Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 91898, if the MOD produces any drones for non-military purposes with Chinese components.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
All drones or Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) procured as Programmes of Record under Ministry of Defence (MOD) commercial frameworks are deemed for military use, regardless of function.
The UK MOD does not operate Chinese-manufactured drones. We review our supply chains regularly to identify and mitigate risk to national security.
For drones procured outside frameworks, such as small unit purchases for training, procurement officers must consult the Defence Uncrewed Systems Design Authority for guidance to ensure that all uncrewed systems acquired for the UK military are integrated, interoperable, safe, secure, and provide value for money across the entire defence enterprise.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question UIN 43405, whether he or Ministers in his Department have visited the Old British Cemetery in Girne, Northern Cyprus; and whether he plans to do so.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Whilst the Ministry of Defence continues to recognise and value the sacrifice of the 371 UK Service personnel who gave their lives during the ‘Cyprus Emergency’, Parliamentary and Ministerial commitments mean there are no plans to visit the memorial at The Old British Cemetery at Girne (Kyrenia).
Whilst the cemetery is located in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognised by this Government, the British High Commission in Nicosia regularly honours those Service personnel who died, including through the annual laying of a wreath at the official Remembrance Day Service at the Nicosia War Cemetery where British soldiers are buried.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of drones, including IOTs (small communicating modular devices), procured by the MOD are made with Chinese components.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We do not procure Chinese manufactured drones for use in operations, and we review our critical supply chains regularly to identify and mitigate potential risks to our National Security.
The MOD does not routinely comment on the relative percentages on the origin or percentages of specific components of our planned or in service capabilities.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department plan to visit the official memorial in Girne in Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
While recognising the sacrifice of UK Service personnel who gave their lives during the ‘Cyprus Emergency’, Parliamentary and Ministerial commitments mean there are no plans to visit the memorial at The Old British Cemetery at Girne. However, when Parliamentary and Ministerial calendars allow, a Minister would be happy to visit.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to take steps to end the procurement from China of clothing for (a) the SAS, (b) snipers, (c) the Red Arrows and (d) other military units.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in the context of the Written Ministerial Statement made on 24 November 2022 by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster entitled Security Update on Surveillance Equipment, HCWS386, what assessment he has made of the potential security implications of the decision by the Defence and Security Accelerator to exhibit at the Safer Streets: Protect and Deter 2023 conference which will be partly funded by Hikvision, a company owned by the Chinese state.
Answered by Alex Chalk
Any events the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) attends or exhibits at are carefully planned for and assessed in order to mitigate security risks.
For this particular event, contact has been directly with the organisers of the event (the CCTV User Group) and limited solely to attendance at the event and administration for the stand. DASA has not shared any official documents or technology contacts with the organisers. DASA has robust plans in place to ensure that, at events such as these, no material or information is made available that is not already in the public domain.