Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will increase stockpiles of the component parts of the D5 Trident II.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Enabled by the 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement, as amended for Trident in 1982, the United Kingdom buys title to an agreed number of a shared stock of Trident II D5 missiles from the United States of America (US). These missiles are maintained at the Kings Bay Submarine Base, Georgia.
The UK is working with US partners to extend the life and replenish the Trident II D5 missiles to meet the future programme requirements of both Nations. These life extension programmes will provide sufficient missile packages, including spares, to support the UK’s requirement.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will convene the pensions forfeiture committee to meet and agree to cease the pensions of ex-UK armed forces personnel who are fighting in support of the Russian Federation's illegal war in Ukraine.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Pension forfeiture for public service pension schemes, including the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, is governed by primary and secondary legislation, notably the Pensions Act 1995 and the Occupational Pension Schemes (Assignment, Forfeiture, Bankruptcy etc.) Regulations 1997. Under this legislative framework, an Armed Forces pension may only be forfeited following certain serious criminal convictions, except in cases involving a monetary obligation.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is not aware of any successful convictions of active or former Service Personnel for fighting on behalf of Russia in Ukraine. If the MOD becomes aware of any such convictions, we will consider the implementation of forfeiture policy where relevant.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to defend the UK from (a) ballistic and (b) hypersonic missile attack.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence does not comment on specific capabilities, as doing so could provide an operational advantage to those who may seek to harm the UK.
The UK has a suite of capabilities to tackle the missile threat which is advancing, proliferating and converging. The Government has announced an investment of up to £1 billion this Parliament to enhance our integrated air and missile defence with a focus on homeland defence. The UK's nuclear deterrent exists to deter the most extreme threats to the UK and our Allies. Its purpose is to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any (i) UK and (ii) Commonwealth armed forces personnel have had their Armed Forces Pension revoked as a consequence of fighting with the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Pension forfeiture for public service pension schemes, including the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, is governed by primary and secondary legislation, notably the Pensions Act 1995 and the Occupational Pension Schemes (Assignment, Forfeiture, Bankruptcy etc.) Regulations 1997. Under this legislative framework, an Armed Forces pension may only be forfeited following certain serious criminal convictions, except in cases involving a monetary obligation.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no recorded instances of an Armed Forces pension being forfeited as a result of an individual fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Neither is the MOD aware of any successful convictions of active or former Service personnel for fighting on behalf of Russia in Ukraine.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support military chaplains in Ukraine to receive training and development from UK armed forces chaplains.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre (AFCC) at Shrivenham has been providing training for Ukrainian chaplains since May 2023, with planned programmes scheduled until at least November 2026.
The centre offers two distinct two-week courses: a foundational programme and an advanced course designed for chaplaincy leaders. The curriculum focuses on spiritual leadership, ethical leadership, and pastoral care, and is delivered by UK Defence personnel in collaboration with academic partners. Enduring links have been established between UK Chaplaincy and Ukrainian colleagues and the relationships established at AFCC have enabled alumni to develop stronger mutual support networks.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will hold discussions with his (a) Danish and (b) Greenlandic counterparts on the establishment of a NATO naval presence on the east coast of Greenland.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
NATO’s maritime posture is determined collectively by Allies rather than through bilateral negotiations. The UK has a close defence relationship with Denmark, including through NATO and the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to diversify supplies of (a) gallium and (b) germanium as part of the UK’s defence industrial strategy.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Department recognises China’s influence in global critical mineral supply chains and the potential implications of China's export regulations on these chains, particularly concerning the use of germanium and gallium in the defence sector. The Department is collaborating closely with Industry, the Department for Business and Trade, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet Office and NATO to consistently assess supply chain risks and strategies for mitigation, including diversification of supply chains.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will allow members of His Majesty's armed forces to access salary sacrifice schemes for car (a) leasing and (b) purchases.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no plans to introduce salary sacrifice schemes for members of the Armed Forces. However, the MOD continually reviews the overall offer to Service personnel with the aim of making it as attractive as possible, supporting maximum levels of recruitment and retention within available resources.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will bring forward the date by which the UK will spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on Defence.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Government has made a clear commitment for defence spending to reach 2.5% of GDP by 2027. This is a fully funded increase, the details of which were set out in the Spring Statement.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to introduce a civilian home guard as part of the armed forces reserve capabilities.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I am grateful for the contribution of our Reserve Forces who provide the UK with the ability to meet the threats we face at home and overseas, with the scale, skills, agility and connection to society that it needs, in a cost-effective way. Home Defence resilience is one of the key themes from the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) Report released on 2 Jun 2025.
The Ministry of Defence will now work with other relevant Government Departments to consider the implementation of the recommendations within the SDR, which includes Home Defence and Critical National Infrastructure. The potential role of Armed Forces Reserves capabilities will be considered as part of this.