Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November to Question 16232 on Global Combat Air Programme, whether his Department plans to separately ring-fence global combat air programme expenditure for (a) the core platform and (b) associated uncrewed platforms including directly related technology and software development.

The UK is committed to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), as the Prime Minister has stated. There are no plans to ringfence GCAP or associated systems, which will be managed in line with the Department's other non-ringfenced programmes.