Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 18 October to Question 61036 on Ajax Vehicles: Procurement and with reference to his answers to the Defence Select Committee on 2 November 2022, whether he still expects to be in a position to consider the way forward for the Ajax programme by the end of the year.

Yes. We have made progress on the programme and are now analysing the results of the User Validation Trials that resumed last month. These trials will help the Department establish the effectiveness of the modifications proposed by General Dynamics to address the noise and vibration concerns on Ajax and, should they prove satisfactory, we will be able to ensure delivery of a safe system of work under which to conduct Reliability Growth Trials.