Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Joint Expeditionary Force in deterring Russian threats in the High North.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Secretary of State for Defence last met with his Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) counterparts at the JEF Defence Ministers meeting from 4-5 November 2025 in Bodø, Norway. This was the first JEF Defence Ministers meeting to be held in the High North, demonstrating the JEF’s focus on the region. We are considering dates for the next meeting. Addressing threats in the High North will remain a key focus for discussion at the next JEF Leaders’ Summit, which will be held in Finland in Q1 2026.
While NATO remains the ultimate guarantor of European security, the JEF enhances the collective security and stability of Northern Europe, the High North, and the Baltic Region. It provides, a rapid, adaptable, high-readiness military capability for crisis response, collective defence, and security providing credible, high-readiness responses to hybrid scenarios across all domains, as was demonstrated with Nordic Warden in December 2024, the rapid response to the damage of the Esstlink-2 power cable in the Baltic Sea.
As Framework Nation for the JEF, the UK is constantly working to improve readiness and coordination amongst JEF members. Exercise TARASSIS, the JEF’s key activity in 2025 and the largest JEF activity in its 11-year history, was held across the High North and Baltic regions through September and October 2025. JEF activity will continue to develop in the region over the next year with an ambitious series of exercises designed to build upon TARASSIS and further strengthen the interoperability and effectiveness of the JEF.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will next meet with his counterparts involved in the Joint Expeditionary Force to discuss Russian threats in the High North.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Secretary of State for Defence last met with his Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) counterparts at the JEF Defence Ministers meeting from 4-5 November 2025 in Bodø, Norway. This was the first JEF Defence Ministers meeting to be held in the High North, demonstrating the JEF’s focus on the region. We are considering dates for the next meeting. Addressing threats in the High North will remain a key focus for discussion at the next JEF Leaders’ Summit, which will be held in Finland in Q1 2026.
While NATO remains the ultimate guarantor of European security, the JEF enhances the collective security and stability of Northern Europe, the High North, and the Baltic Region. It provides, a rapid, adaptable, high-readiness military capability for crisis response, collective defence, and security providing credible, high-readiness responses to hybrid scenarios across all domains, as was demonstrated with Nordic Warden in December 2024, the rapid response to the damage of the Esstlink-2 power cable in the Baltic Sea.
As Framework Nation for the JEF, the UK is constantly working to improve readiness and coordination amongst JEF members. Exercise TARASSIS, the JEF’s key activity in 2025 and the largest JEF activity in its 11-year history, was held across the High North and Baltic regions through September and October 2025. JEF activity will continue to develop in the region over the next year with an ambitious series of exercises designed to build upon TARASSIS and further strengthen the interoperability and effectiveness of the JEF.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release titled UK and Norway to operate together to counter Russian undersea threat through major new defence agreement, published on 4th December 2025, by when does he expect a combined fleet of at least 13 warships, bolstered by autonomous systems to be ready to hunt Russian submarines and protect critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Type 26 frigates are expected to begin entering service from 2028, to be operated by the UK and Norwegian Navies. This is part of a carefully managed modernisation programme. There will also be significant long-term investment in the six Daring Class destroyers (Type 45’s), to enhance and sustain these world beating Air Defence platforms into the late 2030s.
The Royal Navy continues to invest in uncrewed and autonomous systems. These nascent capabilities are being integrated to augment our highly capable crewed platforms, increasing mass and persistence to find, track - and if required - act against our peer adversaries' subsurface capabilities in the North Atlantic.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, under the Lunna House Agreement what deeper industrial collaboration between the UK and Norway does he plan to achieve.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Under the Lunna House Agreement, our vision for the combined T26 fleet is to be as integrated and interoperable as possible, which opens opportunity for UK and Norway industrial cooperation to spirally develop the vessels and deliver the in-service support of the fleet.
Additionally, the Agreement highlights an initial tranche of common strategic programmes which draw upon our respective defence industries, including Naval Strike Missile, Sting Ray torpedoes, and Standardised Vessels. Further opportunities will be determined on a project by project basis. Based on these projects we will work together to support our industries to gain market access and promote mutually beneficial export prospects.
Finally, we will increase the number of personnel exchanges and embedded officers, which will help identify further opportunities for capability development and associated industrial activity across both nations.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, under the Lunna House Agreement, by when does he plan to deliver innovative offshore support vessels, which will act as motherships for uncrewed mine hunting and undersea warfare systems.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Lunna House announcement on 4 December 2025 highlighted the UK's intent, conveyed to the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Støre, to deliver the Offshore Support Vessel as the mothership for the Mine Hunting Capability programme.
The delivery and in service dates of the Offshore Support Vessels is to be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan and the development of the Anglo-Norwegian Memorandum of Understanding.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his policy to seek UK participation in the Security Action for Europe instrument.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As outlined in the Minister for Cabinet Office’s Written Ministerial Statement on 1 December, we entered good-faith negotiations on SAFE participation, but no agreement was possible that met our national interest. UK industry retains access under third-country terms. We will continue to explore cooperation with the EU that strengthens European Security and underpins our NATO First policy.
The UK has a long history of collaborating with our European partners on major defence projects, which will continue, regardless of participation in SAFE. This year, we have struck a £10 billion deal with Norway, secured an £8 billion agreement with Türkiye, and signed an agreement with Germany to pursue joint export campaigns for jointly produced equipment like Boxer armoured vehicles.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has conducted international comparisons on the definition of low hours to inform how the threshold for low hours is set and the reference periods used to calculate guaranteed hours for temporary and agency workers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The definition of the hours threshold and the length and frequency of reference periods will depend on the outcome of the forthcoming consultation on the details of the measures to end exploitative zero hours contracts.
We have considered international examples of employment rights in developing this consultation. Many countries have taken steps to restrict or prohibit zero-hours contracts altogether. For example, New Zealand and Norway have banned their use, while Ireland allows them only in limited circumstances, and both the Netherlands and Finland require employers to offer contracts on equivalent terms to workers who regularly work a consistent shift pattern.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK and Norway to operate together to counter Russian undersea threat through major new defence agreement, published on 4 December 2025, how many offshore support vessels will be delivered as part of the Lunna House agreement.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Lunna House announcement on 4 December 2025 highlighted the UK's intent, conveyed to the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Støre, to deliver the Offshore Support Vessel as the mothership for the Mine Hunting Capability programme. The exact number of Offshore Support Vessels will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan and in conjunction with our Norwegian allies.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the UK’s opening position at bilateral and trilateral negotiations for the years 2023 and 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Each year the UK negotiates with other coastal States to set fishing opportunities, informed by the best available scientific advice. Due to the recurring nature of these negotiations, it is not appropriate to publicly disclose the UK’s opening positions. The Government’s negotiations with the EU, and with the EU and Norway have both concluded and details of the outcomes are available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of changes in the level of gas imports from (a) Norway, (b) USA, (c) Qatar and (d) the rest of the world relative to UK domestically produced gas from 2025 to 2030 by (i) volume and (ii) proportion.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government works with the Energy System operators to closely monitor and forecast the UK’s supply and demand for natural gas. The National Energy System Operator’s 2025 publication of Future Energy Scenarios contains a breakdown of gas supply sources, including imports to the UK.