Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's document entitled Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP, keynote speech at AGF Defence Summit, Farnborough International Air Show, published on 22 July 2026, what governance arrangement will oversee the new approach to risk that he will direct his Department to take.

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

The Ministry of Defence is reforming defence acquisition to become more risk-aware and less risk-averse, recognising that excessive caution can delay the delivery of critical military capability. Through procurement segmentation, faster acquisition pathways and spiral development, we are applying proportionate risk appetites to enable faster and more flexible procurement.

Risk will continue to be governed through clear accountability and assurance arrangements. Empowered portfolio leaders, Senior Responsible Owners and senior sponsors are responsible for setting and managing risk appetite, taking risk-based decisions and ensuring that significant risks are subject to appropriate scrutiny. These reforms are designed to improve pace while maintaining robust governance and accountability.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in strengthening NATO and UK led training and exercises, addressing potential escalation and conflict scenarios with nuclear-armed states, as outlined in Recommendation 30.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Government is implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, including Recommendation 30, which seeks to strengthen coherence between the conventional and nuclear elements of NATO's deterrence and defence posture.

The Ministry of Defence continues to strengthen UK and NATO-led training and exercises through a programme of national and multinational activity that improves readiness, interoperability and the ability of Allied forces to operate across the full spectrum of conflict. This includes participation in NATO's exercise programme, including the Alliance's flagship STEADFAST exercise series, which tests collective defence plans and strengthens Allied deterrence and defence.

Through these activities, we are working closely with Allies to ensure NATO is better prepared to deter, defend against and, if necessary, respond to threats from capable and nuclear-armed adversaries.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's document entitled Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP, keynote speech at AGF Defence Summit, Farnborough International Air Show, published on 22 July 2026, if he will set out which contracts the £11.8 billion referenced relates to.

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

The £11.8 billion figure refers to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), Dreadnought Delivery Phase 4 (DP4), Logistics Commodities & Services Transformation (LCST) and the Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, Losses, if he will provide further information on the £6,321,000 constructive loss in relation to the Quinquennial Review Property write-offs.

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

The £6,321,000 constructive loss relates to property assets identified as derelict or demolished during the Quinquennial Review (QQR) asset revaluation. The Valuation Office Agency and DIO Overseas Estates team conduct this review annually on one-fifth of the estate over a five-year cycle, verifying asset status. Losses arise from assets no longer maintained due to changes in site activity, cost of repair, or evolving business requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, Losses, if he will provide further information on the £9,948,000 constructive loss in relation to the asset impairment losses.

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

The constructive loss of £9.948 million was due to property assets that have been identified as significantly and/or permanently impaired assets where their value has diminished and/or they are due to be demolished.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, Losses, if he will provide further information on the £31,676,000 constructive loss in relation to property demolitions wrote-offs.

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

The £31.676 million constructive loss is in relation to property assets that have been demolished before full economic benefit has been obtained due to Business as Usual asset management activities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, Losses, what was the specific nature of the £1,039,000 fruitless payment in relation to the seized assets unreturned.

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

The fruitless payment of £1.039 million related to assets procured under a short-term contract let in line with existing normal processes.

This included a due diligence visit to verify manufacturing capabilities, supply chain and deliverability of the requirement.

The procurement formed part of a project involving multiple government stakeholders, which increased its complexity.

The assets were subsequently seized by the Polish authorities as part of an independent investigation into the supplier which was unrelated to the Ministry of Defence's procurement activity. As a result, the assets could not be recovered or returned to the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total value of export deals closed by National Armaments International is since 1 March 2025.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not break down export deals by operational unit, as deals are achieved through collaboration across MOD teams and across Government. However, we do publish statistics. As stated in our earlier answer to 19562, the most recently published defence export statistics, covering 2024, were published on 5 March 2026. The 2025 statistics have a provisional release date of 19 November 2026. Statistics for subsequent years will be published in due course.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-07-16/19562

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2025-2026, HC 389, published on 15 July 2026, what the nature is of the fruitless payment for Project SERAPH Cancellation.

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

A fruitless payment of £1.354 million was made to Deloitte following the termination for convenience of the Project SERAPH contract. The payment was made in accordance with the contractual terms and was negotiated by the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, Losses, if he will provide further detail on the nature of the £965,000 stores loss in relation to the ACTO Amnesty Loss.

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

I am unable to provide further details owing to reasons of operational and national security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to question 23191 on Defence: Procurement, what has been the cost to date of the work to recover from the impact of the fire in the Devonshire Dock Hall.

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

Work to assess the cost and time implications of the fire remains ongoing and must be allowed to conclude before a full and accurate picture can be formed.

The Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025 reported £217 million as an early estimate in relation to the fire at the Devonshire Dock Hall in Barrow-in-Furness. This figure included initial clean-up costs after the fire and an estimate for future consequential losses.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to question 22881 on Armed Forces: Digital Technology, by when does he plan to have a) established the Digital Warfighter Group and b) integrated the capability into Defence's broader operating framework.

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

Planning and development activity is underway to establish the Digital Warfighter Group and integrate it into Defence's broader operating framework. Implementation dates have not yet been set due to dependencies on ongoing work to define the delivery model and associated resource requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the scope is of Project MCBRIDE.

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

Project MCBRIDE will support deep find by providing multi-domain and multi-level intelligence in the Land tactical environment. The project is currently in its assessment phase, and I am unable to provide any further capability detail or timelines at this stage.

This will contribute to the Army’s intention to enhance its lethality and survivability in line with the ambition to double its fighting power by 2027 and triple it by 2030.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2026 to question 22833 on Command and Control, what the status is of Project Guardian.

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

Programme GUARDIAN Version 1 system remains in service and is underpinned by a full support contract, ensuring its continued operation and sustainment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, Type 26 Global Combat Ship Programme, what the estimated build schedule is for each Royal Navy vessel prior to 1 May 2035.

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

The Type 31 programme continues to deliver five Inspiration Class frigates for the Royal Navy, with industry partners. As with all major programmes, schedule performance is kept under continual review through established Departmental governance and assurance processes. Any changes to approved programme schedules will be reported through the appropriate official channels.

The Type 26 programme remains focused on delivering a combined fleet of at least 13 frigates to hunt for Russian submarines in the North Atlantic, the biggest British warship deal in history and centrepiece of the Lunna House Agreement. This includes eight Type 26 ASW frigates for the Royal Navy, and at least 5 for Norway. All ships are expected to enter service from the late 2020s.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, Type 31, whether he expects to be able to deliver the Type 31 programme by its scheduled end date of 31 May 2030.

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

The Type 31 programme continues to deliver five Inspiration Class frigates for the Royal Navy, with industry partners. As with all major programmes, schedule performance is kept under continual review through established Departmental governance and assurance processes. Any changes to approved programme schedules will be reported through the appropriate official channels.

The Type 26 programme remains focused on delivering a combined fleet of at least 13 frigates to hunt for Russian submarines in the North Atlantic, the biggest British warship deal in history and centrepiece of the Lunna House Agreement. This includes eight Type 26 ASW frigates for the Royal Navy, and at least 5 for Norway. All ships are expected to enter service from the late 2020s.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when is the Type 31 frigate construction programme scheduled to be completed.

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

The Type 31 programme continues to deliver five Inspiration Class frigates for the Royal Navy, with industry partners. As with all major programmes, schedule performance is kept under continual review through established Departmental governance and assurance processes. Any changes to approved programme schedules will be reported through the appropriate official channels.

The Type 26 programme remains focused on delivering a combined fleet of at least 13 frigates to hunt for Russian submarines in the North Atlantic, the biggest British warship deal in history and centrepiece of the Lunna House Agreement. This includes eight Type 26 ASW frigates for the Royal Navy, and at least 5 for Norway. All ships are expected to enter service from the late 2020s.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the replacement for the Hawk T1 will be able to be used for acrobatic display taskings with the Red Arrows prior to achieving a) Initial Operating Capability or b) Full Operating Capability.

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

The Jet Training System programme is ongoing and no final procurement decisions have been made.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 62 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in ensuring there are no bespoke Defence contracting and build requirements except where these are critical to infrastructure protection and resilience in time of crisis.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to simplify and standardise its commercial approach to infrastructure delivery, consistent with Recommendation 62 of the Strategic Defence Review.

MOD standard contract templates are currently being reviewed and developed, with a view to simplifying and moving towards standard industry established infrastructure contracting models which remain the preferred routes for placing contracts. We do not anticipate using any bespoke contracting until this work is complete.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 62 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in ensuring that Defence is making full use of a fully integrated, digital, real-time Estate Management system.

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

The Ministry of Defence’s estate management capabilities are being enhanced through Computer-Aided Facilities Management. This system is directly integrated with facilities management contracts, providing data exchange across both planned and reactive maintenance activities, while also supporting the management of additional investment in the estate.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 48 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in funding and improving RAF Brize Norton as a high priority in partnership with private finance.

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

Current major projects and programmes to improve Royal Air Force (RAF) Brize Norton have been funded through the Ministry of Defence. This includes the renewed Aerodrome Operating Surface, improvements to the Explosive Storage Area, and passenger baggage handling and security screening enhancements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 60 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in improving the overall standard of accommodation, in alignment with commercial best practice for ensuring high-quality, good-value accommodation.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The Defence Investment Plan confirmed previous commitments to provide £9.2 billion over the next decade to deliver the Defence Housing Strategy and a generational renewal of military family housing. This work has started with 1,250 of the worst homes already upgraded, with more underway this year.

Nine out of ten military homes will be modernised or rebuilt, backed by a multi-billion-pound investment in military accommodation.

While there is clearly a lot to do across the estate to improve its condition to an acceptable standard, very significant improvements have already been made in the level of service provided. The latest data collected by Opinion Research Services on behalf of the MOD to gauge opinions on Defence housing shows that overall satisfaction with military homes has increased by12 percentage points over the past year, with 75% of families reporting satisfaction. This exceeds the national benchmark for landlords by four percentage points.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Corrigendum to Tender 707770451 entitled Type 31 Through Life Support, published on 22 July 2026, what plans he has to replace the abandoned requirement with a new requirement for management and through-life support services for Type 31 frigates.

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

The Type 31 Through Life Support procurement was discontinued following a review of the proposed approach. The Department concluded that the assumptions underpinning that procurement no longer reflected the most appropriate route for delivering support to the Type 31 class. Those assumptions included the delivery context for the programme and the way in which future support arrangements should be structured. The requirement to provide effective through-life support for the Type 31 fleet remains unchanged.

The Department is now considering the most appropriate arrangements to meet that requirement. Any future procurement activity will be taken forward in accordance with Defence requirements, value for money considerations and established commercial procedures.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Corrigendum to Tender 707770451 entitled Type 31 Through Life Support, published on 22 July 2026, in what way do the assumptions underpinning the current Type 31 Through Life Support no longer hold that have led to its abandonment.

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

The Type 31 Through Life Support procurement was discontinued following a review of the proposed approach. The Department concluded that the assumptions underpinning that procurement no longer reflected the most appropriate route for delivering support to the Type 31 class. Those assumptions included the delivery context for the programme and the way in which future support arrangements should be structured. The requirement to provide effective through-life support for the Type 31 fleet remains unchanged.

The Department is now considering the most appropriate arrangements to meet that requirement. Any future procurement activity will be taken forward in accordance with Defence requirements, value for money considerations and established commercial procedures.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the full requirements of the hypersonic target to be delivered under Project Bowline.

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

Project Bowline is delivering a hypersonic target capability to support the development, evaluation and testing of missile defence systems against advanced threats. The programme will design, manufacture, qualify and test a target vehicle capable of replicating emerging high-speed threats travelling at speeds in excess of Mach 5.

The capability will provide a realistic test environment for missile defence research, development and experimentation, supporting the United Kingdom's contribution to allied air and missile defence. A live flight demonstration of the capability is planned at the MOD Hebrides Range in 2027.

Details of the full technical requirements are commercially and operationally sensitive and therefore will not be released.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the full scope of the work conducted under his Department's Science and Technology Oriented Research and Development in Missile Defence (STORM) contract.

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

The STORM framework delivers research covering analysis, experimentation, trials and technology/system development across all pillars of missile defence:

• Counter-proliferation - measures to minimise the spread of missile technology,
• Deterrence - measures to discourage the use of threat missiles,
• Counterforce - measures to reduce the quantity of missiles and supporting equipment / facilities available to an aggressor during a conflict,
• Active defence - measures to detect, track, intercept and disable/destroy missiles in flight,
• Passive defence - measures to mitigate and recover from the effects of threat missiles impacting on their target.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23084 on Telecommunications Cables: Seas and Oceans, by what date does he expect each element of the new capability outlined to be operational in protecting critical underwater infrastructure.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Government has committed to enhancing the security and resilience of critical undersea infrastructure. This will be supported by up to £330 million of funding which has been outlined in the Defence Investment Plan, but we cannot provide further detail on this programme at this time for operational security reasons.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 22932 on Armed Forces: Artificial Intelligence, how much of the £200 million AI Investment Fund has been allocated to date.

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

Of the £200 million AI investment fund and associated initiatives announced in the Defence Investment Plan, we have committed £12.6 million to date.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 33 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in exploring opportunities for legislative reform that could direct industry to prioritise defence nuclear requirements in the sovereign supply chain or enable compulsory acquisition of assets where necessary to protect national security.

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

The Government has accepted the SDR recommendation to develop a ‘Defence Readiness Bill’ to ensure ‘the Government has powers in reserve to respond effectively in the event of escalation towards a war involving the UK or its allies’. Defence is working closely with the rest of government to develop detailed policy requirements, including for the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, and to establish what new legislation is required as part of the Government’s wider Home Defence programme.

Defence Readiness legislation is being developed to ensure the Government has the powers it needs to keep the UK safe, both now and in times of heightened crisis or escalation towards war.

Measures are being developed to:

• improve our ability to defend against sub-threshold threats;
• increase industry preparedness, agility, and resilience;
• expand the supply of privately-owned services to Defence and access to and protection of critical national infrastructure;
• and strengthen the mobilisation of Defence’s people, including the Reserves and civil servants.

The Government has committed to deliver this legislation within this Parliament. As is standard with the legislative process, any future legislation will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 37 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in moving the Royal Navy to a hybrid carrier airwing including (a) crewed combat aircraft, (b) autonomous collaborative platforms in the air, (c) single-use drones and (d) long-range missiles capable of being fired from the carrier deck.

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

As outlined in the Defence Investment Plan, the Royal Navy is exploiting uncrewed systems, such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft, to augment the F-35B force and create a Hybrid Carrier Air Wing. Approximately £240 million is being invested in Project PANTHEON to develop autonomous systems as well as jet-powered drones to work alongside the F-35B force under Project VANQUISH.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 60 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in prioritising and increasing funding this Parliament for accommodation sites that are in most urgent need of repair.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The Defence Investment Plan confirmed previous commitments to provide £9.2 billion over the next decade to deliver the Defence Housing Strategy and a generational renewal of military family housing. This work has started with 1,250 of the worst homes already upgraded, with more underway this year.

Nine out of ten military homes will be modernised or rebuilt, backed by a multi-billion-pound investment in military accommodation.

While there is clearly a lot to do across the estate to improve its condition to an acceptable standard, very significant improvements have already been made in the level of service provided. The latest data collected by Opinion Research Services on behalf of the MOD to gauge opinions on Defence housing shows that overall satisfaction with military homes has increased by12 percentage points over the past year, with 75% of families reporting satisfaction. This exceeds the national benchmark for landlords by four percentage points.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 37 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in rapidly evolving anti-submarine warfare through the integration of (a) underwater, (b) surface, and (c) airborne drones with Type 26 frigates, P-8 maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and Ship Submersible Nuclear attack submarines.

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

Through Atlantic Bastion, the Royal Navy plans to deploy a combined Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigate force with Norway, augmented with uncrewed surface and underwater vessels, as well as future hybrid air wings, to create an advanced hybrid naval force to defend the UK and NATO allies against evolving threats.

The Royal Navy regularly engages with industry and international partners to inform its programmes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 38 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in engaging with (a) commercial partners, (b) private finance and (c) other governments to rapidly deliver an integrated frigate force for anti-submarine warfare, comprising crewed, uncrewed, and autonomous platforms.

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

Through Atlantic Bastion, the Royal Navy plans to deploy a combined Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigate force with Norway, augmented with uncrewed surface and underwater vessels, as well as future hybrid air wings, to create an advanced hybrid naval force to defend the UK and NATO allies against evolving threats.

The Royal Navy regularly engages with industry and international partners to inform its programmes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, what was the specific nature of the £620,000 constructive loss of the cancellation of Operational Advantage Centre.

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

The £620,000 constructive loss relates to design and feasibility work for a proposed new building intended to support the Operational Advantage Centre’s operational functions. The loss arose because, following a change in Defence investment priorities, the decision was made not to proceed with construction of this facility.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, Losses, if he will provide further information on the £5,762,000 constructive loss in relation to the cancellation of the Photovoltaic Farms Project.

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

The Photovoltaic Farms Project was intended to deliver strategic and environmental benefits. The project no longer represented value for money due to cost escalation and unforeseeable technical constraints limiting the benefits. This loss has been reported based on the most likely worst-case scenario.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, Losses, if he will provide further information on the £4,739,000 constructive loss in relation to the cancellation of the Software Module Project.

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

The project was intended to deliver an electronic maintenance recording system for the A400M aircraft. During development and qualification, it became clear that the proposed solution could not meet the required functionality, security, and airworthiness standards. The operational requirement had also evolved, and cancellation was assessed to be the most appropriate course of action.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 22853 on Ajax Vehicles: Safety, what the outstanding Ajax-specific recommendations are that require completion.

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

All recommendations from the Ajax Safety Investigation Team report are actively being progressed, with significant progress made to date. The remaining Ajax-specific recommendations relate principally to equipment management and maintenance, training and user support, hearing protection and communications systems, environmental control systems, human factors and quality processes. The resolution of some recommendations remains dependent on activity being delivered through wider Defence programmes.

I will continue to keep the House informed about developments with Ajax, as I have done since Exercise Titan Storm via Written Ministerial Statement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 62 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress has he made in developing faster, more agile ways of working that are proportionate to the risk involved.

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

Following the Strategic Defence Review the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is implementing Recommendation 62 to simplify and standardise commercial processes and accelerate procurement. This approach includes consideration of a new Scaled Delivery segment for repeatable, lower-complexity procurements using standardised requirements, streamlined approvals and pre-approved routes to market.

The MOD is also developing an Accelerated Commercial Pathway for infrastructure procurements and alongside this, we are strengthening category management. We are also expanding routes to market to better reflect project requirements, market capability and delivery risk, including improving opportunities for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

In addition, we are increasing the use of collaborative delivery models including alliancing, strategic supplier partnerships and target cost contracts. This will encourage early contractor involvement, improve programme certainty and ensure risk and reward are shared appropriately between Government and industry whilst streamlining the process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 62 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in scrapping burdensome authorisation processes to avoid costly stop-start project management.

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

Following the Strategic Defence Review the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is implementing Recommendation 62 to simplify and standardise commercial processes and accelerate procurement. This approach includes consideration of a new Scaled Delivery segment for repeatable, lower-complexity procurements using standardised requirements, streamlined approvals and pre-approved routes to market.

The MOD is also developing an Accelerated Commercial Pathway for infrastructure procurements and alongside this, we are strengthening category management. We are also expanding routes to market to better reflect project requirements, market capability and delivery risk, including improving opportunities for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

In addition, we are increasing the use of collaborative delivery models including alliancing, strategic supplier partnerships and target cost contracts. This will encourage early contractor involvement, improve programme certainty and ensure risk and reward are shared appropriately between Government and industry whilst streamlining the process.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's annual report and accounts 2024-2025, what was the total sum of losses under £300,000.

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

The Department is not required to report individual loss cases under £300,000 and does not collate those details separately.

However, based on the difference between total losses reported in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 and losses individually reported at over £300,000, the total value of losses under £300,000 in 2024-25 was £22,008,541.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 62 of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in simplifying and accelerating his Department's commercial processes by adopting industry build standards and Cabinet Office contracts for standard services.

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

The Ministry of Defence is actively reforming and simplifying its commercial and procurement processes as part of the broader Defence Reform and Strategic Defence Review (SDR) initiatives in 2025.

Key progress includes:

• Establishment of a new National Armaments Director Group to fix the procurement system and make defence an engine for economic growth. This group brings together teams responsible for acquisition, commercial, and industry collaboration under one leadership to drive simplification and acceleration of processes.

• A segmented approach to procurement has launched, which tailors acquisition routes to the type of capability, supplier, and level of risk. The procurement segmentation programme aims to reduce timescales to contract, increase pace and adaptability, and align with industry standards and market practices.

• This approach is supported by the Accelerating Commercial Pathways (ACP) programme, which aims to improve the Ministry of Defence's ability to harness flexibilities in the commercial process and ensure that commercial approaches are tailored to the needs of individual procurements, including through the use of flexibilities provided by the Procurement Act 2023.

Implementation of reforms under the Defence Industrial Strategy and alignment with the Procurement Act 2023, which allows for more flexible and competitive procedures tailored to individual procurements, making contracting simpler and faster for companies of all sizes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, under what project research and experimentation into a UK-developed Long Range Area Effect capability is being undertaken.

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

Research and experimentation are being undertaken through the Long Range Area Effect Project, within the Land Deep Fires Programme.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23236 on Defence: Procurement, whether he has agreed a Phase 4 Enhancement upgrade package delivery schedule; and whether work has commenced.

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

Further to the response provided in answer to Questions 23236 on 8 September 2026, and 79721 dated 10 October 2025, the UK can confirm that Phase 4 Enhancement (P4E) Long Lead activities have commenced. In parallel, the delivery schedule for P4E and integration of the ECRS Mk2 onto Typhoon by the end of the decade is being finalised with Eurofighter, NETMA and other Core Nations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23366 on Minesweepers, which other nations his Department is working with in procuring the Block 1 Mine Hunting Capability via the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 7 September 2026 to Question 23393.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-08-28/23393

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23232 on Defence and National Security, what outputs from the Home Defence Programme have been used to raise public awareness of the national conversation.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review 2025, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been hired in roles relating to a) video production and b) social media content since 20 July 2026.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government Communications Service is currently finalising its 2026 annual data collection, therefore the figures provided below are from the 2025 annual data collection.

Staffing figures across the central teams are as follows:

• Number 10 Civil Service Communications Team: 44.8 FTE.

• Core Cabinet Office Communications Roles: 40.43 FTE (including 22 roles within the Press Office and Cabinet Office Digital Communications).

• Central GCS Team (Cabinet Office-based): 191.52 FTE in total, comprising 141.52 FTE communications roles and 50 FTE non-communications roles.

Information on roles specifically related to video production and social media content is not held.

Overall headcount stood at 6,120.35 FTE in 2024, compared to 5,950.54 FTE in 2025. Please note that these figures are not directly comparable due to differences in the specific organisations submitting returns across the 2024 and 2025 collection cycles.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, Type 31, by when does he plan to reset the programme’s Approved Budgetary Limit to mitigate the impact of inflation.

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

The Ministry of Defence keeps the affordability of all major programmes under continual review. In common with other enterprises, the Type 31 programme is experiencing inflationary pressures, and the impact of possible costs is being assessed. Any changes to programme budgets and approvals will be considered through the Department's established governance processes. It would therefore be inappropriate to speculate on the timing of any future decisions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of procuring the Pyrrhus Aeronautics Laser Aiming & Drone Remote System for future integration with individual weapon systems.

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

The Ministry of Defence has not conducted a specific assessment of the potential merits of procuring the Pyrrhus Aeronautics Laser Aiming and Drone Remote System for integration with individual weapon systems.

The Department continually reviews emerging technologies and innovative solutions, and future capability requirements may consider a range of options should an operational requirement emerge.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the current composition of the Devonport Infrastructure Sponsor Board.

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

The Second Sea Lord is the sponsor for Devonport infrastructure and chairs a wider portfolio board to govern progress. Programme governance includes representatives from the Royal Navy, Defence Nuclear Organisation, Submarine Delivery Group, Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Babcock.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2025-2026, HC 389, published on 15 July 2026, what the nature is of the fruitless payment for Departmental Cash Forecasting Performance 2025-26.

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

HM Treasury monitors departmental cash forecasts on a monthly basis. Where forecasts exceed a tolerance of plus or minus 5%, departments are required to pay a penalty. The £1.957 million value reported in 2025-26 represents the cumulative value of monthly penalties incurred during the financial year where forecasts fell outside the permitted tolerance.

The Ministry of Defence continues to work to improve the timeliness, quality and accuracy of its cash forecasting processes. Due to the scale, complexity and diversity of Defence activity, forecasting can be challenging, especially given the impact of operational requirements, which can change at short notice.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, SPEARCAP 3, for what reason the programme was fully rebaselined; and by when the Review Note will be approved.

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

The rebaselining was triggered by the need to restructure the delivery approach to enable a more dynamic capability solution and the adoption of spiral development. During rebaselining, parameters evolved owing to the impacts of a US congressional review. The Review Note presents a deliverable baseline that accounts for emergent constraints and was approved by Treasury on 9 September 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, Brimstone 3, when does he expect to receive endorsement of the revised programme baseline.

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

The revised baseline of the Brimstone 3 programme was approved on the 19 June 2026 and carries an Initial Operating Capability forecast of November 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the availability of spares for the L118 105mm Light Gun.

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

The Army has assessed that the availability of spares for the L118 Light Gun has been challenged by a combination of obsolescence issues and supply chain constraints.

Work is underway with industry partners to improve support arrangements, address obsolescence, enhance the efficiency of spares procurement and strengthen long-term supply resilience. These measures are intended to improve the availability of spares and support the continued sustainment of the Light Gun fleet.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 3.2.31 of the Defence Investment Plan, published on 30 June 2026, what progress he has made in identifying the next UK defence unicorn.

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

The Government is making good progress in identifying and supporting the next generation of high-growth UK defence technology companies through initiatives set out in the Defence Investment Plan (DIP).

The DIP confirmed that Defence is expanding its search for new defence unicorns through accelerated contracts of up to £100 million over four years for British technology firms that have had limited or no previous business with the Ministry of Defence. This work is being delivered through UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), which is helping to identify, support and scale high-potential defence and dual-use technologies.

The Government will continue to work with innovative SMEs and scale-ups across the UK to accelerate the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies, strengthening national security while supporting growth in every postcode.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of the WHITEHEAD2 programme.

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

The WHITEHEAD2 Programme will sustain and enhance the Royal Navy’s in-service torpedo capability and associated support arrangements, including repair, maintenance, stockpile support, obsolescence management, and future capability development. It will deliver a modernised through-life torpedo support solution from 2029 onwards, helping maintain the availability, effectiveness, and resilience of UK torpedo capability to meet future operational requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 3.2.31 of the Defence Investment Plan, published on 30 June 2026, in which month in 2026 does he plan to launch an online Test and Evaluation marketplace.

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

The Test and Evaluation Marketplace will help T&E users, both within Defence and industry to connect with suitable T&E facilities, capability and support services from both defence and the private sector. This is progressing to launch by the end of the 2026 calendar year, with a proposed date in November.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's document entitled Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025, published on 4 November 2025, for what reason was there a Partial Debtor Write-off against Cavalry Barracks of £7,153,000.

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

The partial write-off of £7.153 million was due to the final deferred payment on a land sale not being made, as the purchaser went into administration.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Project WASP.

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

The Wasp system is an uncrewed maritime system, which has been rapidly developed specifically to support Ukraine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, SPEARCAP 3, what is the timeline for the F-35B integration.

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

SPEAR 3 is part of a wider Weapons Integration Programme and dependent on US led prioritisation and test platform availability. The entire integration programme, and subsequent release to service of the fully integrated SPEAR 3 weapon system, will occur in the early 2030s.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the UK armed forces equipment and formations 2026, published on 20 August 2026, what is the status of the 5 Typhoon aircraft the fleet reduced by between 2025 and 2026.

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

Following removal from the Military Aviation Authority Register, all airframes were harvested for critical aircraft components in support of the wider Typhoon fleet before entering the disposal process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vessels have been found to have invalid or insufficient insurance following challenge through the Voluntary Insurance Reporting Mechanism since March 2026.

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

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2026 to question UIN 26734 regarding the Voluntary Insurance Reporting Mechanism. The Department for Transport is unable to provide a breakdown on the vessels that have been challenged by the Voluntary Insurance Reporting Mechanism as this information could compromise the effectiveness of the mechanism, only benefitting our adversaries.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been a) arrested and b) prosecuted under Operation Shiraz since the operation commenced.

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

Border Force works with law enforcement partners under Operation Shiraz to identify and disrupt the importation of child-like sexual abuse dolls and related items into the United Kingdom.

Information relating to arrests and prosecutions connected to Operation Shiraz is held for operational and intelligence purposes. The Home Office does not publish official statistics relating to arrests or prosecutions under the operation and does not hold verified data suitable for publication.

Protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation remains a priority for this Government. Border Force plays an important role in preventing prohibited and harmful items from entering the United Kingdom and works closely with domestic and international partners to detect, seize and investigate suspected criminal activity.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she was informed that a US Embassy employee was removed from the UK by US authorities.

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

The Home Office were updated by the Metropolitan Police Service on 25 August about a US investigation that involved an officer from the US Embassy being recalled to the US.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the ability of the Chiltern Consortium to deliver suitable equipment to Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

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

Procurement and commercial decisions are matters for individual police. Chief Constables of those forces are operationally independent and are responsible for determining how best to equip and resource their forces to meet local needs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 27 July 2026, to question 17492 on Guided Weapons, by when does he plan to have a) defined, b) sequenced and c) implemented arrangements to support a future UK-France Complex Weapons cooperation.

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

Bilateral discussions to define and implement the most efficient, iterative options to support a UK-France Complex Weapons Joint Portfolio Office are underway, expanding on a recent senior bilateral engagement and current Lancaster House cooperation and resourcing.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22823 on USA: Armed Forces, if she will publish the letter from the Chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council to Chief Constables in England and Wales reminding forces of their responsibilities under the Visiting Forces Act 1952.

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

I will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22817 on Reservoirs: Cambridgeshire, if she will publish a breakdown of the (a) nitrates and (b) phosphates found in water sources used to fill Grafham Water.

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

This information is publicly available here: https://environment.data.gov.uk/water-quality.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the level of risk of the China General Technology Research Institute supporting Chinese Ministry of State Security espionage by using British academics to spy on British AI research.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

MI5’s recently published alert has exposed the very strong ties between the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) and China’s Ministry of State Security. CGTRI’s primary purpose is to fund academic research which directly improves the Ministry’s technical capability for espionage

Institutions and academics should take reasonable steps to review their exposure to CGTRI and avoid or cease active or upcoming partnerships, while ensuring they comply with their obligations under the National Security Act 2023.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the level of national security risk posed by over 100 UK-linked academics identified as having contributed to projects funded by the China General Technology Research Institute in support of Chinese Ministry of State Security espionage.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

MI5’s recently published alert has exposed the very strong ties between the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) and China’s Ministry of State Security. CGTRI’s primary purpose is to fund academic research which directly improves the Ministry’s technical capability for espionage

Institutions and academics should take reasonable steps to review their exposure to CGTRI and avoid or cease active or upcoming partnerships, while ensuring they comply with their obligations under the National Security Act 2023.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what steps she has taken in preparation for a legal challenge by Argentina via the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea regarding the Sea Lion Project in the North Falkland Basin.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, or requested of the Law Officers, and the Convention applies to your question.

The Law Officers’ Convention can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 13 October 2025]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23163 on Ajax Vehicles: Procurement, how many Ajax family vehicles have been fielded to Armoured Infantry units by variant.

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

Information on the allocation of the Ajax family of vehicles, including by variant and unit, is not being disclosed as its release would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Project ZODIAC.

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

Project ZODIAC will deliver and continuously evolve an operational capability that integrates, exploits, and disseminates intelligence and data from multiple domains and sources, providing commanders with enhanced situational understanding and decision advantage.

The project is currently in the competition phase, prior to the submission of its Full Business Case, and I am unable to provide further details at this stage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to question 23197 on Defence: Procurement by when does he expect to complete the review of programme performance for the Armour Main Battle Tank Programme.

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

The review of programme performance for the Armour Main Battle Tank Programme forms part of the programme's ongoing reapproval process. Under current plans, the outcome of this process is expected during Financial Year 2026-27.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Project Halo Shield.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Project HALO SHIELD is an Army-led initiative examining how commercially available Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft System (C-UAS) technologies can improve the protection of UK military sites from the growing threat posed by uncrewed aircraft systems.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 23452 on Warrior vehicles, on what dates were each of the 78 Warrior vehicles disposed of.

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

The answer to Question 23452 explained that the seventy-eight Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles removed from the reported fleet between 2025 and 2026 have been disposed of in accordance with Defence disposal policy. It would be inappropriate for me to provide exact disposal details, such as dates or variants as to do so could, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability of our Armed Forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the speech made by the RAF’s Director Capability and Programmes, Air Vice-Marshal Jim Beck, at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference on 15 July 2026, when does he plan to order a further tranche of F-35A aircraft to enable participation in the NATO Nuclear Mission.

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

The delivery profile and date of F-35A aircraft is subject to discussion between the UK and multinational Joint Program Office, but the UK anticipates taking delivery of the next batch of F-35 aircraft from the early 2030s. This will include 12 F-35As, which will allow the UK to join NATO's Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) mission.

We will continue to work closely with the US, whose nuclear weapons are allocated to the NATO DCA mission, and our other NATO Allies on the timeline for doing so.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23400 on Ajax vehicles, what is the overall total of each variant now held mapped against the current production schedule.

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

As of 15 September 2026, 227 Ajax Capability Drop 3 vehicles had been accepted by the Ministry of Defence, including 41 accepted since 17 April 2026.

The Department does not routinely disclose fleet holdings by variant, nor provide variant-level delivery information against production schedules. Such information is directly linked to military readiness and operational capability, and its disclosure could prejudice operational effectiveness by enabling assessments to be made about the availability, preparedness and deployment of capability.

The Ajax programme remains on track to deliver all 589 vehicles as contracted.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to question 23400 on Ajax vehicles, how many Ajax family vehicles have been accepted since 17 April 2026 by variant.

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

As of 15 September 2026, 227 Ajax Capability Drop 3 vehicles had been accepted by the Ministry of Defence, including 41 accepted since 17 April 2026.

The Department does not routinely disclose fleet holdings by variant, nor provide variant-level delivery information against production schedules. Such information is directly linked to military readiness and operational capability, and its disclosure could prejudice operational effectiveness by enabling assessments to be made about the availability, preparedness and deployment of capability.

The Ajax programme remains on track to deliver all 589 vehicles as contracted.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23347 on Boxer Vehicles, what is the breakdown by variant of the contractually delivered Boxer fleet to date.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 December 2025 to Question 100025, which sets out the total number of Boxer vehicles contracted for by variant. It is not possible to provide a breakdown by variant of the Boxer vehicles delivered to date, as this information is commercially and operationally sensitive.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23386 on Artillery, for what reason is there currently a restriction on the RAF deploying the L118 105mm Light Gun by parachute.

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

For reasons of operational security, I cannot provide any further details.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23249 on Guided Weapons, if he will provide a direct comparison between the rolling 10-year profile at (a) Quarter 4 (FY24/25) and (b) Quarter 4 (FY25/26) illustrating how the funding line remains similar despite the reduction in Whole Life Cost from £2967.59M to £1589.63M.

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

As set out in my answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23249, the difference arose from the correction of funding estimates beyond Defence's rolling 10-year planning horizon. That answer accurately explained the change in the published Whole Life Cost figures. Detailed programme funding profiles continue to be subject to routine planning and affordability processes. Updated information will be reflected in future published reports as appropriate.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the level of threat posed by Russian and Chinese installations on Antarctica to (a) Britain's South Atlantic Islands and (b) British research presence in Antarctica.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the global security environment and keeps potential threats to UK interests, personnel and facilities under constant review. This includes the Antarctic region where we know that both Russia and China have their own scientific research stations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22802 on HMS Bangor, on what date did HMS Bangor return to the UK from Bahrain; and what the cost was of the replacement heavy lift contract.

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

HMS Bangor returned to the UK on 29 November 2025 via heavy lift. The cost of the heavy lift contract to bring her back to the UK was £4.13 million.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22967 on F-35 Aircraft, if the 12 F-35A aircraft for the Operational Conversion Unit will also be allocated to fulfil the role of Dual Capable Aircraft for the NATO Nuclear Mission.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Yes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of military flight plan data entry on the NATS flight processing system on 8 September 2026.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Government has been clear that the disruption caused to passengers and industry was completely unacceptable. Following the incident, NATS was instructed to undertake a rapid investigation, and the Civil Aviation Authority has been commissioned to conduct an independent review of the findings and wider resilience arrangements.

NATS' investigation into the incident concluded that the disruption was caused by a software defect within the National Airspace System flight data processing software. NATS has stated that the incident was not caused by any incorrect actions by either military or civil operators.

The Government will continue to work with NATS, the Civil Aviation Authority, airports, airlines and other stakeholders to ensure lessons are learned and that any necessary improvements are implemented to strengthen the resilience of the UK's air traffic management systems.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 23191 on Defence: Procurement, what is the estimated length of the delay to the completion of HMS Achilles as a result of the 2024 Devonshire Dock Hall fire.

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

Work to recover from the impact of the fire in the Devonshire Dock Hall is progressing well. Achilles, the seventh and last boat of the class, remains at an advanced stage of build in Barrow-in-Furness.

The planned in-service dates for Royal Navy submarines are withheld as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor for the Exchequer, with reference to line 6 called Asset Sales of his Department's joint document entitled The Defence Investment Plan Funding Explainer, published on 30 June 2026, if he can provide a breakdown of the specific assets to be sold each year from 2026/27 until 2029/30.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Defence Investment Plan Funding Explainer, published on 30 June 2026, set out the government’s intention to monetise assets to help fund defence.

The Government does not publish information on individual asset sales. The details of potential future disposals are commercially sensitive. The government will confirm the package of funding for the Defence Investment Plan at the Budget.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been sacked in the past five years having been found guilty of misconduct in public office.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Between 01 January 2021 and 05 October 2026, 99 operational Bands 3-5 prison colleagues were convicted for Misconduct in Public Office which is mandatory grounds for immediate dismissal, 78 of which are the grade titled “Prison Officer”. This figure may include colleagues who resigned prior to their dismissal meeting after their conviction or who were dismissed for other grounds prior to dismissal for this conviction.

For context, HMPPS employed 22,001 FTE Band 3-5 prison officers as at 30 June 2026. The 99 convictions recorded between January 2021 and October 2026 are equivalent to around 0.5% of the current operational prison officer population and indicate that those convicted of Misconduct in Public Office represent a very small minority of staff.

While most prison staff are honest and work tirelessly to keep the public safe, our Counter Corruption Unit (CCU) and robust vetting processes proactively detect, disrupt and deter the activities of those suspected of corruption. Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison places were out of use for maintenance-related reasons on 5th July 2024.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

As of 5 July 2024, 1891 places were out of use for maintenance-related reasons.

This Government inherited a prison capacity crisis after prison places increased by just 500 places in 14 years. We are pulling every lever possible to fix that crisis and are building 14,000 new places with 3,300 already delivered.

Refurbishment and fire safety improvements are essential as without them fewer cells would be available to lock up dangerous criminals and we are working at pace to bring every available prison place online.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, Manchester Digital Campus, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the decision to locate Number 10 North on the current Delivery Confidence Assessment Rating.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Manchester Digital Campus represents a significant step in strengthening the Government presence in the North West. The Manchester Digital Campus continues to progress in line with the milestones and delivery confidence ratings published in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's document entitled Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025, published on 4 November 2025, for what reason was there an International Military Services Outstanding Claim Write-Off of £3,628,000.

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

The write off was due to a historical debt balance relating to monies owed to MOD between 1971 and 2006 by a foreign nation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Unbreakable bond between UK and Ukraine will continue under my government, published in 27 July 2026, what is the scope of the contract for Stone Cloak.

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

Stone Cloak electronic jammers are the size of a tablet computer and hinder Russian air defence systems from tracking and targeting the drones they are fitted to.

Stone Cloak was designed by the UK Government, and is being manufactured through a contract with UK industry. In addition, via a Government-to-Government agreement we have shared the Stone Cloak intellectual property with Ukraine enabling their industry to mass-produce them. For commercial reasons, we are unable to share details on the contract with UK industry.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 100025 on Boxer Vehicles: Procurement, how many of each variant across the proposed Boxer fleet will be allocated to the (a) Armoured Cavalry role and (b) the Mechanised Infantry role.

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

Boxer vehicles will not be used in the Armoured Cavalry role. Boxer will form the spine of the Mechanised Infantry force. Under current plans, Boxer is being fielded in supporting roles across 3rd (UK) Division, including Command and Control, Specialist Troop Carrier and Medical functions. Detailed fielding plans and vehicle allocations remain subject to refinement.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason do the department’s parliamentary team and ministers not respond to written parliamentary questions during parliamentary recesses.

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

I have spoken to the hon. Gentleman in person previously about the volume of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) he tables but given his question I am happy to state on the record that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) welcomes scrutiny by oral and WPQ. The volume of questions the hon. Gentleman tables makes him the largest user of defence WPQs by a considerable margin. We have taken steps to reallocate staff from other defence tasks to respond to his WPQs given the significant volume he tables. As we prepare for warfighting readiness, I welcome scrutiny, and I look forward to answering more of the hon. Gentleman’s questions in due course.

With respect to WPQs over the summer recess, Departments can answer WPQs during recess periods when the first day for answer occurs before the recess period starts. Since 1 September 2026, the MOD received over 1,000 written WPQs from MPs. Answers are sent to the Table Office when finalised, including during recess. Answers are sent to the Member and published on the Parliament website. This is standard practice. WPQs tabled by Members during recess periods are not received by Departments until the first sitting day after recess, therefore they cannot be answered during the recess period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 24 September 2026 to question 28897 on Fire and Rescue Services: Cambridgeshire, by when Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service will receive that range of new vehicles and equipment.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department, together with the National Resilience lead authority, is currently in the process of undertaking procurement for the replacement of the bulk of the HVP fleet. Once this is completed, we would work with the national resilience leads and the sector to establish a comprehensive delivery schedule for rollout of the replacement pumps to HVP-hosting services.

The £97 million New Dimensions 2 programme is a comprehensive capital asset replacement programme to review, refresh and upgrade the National Resilience assets used by fire and rescue authorities in response to the largest and most complex incidents.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service currently host an HVP capability and, accordingly, will be receiving a range of new vehicles and equipment which will replace and upgrade their current assets.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to create different variants of the Tempest for each of the partner nations within GCAP.

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

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is a groundbreaking collaboration between the UK, Japan and Italy to develop a common core platform – a sixth-generation combat air system. It will remain adaptable in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2026 to question 27064 on Sexual Offences, what progress she has made in establishing specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams within Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Rape and sexual offences are among the most harmful crimes in society and can have a devastating impact on victims, their loved ones and our communities.

On 28 August the Prime Minister announced that all police forces are to have a specialist rape and sexual offences team by December 2027. The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) is working closely with all police forces in England and Wales, including Cambridgeshire Constabulary, to support the development of specialist teams, ensuring victims receive a consistent, trauma-informed service and that investigations are suspect-focused, helping to bring offenders to justice and provide the best possible support for victims.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Best Start Family Hubs have been established in Huntingdon constituency.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

One Best Start Family Hub has been established in the Huntingdon constituency at:

Best Start Family Hub – Huntingdon, Sallowbush Road, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 7AF.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many dogs were removed from MBR Acres during the break-in on 29 September 2026.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The break-in at MBR Acres is a live investigation. Details are a matter for the company and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2026 to Question 23047 on Veterans: Northern Ireland, if he will publish the full list of veterans’ organisations he and his ministers have met with, and the dates on which they met, since their appointment.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

Since being appointed, NIO Ministers, and officials, have undertaken a programme of engagement with various veterans organisations and representatives. This includes meetings alongside the Ministry of Defence with the three Veterans Commissioners, the Royal British Legion, the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement, and various Forces associations and regiments. Full details of engagements will be published as part of the quarterly transparency return.

As a result of this engagement, the Government has tabled a significant package of amendments ahead of Committee Stage that will strengthen the already considerable package of protections for veterans included in the Troubles Bill.

The Government will continue to engage closely with all stakeholders as we make progress on the Troubles Bill to ensure that it delivers effective legacy mechanisms that everybody can have confidence in.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has his department made of the potential impact of interdicting Russian shadow fleet vessels transiting the English Channel carrying diesel bound for the United States.

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

On 14 June, the UK interdicted the Shadow Fleet vessel SMYRTOS. Following this operation we have seen a significant diversion of Shadow Fleet vessels away from the English Channel owing to the risk of being interdicted.

Sanctions have denied Russia access to at least $495 billion since February 2022. The UK has sanctioned 640 Shadow Fleet vessels causing severe disruption, with many sanctioned tankers still unable to load or unload Russian cargo, thereby imposing additional costs on Russia's oil trade. We will not comment on future interdiction operations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to reports regarding the removal of a US Embassy employee from the UK by US authorities, whether he has made an assessment of the role of the US military in this operation.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

As the US investigation remains ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on the details at this point. The UK Government and Metropolitan police remain in close contact with the US Embassy and US law enforcement agencies on this case.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) were a) received in Window 2 by the Rural Payments Agency and b) left incomplete upon closure of the window after 5 hours and 48 minutes on 22 September 2026.

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

Of the 15,063 applications created for SFI26 Window 2, 12,204 were submitted before the window closed on 22 September. At the point of closure there were 2,859 applications that had been started not submitted.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, Mechanised Infantry Programme, what elements have been cut from the programme as part of the £1858.38 million funding removal and budget reprioritisation.

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

As part of reprioritisation within the Military Strategic Headquarters, the Armoured Mortar, Repair and Recovery and Mounted Close Combat Overwatch capabilities of the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle programme are no longer being pursued.

The Army is considering how the underlying capability requirements will be addressed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2026, to question 18240 on A14: Trees, what was the outcome of National Highways September 2026 survey on survival rates of replanted saplings.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As part of the trial replanting programme along the A14 roadside earlier this year, National Highways commissioned an interim survey of the replanted trees to assess survival rates. The survey was undertaken in late September 2026, and National Highways expects to receive the results by the end of October 2026. National Highways intends to undertake a further survey in the spring or summer of 2027 to assess longer-term establishment and survival rates of the replanted trees.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his department is aware of a payment made to Feroz Khan, following the recent interview with the Secretary of State.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

No payment has been made to Feroz Khan.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the total budget allocated within Window 2 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26).

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

Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 Window 2 had a budget of £253 million for new agreements. This included additional funding announced before and during the application window in response to anticipated demand.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22817 on Reservoirs: Cambridgeshire, what was the level of a) nitrates and b) phosphates found in water sources used to fill Grafham Water.

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

Information on water quality monitoring is available on GOV.UK through the Water Quality Explorer. The sample point most relevant to your query on Grafham Water is 22M03.

Further information may be available from Anglian Water Services who can provide details of Anglian Water's monitoring activities in the area and how it takes nutrient levels into account when abstracting water.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 22797 on HMP Liverpool, who is the new contractor that has been identified and by when will a new contractual programme have been confirmed.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Wates have been appointed as the new contractor for the refurbishment project at HMP Liverpool.

Construction work on G-Wing of HMP Liverpool was restarted on 14 September 2026, with assessment work moving at pace for the remaining wings.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 11 September 2026 to Question 27063 on Aerospace Industry: Finance, what progress his Department has made in the development of radiation-hard devices for satellites and spacecraft for military applications.

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

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) work closely with the UK Space Agency and supports research and innovation across the UK semiconductor and space sectors, including technologies that can enhance the resilience of satellite systems operating in challenging radiation environments.

The Ministry of Defence has developed radiation hard technologies for specific applications. The specifics of the technologies are understandably sensitive.

The Government continues to support the development of relevant UK capabilities, recognising the importance of secure and resilient supply chains for future defence and space systems. However, acquisition of operational military satellites is achieved by accessing off the shelf products via international commercial companies.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to question 23207 on Defence Equipment: Sales, what progress has he made in working with His Majesty's Treasury to develop plans for asset sales further.

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

The Department continues to work closely with HMT to identify opportunities for asset sales. This is an ongoing process as assets come to the end of their life.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the number of SSN-AUKUS submarines he plans to procure following the 2027 spending review.

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

As set out in the Defence Investment Plan, we intend to procure up to 12 SSN AUKUS submarines.