Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to accelerate approvals by the Military Aviation Authority for the use of (a) reconnaissance and (b) kinetic drones on UK military bases.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The process for Military Aviation Authority (MAA) approvals of Ministry of Defence (MOD) Uncrewed Air System (UAS) [1] activity is detailed in Regulatory Article 1600 with amplification within the UAS Manual available on the www.gov.uk website. The approvals process is proportionate to the operating intent and level of risk to life posed. The approval is a one-off process for a MOD organisation to operate a type of UAS i.e. a licence to operate and not an approval per flight. The majority of MOD UAS used for airborne reconnaissance on MOD bases are small ‘Open category’ UAS requiring submission of a limited safety checklist for MAA approval. The MAA guarantees a response within 60 days, but over 90% of applications are processed in under 30 days and those with higher priority processed in under 24 hours. The agile approach adopted by the MAA has been welcomed. Approvals for weaponised ‘kinetic drones’ is necessarily more complex. Approval timelines are dependent on the technical maturity of the system, risk to life posed, location of use and safety mitigations in place, to ensure an appropriate level of safety to military users and the UK population.

[1] MAA Regulations are transitioning to the term ‘Uncrewed Air System’ rather than ‘drone’ or ‘Remotely Piloted Air System’ in order to align with nomenclature of ICAO and NATO nations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what approvals process is required by the Military Aviation Authority for the use of (a) reconnaissance and (b) kinetic drones on UK military bases.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The process for Military Aviation Authority (MAA) approvals of Ministry of Defence (MOD) Uncrewed Air System (UAS) [1] activity is detailed in Regulatory Article 1600 with amplification within the UAS Manual available on the www.gov.uk website. The approvals process is proportionate to the operating intent and level of risk to life posed. The approval is a one-off process for a MOD organisation to operate a type of UAS i.e. a licence to operate and not an approval per flight. The majority of MOD UAS used for airborne reconnaissance on MOD bases are small ‘Open category’ UAS requiring submission of a limited safety checklist for MAA approval. The MAA guarantees a response within 60 days, but over 90% of applications are processed in under 30 days and those with higher priority processed in under 24 hours. The agile approach adopted by the MAA has been welcomed. Approvals for weaponised ‘kinetic drones’ is necessarily more complex. Approval timelines are dependent on the technical maturity of the system, risk to life posed, location of use and safety mitigations in place, to ensure an appropriate level of safety to military users and the UK population.

[1] MAA Regulations are transitioning to the term ‘Uncrewed Air System’ rather than ‘drone’ or ‘Remotely Piloted Air System’ in order to align with nomenclature of ICAO and NATO nations.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Government press release entitled Government and business put forward "Team UK" approach to unleash defence sector's potential, published on 7 July 2025, how much in cash terms of the stated increase of defence spending to 2.6% is accounted for by (a) reductions in Official Development Assistance spend and (b) the addition of the single intelligence account to the defence budget.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor’s Spring Statement 2025, table 2.1, outlines the changes to defence and Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending that will see NATO qualifying core defence spending increase to 2.5% GDP by 2027.

CP1298 – Spring Statement 2025

The Single Intelligence Account (SIA) budget is not being added to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) budget, but, in line with our allies, will be considered fully NATO qualifying defence spending by 2027. The inclusion of SIA will increase defence spending by around 0.1% in 2027, meaning that NATO qualifying defence expenditure will reach 2.6% GDP in 2027. Full details of the SIA budget over the Spending Review period can be found here:

Spending Review 2025 (HTML) - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July to Question 62701 on Defence: Finance, when the Single Intelligence Budget was last included in the core defence budget.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Single Intelligence Account is not included in the Ministry of Defence’s budget.

Historically, the SIA’s budget has included elements of NATO-qualifying defence expenditure. In order to recognise the important contribution the intelligence agencies play in national defence, by 2027, we will consider the whole of the SIA to be NATO-qualifying, in line with our allies. It will be included towards the 2.6% target for core defence spending.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 58776 on National Armaments Director: Public Appointments, when he expects the permanent National Armaments Director to be in place.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer to my answer given on 25 June to HC60825 and HC60826.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q43 of the oral evidence given by him to the Defence Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 973, if he will outline the responsibilities of the announced Strategic Advisor and Head of Review and Challenge role.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The key responsibilities of the role are:

The Strategic Advisor to the Secretary of State and Head of Review and Challenge will be responsible for providing expert strategic advice to the Secretary of State and, as appropriate to the PUS, CDS and NAD as well as the Ministerial team.

They will lead, provide senior oversight and tasking, but not line management, of the Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC) (circa 30 staff).

In this role they will reform the way the Department offers challenge to policy and strategy.

They will play a key role in advising strategic coherence of Departmental outcomes and activity. They will work closely with the Strategy Directorate and use their skills, expertise, and network to improve strategic acumen both in the directorate and across the department.

They will collaborate with the Director of Communications on strategic communications as required.

Provide senior strategic advice to the Secretary of State to assist the strategic coherence and impact of Defence’s activities.

Provide strategic challenge to the Defence Board and other senior decision-making boards as appropriate.

Provide senior leadership to the internal provision of strategic expertise, helping to improve the quality of advice from both the strategy directorate and from elsewhere in the department.

Improve the department’s use of external expertise, including from academia and think tanks.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q43 of the oral evidence given by him to the Defence Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 973, what the remuneration package for the announced Strategic Advisor and Head of Review and Challenge will be.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Malcolm Chalmers will be given remuneration for work in-line with agreed and existing SCS pay bands. The position is non-pensionable.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, what his target date is for the RAF to have access to air launched weapons to use with the purchased F-35A aircraft.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It would not be appropriate to comment on timeframes in which UK F-35A aircraft will have access to US air-launched nuclear weapons for reasons of safeguarding of national security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 39917 on Unmanned Air Systems: Procurement, how many drones in (a) logistics, (b) strike and (c) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles were purchased by his Department since 25 March 2025.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 July 2025 to Question 64478.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of reservists received a tax free bounty in the last financial year.

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

Of the Volunteer Reserve and High Readiness Reserve population for the Financial Year 2024-25, 46% were paid an Annual Bounty Payment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the quality of electronic warfare equipment used by the armed forces in training exercises.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK Armed Forces have made, and continue to make, significant investments in advanced Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) capabilities to ensure operational effectiveness in modern combat scenarios. Training exercises routinely integrate EW systems to replicate real-world conditions, enabling personnel to develop critical skills in detecting, countering, and exploiting electromagnetic signals. The quality of such equipment reflects the UK's commitment to maintaining a technologically advanced and highly capable military force. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) have also conducted specific assessments and evaluations on behalf of the Ministry of Defence regarding the quality and performance of EW equipment utilised by the Services' during training exercises.

I am withholding information on the list of electronic warfare equipment used on the grounds of national security as its disclosure 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, if he will list the electronic warfare equipment used by the armed forces.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK Armed Forces have made, and continue to make, significant investments in advanced Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) capabilities to ensure operational effectiveness in modern combat scenarios. Training exercises routinely integrate EW systems to replicate real-world conditions, enabling personnel to develop critical skills in detecting, countering, and exploiting electromagnetic signals. The quality of such equipment reflects the UK's commitment to maintaining a technologically advanced and highly capable military force. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) have also conducted specific assessments and evaluations on behalf of the Ministry of Defence regarding the quality and performance of EW equipment utilised by the Services' during training exercises.

I am withholding information on the list of electronic warfare equipment used on the grounds of national security as its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July to Question 62703 on Defence: Finance, what the total financial quantum was of the elements of the single intelligence account which will be included in the Ministry of Defence budget from 2027.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Single Intelligence Account plays a vital role in our national defence, hence it has received an increase of funding in the Spending Review, and it will make a greater contribution to the UK’s total NATO qualifying defence spending from 2027.

This does not mean that the intelligence and security services will be added to the MOD budget; they remain distinct budgets reflecting spend on different departments.

NATO qualifying defence spending has always included elements beyond the MOD TDEL budget.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July to Question 64518 on Armed Forces: Housing, whether the Defence Housing Strategy will be published before the rise of the House on 22 July 2025.

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

The Defence Housing Strategy will not be published before the rise of the House on 22 July 2025. However, it will be published later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Royal Air Force's air to air refuelling capability for F35As.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave to Question 63066 on 4 July 2025 to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how may electronic counter measure kits are in use by the British army; and if he will publish a list of units in which they are used.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Generalist Force Protection equipment entered service with the Armed Forces between 2009 and 2014 in response to an Urgent Operational Requirement and was subsequently brought into the Core Equipment Plan, ensuring the maintenance of fleets. Specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal equipment was last refreshed in support of the 2012 London Olympics. The current Electronic Counter Measures (ECMs) have an Out of Service Date of March 2027.

The current ECM systems are held centrally by the British Army and are distributed to the land forces (Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Airforce) during Operations at the time of requirement. For reasons of operational security, I am unable to provide further details relating to ECM utilised by the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for each British Army Unit holding stocks of electronic counter measure kits, what the (a) in service and (b) out of service dates are in each case.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Generalist Force Protection equipment entered service with the Armed Forces between 2009 and 2014 in response to an Urgent Operational Requirement and was subsequently brought into the Core Equipment Plan, ensuring the maintenance of fleets. Specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal equipment was last refreshed in support of the 2012 London Olympics. The current Electronic Counter Measures (ECMs) have an Out of Service Date of March 2027.

The current ECM systems are held centrally by the British Army and are distributed to the land forces (Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Airforce) during Operations at the time of requirement. For reasons of operational security, I am unable to provide further details relating to ECM utilised by the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, what proportion of time the purchased F-35As will spend on (a) operations and (b) training.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty) to Question 63065 on 2 July 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the British army is able to train in trench warfare conditions across the defence estate.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), through its contactors, maintain the Defence Training Estate (DTE) to ensure it provides suitable training facilities for the Armed Forces, which can include trench warfare. These are available to be booked by the Armed Forces for training as required.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many volunteer reservists completed (a) up to 18, (b) 19 to 26 and (c) over 27 reserve service days in the last five financial years by service.

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

It will take time to collate the information needed to answer the hon. Member’s questions. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department was of volunteer reserve pay excluding annual bounties in the last five financial years by service.

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

It will take time to collate the information needed to answer the hon. Member’s questions. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department was of the volunteer reserve annual bounty in the last five financial years by service.

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

It will take time to collate the information needed to answer the hon. Member’s questions. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reserve service days were completed by the Volunteer Reserves in the last five financial years by rank.

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

It will take time to collate the information needed to answer the hon. Member’s questions. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many drones his Department has provided to Ukraine by (a) reconnaissance, (b) logistics, (c) FPV and (d) long-range one-way attack since February 2022..

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The UK has delivered over 70,000 uncrewed systems to Ukraine since Russia's illegal invasion began. This includes hundreds of long-range attack drones, first person view (FPV), loitering munitions, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones and maritime drones. As a former Defence Minister, he will know that for operational security reasons, we cannot provide details of the types of military drones purchased by the Ministry of Defence for its own purposes or those purchased for Ukraine.

The UK is also co-leading the Drone Capability Coalition (DCC) with Latvia, which is working to increase the quality and quantity of drones provided to Ukraine. The DCC is currently focusing on small UAS and interceptors through competitive tenders, and as announced by the Defence Secretary in January, will provide 30,000 FPV drones for Ukraine by August of this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many volunteer reservists received an annual bounty in the last five financial years by (a) service and (b) rank.

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

It will take time to collate the information needed to answer the hon. Member’s questions. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, how much of the funding for autonomous systems will be spent on drones for use by the armed forces in this financial year.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, how the £4 billion for autonomous systems will be spent in each financial year until 2028-29.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, whether the £4 billion to be spent on autonomous systems includes funding for procurement for Ukraine.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, how much of the £4 billion for autonomous systems will be spent in this financial year.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 6 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, whether the £15bn investment in the sovereign warhead programme will solely cover the cost of developing the sovereign warhead.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The £15 billion investment in the sovereign warhead programme this Parliament includes sustaining our existing stockpile, developing Astraea; our sovereign replacement warhead programme, and modernising our infrastructure. We will uphold our commitments as a responsible nuclear weapons state.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the numbers of cadets in the combined Cadet Force since the 5 July 2024.

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

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes annual accredited official statistics on the strength of MOD-sponsored Cadet Forces. The latest statistics can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-2025 and as at 1 April 2025, there were 50,350 cadets in the Combined Cadet Force (CCF). A specific monthly figure for July 2024 is not published.

It should be noted that during this period, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) numbers have increased. CFAVs are the life blood of the Cadet Forces, without whom the cadet experience could not be enjoyed by thousands of young people across the country.

We want more young people to be able to gain the fantastic benefits of being cadets, and we are pleased that the Strategic Defence Review has recommended a significant growth in numbers. We will be growing both in the community and in schools by 30% by 2030. The increase of CFAVs will only support this expansion and further detail will come out in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, whether he consulted the lead reviewers of the Strategic Defence Review on the decision to purchase F-35As.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recommended that, to ensure the RAF remains at the leading edge of combat air's evolution, additional F-35 aircraft will be required over the next decade. The SDR further stated that this could include a mix of F-35A and F-35B models, based on military requirements, to deliver greater operational flexibility and value for money.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, what percentage of the £4 billion to be spent on drones in this parliament will be spent on (a) reconnaissance, (b) logistics, (c) FPV and (d) long-range one-way attack drones.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, how much of the £4 billion for autonomous systems will be spent on drones for the (a) Royal Navy, (b) British Army and (c) Royal Air Force.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government press release entitled Major £5 billion technology investment accelerates UK defence innovation in a European first, published on 2 June 2025, how much of the £4 billion to be spent on autonomous systems in this parliament is (a) RDEL and (b) CDEL.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Electronic Counter Measure kits he plans to procure for the Army in this financial year.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

For reasons of operational security, I am unable to provide further details relating to Electronic Counter Measures.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide a list of the total number of civil service personnel employed by the Ministry of Defence in each financial year since 1995.

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

The following table shows the Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servant strength by Full Time Equivalent (FTE) and Headcount for periods from 1 April 1995 to 1 April 2025.

These figures show MOD civil servants, including personnel in Executive Agencies and their predecessor organisations, dating back to 1995.

The table includes personnel employed in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) in support of Naval operations. These personnel are classified as civil servants for contractual purposes but exclude locally engaged civilians (LECs), who are employed under alternate terms and conditions. Please note that RFA data was not recorded in personnel numbers until 1 April 1999. RFA personnel are classified as Headcount personnel.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that British SMEs can participate in future procurement contracts relating to the security of UK RAF bases.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department will continue to utilise Defence commercial processes to deliver an appropriate and robust security solution. All Ministry of Defence (MOD) procurements must comply with specific legal obligations regarding the fair treatment of all suppliers.

It is recognised that small medium enterprises seeking to work in Defence face unique challenges. However, the Department is committed to removing unnecessary barriers to participation in our supply-chain and improving the way that MOD ad its major suppliers engage and support them.

Substantial additional support for defence SMEs was recently unveiled by the Government to help address these barriers. This includes tailored guidance on how to access the defence supply chain and an ambitious but achievable target that we will spend £7.5 billion with SMEs by 2028.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many drones he plans to procure for the armed forces in this financial year by (a) reconnaissance, (b) logistics, (c) first-person view and (d) long-range one-way attack.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years as part of a 'high-low' mix of capabilities whether undersea, at sea, on land, or over land. Exact numbers and investment apportioned to these systems will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to issue an Urgent Capability Requirement to procure security enhancements for RAF bases.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The review of security across Defence is ongoing and includes looking at all options to deliver appropriate and robust security solutions. I will report updates to the House in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reserve service days were completed by the Volunteer Reserves in the last five financial years by service.

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

It will take time to collate the information needed to answer the hon. Member’s questions. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to provide electronic warfare equipment to the army for use in training exercises.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Army currently provides specialist Electronic Warfare equipment for use on operations and training exercises. I am unable to provide any further detail relating to this provision for reasons of operational security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, when his Department expects the RAF to have access to air-launched nuclear weapons to use in conjunction with F-35A aircraft.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It is longstanding UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any given location. Accordingly, I will not comment on timeframes in which UK F35A aircraft will have access to US air-launched nuclear weapons.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many drones have been purchased by the British army for use in sport since 5 July 2024, by unit.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Military or Army drones are designed for tactical and operational applications such as surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition and strike. Operation of these systems require assured Military Aviation Authority (MAA) training to ensure both their effectiveness on the battlefield and the safety of other air users.

Sports drones, or racing drones as they are commonly known, are used for competitive drone racing or freestyle flying. Designed and built for speed and agility they are commonly flown on closed circuits in controlled environments. Their utility in Defence is principally for development of skills and competency in the use of uncrewed systems.

The British Army Drone Sport Association (BADSA) is the Governing Body for drone sports in the British Army. Drones used for sport-related activity are separate to official Army drone capabilities and are purchased via a different procurement route, off the shelf.

The following table shows the type and number of sporting drones, by unit, purchased by the Joint Drone Academy (JDA).

Additionally, some units have purchased drones for sport using unit funds which fall outside of the scope of the JDA.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, what the in service date is for the F-35A aircraft purchased.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Negotiations with the Joint Programme Office to agree the contract and the schedule for order and delivery of the aircraft are ongoing.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, what the total cost is of his Department's order to purchase 12 new F-35A fighter jets.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The procurement of 12 F-35A rather than 12 F-35B is expected to deliver a saving of up to 25% per aircraft. Final prices will be identified during contract negotiation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q43 of the oral evidence he gave to the Defence Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 973, if the Strategic Advisor and Head of Review and Challenge is a direct replacement for the Director of the Secretary of State’s Office for Net Assessment and Challenge.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is pleased to welcome Malcom Chalmers as the new Strategic Advisor to the Secretary of State (SofS) and Head of Review and Challenge. Malcolm Chalmers will not be a direct replacement for Director SONAC but will have many of the same responsibilities. This model will allow Mr Chalmers to focus on providing expert advice to the SofS, backed by the expertise and intellectual horsepower of SONAC. SONAC will be run day to day by a Civil Servant Deputy Director. This model will allow us to get the best out of the expert - and optimise the strategic value that SONAC delivers to the Defence Secretary and the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q43 of the oral evidence given by him to the Defence Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 973, how many candidates were interviewed as part of the recruiting process to appoint the announced Strategic Advisor and Head of Review and Challenge.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As the hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister, Ministers are entitled to directly appoint ‘eminent’ or qualified individuals to provide advice, champion an issue or undertake a review. Such appointments have been made under successive administrations and those holding these roles play a vital role in providing expert, independent advice to the government on a range of matters.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q43 of the oral evidence given by him to the Defence Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 973, whether there was an official application process for the appointment of the announced Strategic Advisor and Head of Review and Challenge.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As the hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister, Ministers are entitled to directly appoint ‘eminent’ or qualified individuals to provide advice, champion an issue or undertake a review. Such appointments have been made under successive administrations and those holding these roles play a vital role in providing expert, independent advice to the government on a range of matters.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q43 of the oral evidence given by him to the Defence Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 973, for how long the application process to fill the announced Strategic Advisor and Head of Review and Challenge role lasted.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As the hon. Gentleman will recall from his time as a Defence Minister, Ministers are entitled to directly appoint ‘eminent’ or qualified individuals to provide advice, champion an issue or undertake a review. Such appointments have been made under successive administrations and those holding these roles play a vital role in providing expert, independent advice to the government on a range of matters.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 65293 on Defence: Finance, if she will publish the percentage of GDP spent on defence for each financial year since 2018/2019.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Historic NATO qualifying defence spend as a percentage of GDP is published on the NATO website:

240617-def-exp-2024-en.pdf

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, column 633, referencing spending 2.6% on defence from 2027, how much will be spent out of the defence budget on increasing capacity in the intelligence and security services from 2027.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Intelligence and Security Services are funded through the Single Intelligence Account (SIA), which is separate from the Ministry of Defence's budget.

The budget for the SIA from 2027 onwards is set out in the Spending Review 2025 document - GOV.UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 65293 on Defence: Finance, if she will publish the average increase as a percentage of GDP spent on defence expenditure from 2027, excluding the addition of intelligence and security services spend.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

NATO qualifying defence expenditure is calculated using standardised NATO definitions of defence spending, as agreed by NATO allies.

Annual defence expenditure per country is reported to NATO on a regular basis and is published on their website.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to abolish the Secretary of State’s Office for Net Assessment and Challenge.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

We have no plans to abolish the Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge, known as SONAC.

As the Strategic Advisor to the Secretary of State and Head of Review and Challenge, Malcolm Chalmers will be responsible for providing expert strategic advice to the Secretary of State and as appropriate to the PUS, CDS and NAD as well as the Ministerial team. He will lead, providing senior oversight and tasking, but not line management of SONAC’s approx. thirty staff, who will continue their expert work.

SONAC will continue to work with top external experts, running red teams and wargames to test and challenge departmental thinking, as well as continuing their long-term Net Assessment program to ensure we understand the problems we’re facing. These will be vital inputs to Malcolm Chalmers as he provides advice to the Secretary of State.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has appointed a Director of the Secretary of State’s Office for Net Assessment and Challenge.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is pleased to welcome Malcom Chalmers as the new Strategic Advisor to the Secretary of State (SofS) and Head of Review and Challenge. Malcolm Chalmers will not be a direct replacement for Director SONAC but will have many of the same responsibilities. This model will allow Mr Chalmers to focus on providing expert advice to the SofS, backed by the expertise and intellectual horsepower of SONAC. SONAC will be run day to day by a Civil Servant Deputy Director. This model will allow us to get the best out of the expert - and optimise the strategic value that SONAC delivers to the Defence Secretary and the Department.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many orders of electronic surveillance equipment his Department has made for use by the armed forces since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department procure a number of systems across all domains, many of which are integrated into larger platforms. Consequently, the information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many orders of electronic jamming equipment his Department has made for use by the armed forces since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department procure a number of systems across all domains, many of which are integrated into larger platforms. Consequently, the information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many orders of electronic warfare equipment has his Department made for use by the armed forces since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department procure a number of systems across all domains, many of which are integrated into larger platforms. Consequently, the information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many 7.62mm rounds his Department has ordered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I am withholding the information requested as it is operationally sensitive.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many 9mm rounds his Department has ordered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I am withholding the information requested as it is operationally sensitive.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Parrot Anafi USA drones has his Department ordered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Due to operational security, we cannot provide details on the numbers or types of drones ordered by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Puma 3 AE drones has his Department ordered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Due to operational security, we cannot provide details on the numbers or types of drones ordered by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ghost MK4 drones has his Department ordered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Due to operational security, we cannot provide details on the numbers or types of drones ordered by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Black Hornet drones his Department has ordered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Due to operational security, we cannot provide details on the numbers or types of drones ordered by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many heavy lift drones his Department has ordered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Due to operational security, we cannot provide details on the numbers or types of drones ordered by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many FPV drones his Department has ordered since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Due to operational security, we cannot provide details on the numbers or types of drones ordered by the Ministry of Defence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of the drones provided to Ukraine since February 2022 have been British made.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Where the UK's drone industry can meet Ukraine's drone requirements, the Ministry of Defence sources from UK industry, and this is true of the majority of the spend on drone procurements for Ukraine.

This has been reaffirmed by the Defence Secretary's announcement at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on 4 June 2025, where he pledged £350 million investment into drones this financial year, with the majority of the spend to be with British companies.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, whether nuclear certification of the aircraft will take place (a) prior and (b) after the aircraft are delivered.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The detail of F-35 procurement is subject to the outcome of the Defence Investment Plan, which is scheduled to complete in the Autumn. However, we will not be providing detailed updates on the steps required to enable participation in the NATO nuclear mission for national security reasons.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 65293 on Defence: Finance, what the total quantum of spend on the Chagos settlement is, for each remaining year of the current Parliament.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The UK’s financial obligations under the UK-Mauritius Treaty can be found in the document ‘UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia’, which is available on Gov.uk. Payments will be managed responsibly within the government’s fiscal framework and reported in annual accounts in the usual way. Obligations within MOD and FCDO budgets have been agreed through the recently published Spending Review. No payments will be made until the treaty is legally binding.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide a breakdown of expenditure provided to Ukraine in each financial year since February 2022.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Since 2024-25 the Government has committed to providing Ukraine with £3 billion of military support until 2030-31 or for as long as needed. The Government’s committed military support to Ukraine for each financial year is set out below.

A further £1.5 billion of support is being provided in 2025 as part of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative. This takes our total support to Ukraine for this year to £4.5 billion, which is the greatest amount of support since Putin’s full-scale invasion began.

The final figures for 2024-25 have been finalised and will be published in the Departmental Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 12, subsection F, of the policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, how many times the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has invited UK delegates to the Schuman Security and Defence Forum since 19 May 2025.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union on 19 May is an example of this Government delivering on our manifesto commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.

Implementation is progressing. Since May, the Defence Secretary has held discussions with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, where they discussed our ambition to explore the potential for enhanced UK-EU cooperation under SAFE. The Foreign Secretary has also held talks with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas on the geopolitical challenges that face our continent. We look forward to the foreign and security policy dialogue between the High Representative, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary this autumn.

In addition, officials from across government continue to hold consultations with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including but not limited to Iran, Russia-Ukraine, and tackling irregular migration.

As the Defence Secretary has previously said to this House, he will ensure that any UK commitment– whether financial or non-financial – provides value for the UK taxpayer and supports our defence goals. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy.

The Defence Secretary and I look forward to continuing to update the House on developments. The Defence Secretary’s offer still stands that he is happy to arrange a discussion with the Member of Parliament for South Suffolk who has shown such interest in these topics.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 12, subsection E, of the policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, what recent progress he has made on arms export control through thematic dialogues via the UK-EU Security and Defence Dialogue.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union on 19 May is an example of this Government delivering on our manifesto commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.

Implementation is progressing. Since May, the Defence Secretary has held discussions with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, where they discussed our ambition to explore the potential for enhanced UK-EU cooperation under SAFE. The Foreign Secretary has also held talks with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas on the geopolitical challenges that face our continent. We look forward to the foreign and security policy dialogue between the High Representative, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary this autumn.

In addition, officials from across government continue to hold consultations with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including but not limited to Iran, Russia-Ukraine, and tackling irregular migration.

As the Defence Secretary has previously said to this House, he will ensure that any UK commitment– whether financial or non-financial – provides value for the UK taxpayer and supports our defence goals. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy.

The Defence Secretary and I look forward to continuing to update the House on developments. The Defence Secretary’s offer still stands that he is happy to arrange a discussion with the Member of Parliament for South Suffolk who has shown such interest in these topics.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 12, subsection E, of the policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, what recent progress he has made on conventional weapons cooperation through thematic dialogues via the UK-EU Security and Defence Dialogue.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union on 19 May is an example of this Government delivering on our manifesto commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.

Implementation is progressing. Since May, the Defence Secretary has held discussions with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, where they discussed our ambition to explore the potential for enhanced UK-EU cooperation under SAFE. The Foreign Secretary has also held talks with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas on the geopolitical challenges that face our continent. We look forward to the foreign and security policy dialogue between the High Representative, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary this autumn.

In addition, officials from across government continue to hold consultations with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including but not limited to Iran, Russia-Ukraine, and tackling irregular migration.

As the Defence Secretary has previously said to this House, he will ensure that any UK commitment– whether financial or non-financial – provides value for the UK taxpayer and supports our defence goals. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy.

The Defence Secretary and I look forward to continuing to update the House on developments. The Defence Secretary’s offer still stands that he is happy to arrange a discussion with the Member of Parliament for South Suffolk who has shown such interest in these topics.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January to Question 21331 on National Security Advisor: Pay, whether he plans to publish the Annual Report on Special Advisers before 22 July 2025.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Annual Report on Special Advisers has been published on gov.uk.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral contribution in response to an Urgent Question from the Hon. Member for South Suffolk on 10 July 2025, Official Report, column 1117, whether his Department classifies the gravity bomb that will be dropped by the F-35A aircraft as a (a) strategic or (b) tactical weapon.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK and NATO have said that any employment of nuclear weapons against NATO would fundamentally alter the nature of a conflict. The UK therefore does not support the classification of nuclear weapons as either strategic or tactical.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 15 of the policy paper entitled Security and defence partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 19 May 2025, what recent progress he has made on establishing a UK-EU dialogue on peace mediation.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union on 19 May is an example of this Government delivering on our manifesto commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.

Implementation is progressing. Since May, the Defence Secretary has held discussions with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, where they discussed our ambition to explore the potential for enhanced UK-EU cooperation under SAFE. The Foreign Secretary has also held talks with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas on the geopolitical challenges that face our continent. We look forward to the foreign and security policy dialogue between the High Representative, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary this autumn.

In addition, officials from across government continue to hold consultations with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including but not limited to Iran, Russia-Ukraine, and tackling irregular migration.

As the Defence Secretary has previously said to this House, he will ensure that any UK commitment– whether financial or non-financial – provides value for the UK taxpayer and supports our defence goals. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy.

The Defence Secretary and I look forward to continuing to update the House on developments. The Defence Secretary’s offer still stands that he is happy to arrange a discussion with the Member of Parliament for South Suffolk who has shown such interest in these topics.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the Defence Investment Plan.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge), on 13 June in response to Question 58671.