Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he was made aware of conclusion 1 in the Sixty-second Report of the Committee of Public Accounts entitled Faulty energy efficiency installations, HC 1229, prior to the decision to appoint a new Permanent Secretary in his Department.

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

The Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary was appointed following an external competition and approval from the Prime Minister.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will respond to the Public Accounts Committee report (HC 1229) in the usual way.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's letter to the Rt hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire, reference: PQW/24-25/2025/16500/16507/16511/16512/16514/16521, dated 20 August 2025, and the oral contribution of the Minister for the Armed Force during the Second Reading of the Armed Forces Bill on 26 January 2026, Official Report, column 706, how much was the total reserve spending for each of the last five years, including the main categories of spending beyond pay and and bounty payments; and if he will set out the expected total reserve spending for the remaining years of this Parliament.

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

The Government has committed to spending 2.6% of GDP on defence from 2027, and we have set the ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament, subject to economic and fiscal conditions. Over this Spending Review period, this Government will invest over £270 billion in cash terms in defence. This is the largest sustained increase in spending since the Cold War.

The Strategic Defence Review outlined an ambition to increase the number of Active Reserves by 20% when funding allows, enhancing surge capacity and demonstrating the UK's readiness to defend itself.

Total spending on Reserve Forces between 2023-24 and 2024-25 is not managed centrally, with each Service determining expenditure based on its specific operational requirements. In relation to spending plans in 2025-26, we do not routinely place figures relating to planned expenditure in the public domain as they are subject to change.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on the reserves in 2024-25 and 2023-24, broken down by RDEL, CDEL and TDEL; and how much it plans to spend in 2025-26, broken down by RDEL, CDEL and TDEL.

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

The Government has committed to spending 2.6% of GDP on defence from 2027, and we have set the ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament, subject to economic and fiscal conditions. Over this Spending Review period, this Government will invest over £270 billion in cash terms in defence. This is the largest sustained increase in spending since the Cold War.

The Strategic Defence Review outlined an ambition to increase the number of Active Reserves by 20% when funding allows, enhancing surge capacity and demonstrating the UK's readiness to defend itself.

Total spending on Reserve Forces between 2023-24 and 2024-25 is not managed centrally, with each Service determining expenditure based on its specific operational requirements. In relation to spending plans in 2025-26, we do not routinely place figures relating to planned expenditure in the public domain as they are subject to change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the establishment of the Jean Bishop Centre in Hull in 2018, whether his Department has conducted a cost–benefit analysis of a more integrated model of service for elderly patients.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, delivering truly integrated, proactive, and personalised care closer to where people live and work. There are substantial benefits to this more integrated approach to health and adult social care. Please see the 10-Year Health Plan Impact Assessment for further information, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-statement-10-year-health-plan-for-england

The Department is committed to this approach, recognising that an immediate priority for the National Health Service in developing Neighbourhood Health Services is to support individuals with complex needs, especially older people, those living with frailty, and those at the end of life. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, including services for elderly people.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the compatibility of (a) comments made in the SDSR on funding for a 20 per cent increase the reserves with (b) comments made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at col.705 in Hansard volume 779 on 26 January 2026 on funding for the reserves.

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

I am grateful for the contribution of our Reserve Forces, who help the UK Armed Forces meet the threats we face at home and abroad, with the scale, skills, agility and connection to society that we need in a cost‑effective way. The diversity of knowledge, skills and experience that Reserves bring from their civilian and military careers is an invaluable strength.

The Strategic Defence Review set out a clear mandate to strengthen the UK’s Reserve Forces as an integral part of the Whole Force. Building on this, the Government is taking decisive action through the Armed Forces Bill to strengthen the UK’s Strategic Reserve – former Service personnel with an ex‑Regular and Recall Reserve liability – ensuring Defence can draw on their valuable skills and experience in times of crisis.

The Bill introduces measures that will strengthen readiness and resilience, including changes to recall liability across the Regular and Volunteer Reserves. These measures will increase the maximum age for recall, align recall liability across all three Services, and provide greater flexibility to recall personnel for warlike preparations, in addition to circumstances of national danger or emergency.

Alongside these legislative measures, Defence has increased funding for the Reserve Forces, reflecting their growing importance to our national security and our commitment to ensuring they can be used more effectively.

Taken together, these reforms will re‑energise our connection with the Strategic Reserve, increase the Active Reserve, and ensure Defence can rapidly mobilise a broad pool of experienced personnel with critical skills – including in cyber, intelligence, medicine and communications – during periods of heightened threat or transition to war. This approach complements our highly capable Volunteer Reserves and aligns with the steps many NATO allies are taking to strengthen their own resilience.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of non-government spending by (a) individuals, (b) companies and (c) charities on preventative health services in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

Non-Government spending on preventative health care is estimated in the UK Health Accounts published by the Office for National Statistics, on a United Kingdom basis. The following table shows the preventive healthcare spending by method of financing for the UK, for 2023, based on the current prices and not adjusted for inflation:

Source: UK Health Accounts, Office for National Statistics

Notes:

1. information relating to the breakdown of insurance claims and revenues for non-Government healthcare providers is typically less granular than Government spending. Preventive spending is reported where it is possible to distinguish services within available datasets, so could represent an underestimate;
2. company financed healthcare mostly concerns occupational healthcare services;
3. preventive spending financed through health insurance and out-of-pocket spending largely relates to preventive dental care, for instance dental check-ups;
4. the estimates concern services that are provided by charities for free, or below market rates, to consumers. It does not include services that are sold by charities at market rates, nor those commissioned by and paid for by the Government; and
5. charity spending relates to a variety of services, the largest being education and health promotion programmes operated by charities.

Estimates do not exactly match the three categories requested, as health insurance spending is from a mixture of individual and corporate policies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to prevent commercial landlords from leaving premises empty for long periods; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using (a) business rates reform, (b) penalties for vacancy, (c) tenant incentives and (d) other measures to bring unused units back into active use.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government is taking action to tackle long-term commercial vacancy and to support vibrant high streets. To address business rates avoidance and evasion we recognise the importance of a system where everyone pays their fair share and are committed to taking necessary action.

Our forthcoming High Streets Strategy will explore a range of measures to support the high street and reduce the number of vacant premises. We have introduced High Street Rental Auctions which empower councils to require the letting of persistently vacant units where landlords fail to engage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2026 to question number 110769, if he will confirm whether any minister in his Department was made aware of the report prior to the appointment of the new Permanent Secretary.

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

As previously advised, the appointment followed an external competition and was approved by the Prime Minister.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the Dutch Ministry of Defence to allow airline pilots to serve as reserve F-35 pilots in the Royal Netherlands Air Force, what assessment has been made of adopting such an approach in the UK.

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

The Royal Air Force (RAF) has assessed options for reservist pilots to bolster our F35 force and concluded that this model is not appropriate for the RAF at this time.

The investment in time and money to train a part-time pilot on F35 and keep them sufficiently trained and current to operate the aircraft is similar with that of a full-time pilot. At this stage of growth in the UK F35 Wing, the cost is not justified by the amount of service a part-time pilot could offer compared with a full time regular.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to National Audit Office Report HC 989 on The UK’s F-35 capability, when he expects the UK F-35 fleet to meet the MoD’s target mission capable rate.

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

The Ministry of Defence is committed to achieving the target mission capable rate for the UK's F-35 fleet. To meet workforce requirements, the Department is increasing the number of aircraft engineers. In parallel, the UK is actively supporting the US-led F-35 Joint Programme Office in efforts to enhance the Global Support Solution, focusing on improving spares availability and overall performance. Additionally, further investments are being made in technical infrastructure at RAF Marham and other supporting enablers to boost fleet availability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Department is taking to help raise public and clinical awareness of the BEST4 Screening trial and to support eligible patients to participate in capsule sponge testing for early detection of Barrett’s oesophagus.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research and research infrastructure through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR is funding the BEST4 trial with over £3 million funding contributed through the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme and a further £3 million funding from Cancer Research UK. This includes funding for the research team to engage with the patient community.

The study is also supported by NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) portfolio adoption to enable the recruitment of eligible participants and support research delivery. The NIHR RDN is raising awareness of the trial and supporting eligible patients to participate through National Health Service Research text messaging, providing secure mobile screening vans and engaging clinicians to connect them with the study.

Additionally, recruitment for the BEST4 trial is being supported by Be Part of Research, a free service that allows people across the UK to find and sign up to research relevant to them. The NIHR has also supported the trial with proactive communications, including a news item on 08/04/2025.

Found: Estimate Committee Current membership Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP (Speaker; Chorley) (Chair) Rt Hon Steve Barclay