a government Bill for introduction, as set out in the published Guide to Making Legislation, a legal issues memorandum is prepared for this Committee. This will set out all relevant legal issues.

Whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice outside of the PBL process is covered by the Law Officers' Convention. This Convention provides that whether or not the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice, and the contents of any such advice, is not disclosed outside Government.

This protects the Law Officers’ ability as chief legal advisers to the Government to give full and frank legal advice and provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the National Security Strategy of the United States of America, published on 5 December 2025, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the US declaration that where necessary the use of lethal force to replace the failed law enforcement-only strategy will be used to combat cartels on intelligence sharing.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 3 December.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff within the HM Prison & Probation Service reliant on visas for employment have been employed since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice does not hold the requested information requested data in an easily accessible format. Right to Work data is collected during the vetting stage but is not retained within the employment record. As a result, extracting this information would require a manual review of individual vetting files, which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of the safety assurances the Chief of the General Staff gave the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry regarding the Initial Operating Capability status of the Ajax programme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The safety of Service personnel remains the top priority for Defence. As previously confirmed, prior to Ajax Initial Operating Capability being announced, assurances were provided regarding the safety of the platform.

I have commissioned a Ministerial review of the information given to Ministers as it is vital that advice given to Ministers is timely and accurate. However, it would not be appropriate to provide any further detail relating to these assurances, whilst the review is ongoing.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2025 to question 88991 on Ajax Vehicles: Noise, on what date he received written assurances that Ajax was safe to operate from the (a) Chief of the Defence Staff and (b) National Armaments Director.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The safety of Service personnel remains the top priority for Defence. As previously confirmed, prior to Ajax Initial Operating Capability being announced, assurances were provided regarding the safety of the platform.

I have commissioned a Ministerial review of the information given to Ministers as it is vital that advice given to Ministers is timely and accurate. However, it would not be appropriate to provide any further detail relating to these assurances, whilst the review is ongoing.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what vehicles other than the Ajax platform within the Army’s armoured fleet can fulfil the armoured reconnaissance role; and at which formation level.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There are no other platforms within the Army’s armoured fleet which can fulfil the armoured reconnaissance role; Ajax has been specifically designed for this purpose.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of new terminals for the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport being built and operated in competition with those run by the airport.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Information about terminals and other airport infrastructure would be provided as part of a development consent order application.

Found: Representations from Members The following Members made oral representations: • Ben Obese-Jecty: Knife

Found: Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst Baroness Golding Sarah Bool Baroness Goudie Anna Gelderd Lord Mott Ben Obese-Jecty

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Autonomous Collaborative Platforms are currently in development.

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 (Ben Obese-Jecty) on 19 September 2025 to Question 76688.