Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the UK’s contribution to the NATO special operations force.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Following the recent successful validation by NATO during Exercise Hyperion Storm, the UK is set to command NATO’s Allied Reaction Force 26 Special Operations Component Command from July 2026 to June 2027. This will involve units from the Army’s Ranger Regiment, UK Commando Force, and the Royal Air Force, forming the Joint Special Operations Headquarters for NATO, as well as the land, maritime and air Special Operations Tasks Groups under its command.
Detailed planning is classified, as is the UK’s contribution to broader NATO SOF structures and activity.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support armed forces families in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is implementing one of the most significant reforms to welfare oversight in decades through the creation of an independent Armed Forces Commissioner, providing a direct, empowered advocate able to investigate issues from housing to behaviours.
In addition, the Armed Forces Bill will create a National Defence Housing Service and extend the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty across central government, local bodies and devolved governments, ensuring full consideration of Armed Forces families’ needs, including those in Surrey Heath constituency.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what performance metrics the Davies Group are held to; and how frequently those metrics are evaluated.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Davies Group claims management contract requires Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to be reported quarterly. These reports are supplemented by regular fortnightly progress and performance meetings between Ministry of Defence officials and the Davies Group to discuss aspects of contract delivery and formulation of strategies for dealing with claims including the extremely high volumes of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss claims.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to streamline the recruitment process for the armed forces.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government is focused upon improving Armed Forces recruitment, modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract the best possible talent.
We have delivered this through policies which have included a 35% pay increase for new recruits; one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel; scrapping over 100 outdated medical policies; the creation of novel entry pathways such as the military Direct-Entry Cyber and ZigZag Careers pathways as well as the recently announced Armed Forces Foundation Scheme (‘Gap Year’); and delivering the ambition to make a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days, and a provisional training start date within 30 days.
These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces.
The AFRS contract with Serco commenced on 1 April 2025 and will fully unify recruitment by October 2027, replacing the separate schemes that are currently run by the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Airforce.
AFRS will create a streamlined, single-entry point to attract diverse talent and modernise recruitment - making it faster, simpler, and more accessible. It will deliver a single digital system to support candidates and recruiters. It will utilise military personnel and civilian staff to support candidates through the recruitment process. This contract is vital for building a capable, motivated future force ready to meet evolving global challenges.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to streamline the transition between regular and reserve service.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As part of a wider programme to enable a more flexible workforce we are examining our policies and regulations to make transition between all parts of the Armed Forces as seamless as possible. The first step in this is a measure in the Armed Forces Bill 2026 that will enable service people to transfer between the Regular Force and the Volunteer Reserve without having to leave and rejoin.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to start the Ajax’s Capability Drop 4 standard Reliability Growth Trials.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It would not be appropriate to release a complete list of criteria as it could, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability of our Armed Forces. Additionally, I will await the findings of the current investigations before making a further decision the future of Ajax.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what additional capabilities will be included in Ajax Capability Drop 4 over Drop 3.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It would not be appropriate to release a complete list of criteria as it could, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability of our Armed Forces. Additionally, I will await the findings of the current investigations before making a further decision the future of Ajax.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the reliability of issued kit.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The appropriate reliability requirement for items of defence equipment is identified during the early stages of a project. During the stages prior to introduction to service the supplier provides evidence via the Reliability Case that the item will meet the agreed reliability needs of the user.
In accordance with Public Procurement Regulations, contracts placed with suppliers to deliver equipment to our Armed Forces must be proactively managed to ensure such items are delivered on time, on budget and to the standard expected for our Armed Forces. Delivery Teams within the Ministry of Defence monitor the performance of contractors against the terms and conditions of a contract through the use of Progress Reports and/or Progress Meetings. Furthermore, the Department monitors the quality management systems within major suppliers to provide assurance that defence equipment is delivered to the required standard.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the legislative basis is for the United States' use of force from bases in the United Kingdom being subject to joint decision-making.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Permissions to utilise UK military bases by foreign partners are considered on a case-by-case basis. This includes engagement with US partners on the nature and purpose of their activity. For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations' military operations.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to counter engagement with extreme online political content by members of the armed forces.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence remains vigilant to the risks associated with Service personnel engaging with extremist or extreme online political content and treats such matters with the utmost seriousness. Such behaviour is wholly incompatible with the values and standards of the Armed Forces.
Defence maintains clear expectations of conduct, requiring all personnel to uphold the core values of respect, integrity and commitment, and to adhere to strict rules on political impartiality. It also voluntarily applies the Government’s Prevent Duty. Service regulations set out clear restrictions on online and public activity to ensure personnel do not engage in behaviour that could undermine the reputation, neutrality or operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces. Through a combination of clear behavioural standards, mandatory training, counter-terrorism intelligence, vetting and robust personnel policies, Defence works to reduce the risk of Armed Forces personnel engaging with extreme online political content.