Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits of upgrading the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array, including through the installation of borehole seismic monitoring equipment.

Monitoring equipment at the Eskdalemuir Seismometer Array is continually reviewed to ensure it meets national requirements and the requirements of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organisation International Monitoring System.

There is currently an ongoing independent review of mitigation proposals for reduction of seismic ground vibration received at the Eskdalemuir seismic array and the effect on the detection capability of the array, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. This includes a review of borehole emplacement and digital signal processing approaches.