Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of whether current force levels across the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force are sufficient to meet assessed threats.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Our Armed Forces are ready to deter, fight and win - today, tomorrow and together with our allies.
Since elected, this Government has been committed to strengthening our Armed Forces. Through the Strategic Defence Review, we have outlined plans to increase the total number of Regular personnel, when funding allows. Additionally, we have embraced a whole-of-society approach to deterrence and defence, reinforcing our collective resilience, and are committed to increasing the number of Active Reserves by 20%, bolstering surge capacity and showcasing the UK's readiness to defend itself.
We do not disclose Force levels, but they remain under constant review. However, we do routinely publish our UK Service personnel statistics on strengths, requirements, intake, applications and outflow, by Service available at the link provided below:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2025
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of recent upgrades to the Russian Northern Fleet, including the commissioning of Borei-A class ballistic missile submarines and modernization of surface combatants such as Admiral Nakhimov.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps Russian military capabilities and investment under continuous review. We work closely with our NATO Allies to understand the implications of Russian military capability development for Alliance security. NATO is strengthening its deterrence and defence as a result of the increasing threat from Russia and will continue to adapt as necessary.
Hypersonic missiles are just one type of many Russian air and missile capabilities. In light of the increasing threat the UK faces, His Majesty's Government announced up to £1 billion of investment for Integrated Air and Missile Defence in the Strategic Defence Review.
This is part of a comprehensive and integrated approach to deterring and defending against the range of strategic threats we face.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what analysis his Department has conducted on the strategic implications for NATO of Russia’s enhanced Arctic infrastructure, including air base expansions and deployment of advanced air defence systems such as S-400 on Novaya Zemlya.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps Russian military capabilities and investment under continuous review. We work closely with our NATO Allies to understand the implications of Russian military capability development for Alliance security. NATO is strengthening its deterrence and defence as a result of the increasing threat from Russia and will continue to adapt as necessary.
Hypersonic missiles are just one type of many Russian air and missile capabilities. In light of the increasing threat the UK faces, His Majesty's Government announced up to £1 billion of investment for Integrated Air and Missile Defence in the Strategic Defence Review.
This is part of a comprehensive and integrated approach to deterring and defending against the range of strategic threats we face.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the availability of sign language education courses.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
There are a variety of British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications available, from Level 1 through to Level 6. This includes Level 1 and 2 accredited qualifications offered by the Institute of British Sign Language, Signature and ABC Awards.
There are also funds available for adults who want to learn new skills through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), which fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3. 68% of the ASF is devolved to 13 strategic authorities, including the East Midlands Authority, who are responsible for ASF provision to their residents. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF and makes funding available for a range of qualifications including the Level 1 Award in BSL.
The government, working with Ofqual, has also developed the content and assessment arrangements for a new BSL GCSE.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to prevent industrial action from Royal Fleet Auxiliary a) ratings and b) officers.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a vital element of Defence, enabling the ability to deliver operational effect in conjunction with our allies around the world. We continue to engage constructively with the trade unions which represent RFA ratings and officers. It would not be appropriate to offer more detail of these engagements as discussions are ongoing.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the findings of PwC’s Youth Employment Index regarding the role of long-term sickness in driving youth economic inactivity.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Long-term sickness continues to be the most common reason for economic inactivity in the working age population. Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.
Young disabled people and young people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.
Additionally, the Youth Guarantee and Pathways to Work will guarantee specialist support for young people with long-term health conditions and disabled young people. We have announced an £820 million funding package for the Youth Guarantee to overhaul support and give a generation of young people a brighter future.
We set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” in our Pathways to Work Green Paper and we are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. The guarantee is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade. We anticipate the guarantee, once fully rolled out, will include: a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement, and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.
In recognition of employers’ vital role in addressing health-related economic activity, we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the independent Keep Britain Working Review. The Report was published on 5 November. In partnership with DBT and DHSC, we are immediately launching Vanguards to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work and develop a Healthy Workplace Standard, putting Sir Charlie’s key recommendations into action from day one. Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.
The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated our intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.
Additionally, Alan Milburn will author an independent report to tackle the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training. The report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun, with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability. It will make recommendations for policy response to help young people with health conditions access work, training or education, ensuring they are supported to thrive and are not sidelined. It will complement the Timms Review by focusing specifically on the links between youth mental health, economic inactivity and the benefit system.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of young people entering high-quality apprenticeships, particularly in places with historically low participation.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people at the beginning of their careers.
In August, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.
More recently, we have announced our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and backed this with an additional £725 million of investment. This will enable us to expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people. It also provides £140 million to pilot new approaches, with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to better connect young people aged 16–24, especially those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities.
In addition, from the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers (essentially small and medium sized enterprises) for all eligible people aged under 25. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. This change will make it easier for those employers to engage with apprenticeships by cutting costs and reducing bureaucracy for both them and their training providers.
We also provide £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care. Additionally, employers benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the funding available for apprenticeship training, so that small and medium-sized enterprises can take on more apprentices.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people at the beginning of their careers.
In August, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.
More recently, we have announced our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and backed this with an additional £725 million of investment. This will enable us to expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people. It also provides £140 million to pilot new approaches, with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to better connect young people aged 16–24, especially those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities.
In addition, from the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers (essentially small and medium sized enterprises) for all eligible people aged under 25. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. This change will make it easier for those employers to engage with apprenticeships by cutting costs and reducing bureaucracy for both them and their training providers.
We also provide £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care. Additionally, employers benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assess the level and effects of occupational formaldehyde exposure, particularly but not solely in the medical and veterinary fields; and what steps they plan to take to reduce damage to health from exposure.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002) (COSHH) (as amended) is a robust and well-established regulatory framework in place to protect workers from the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, including formaldehyde.
Under COSHH, it is the responsibility of each employer to assess the risk from their work activities involving formaldehyde and to ensure that the exposure of their employees to this hazardous substance is either prevented, or where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled.
Where workers or members of the public have serious concerns regarding the compliance of individual employers with these regulations, these can be raised with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) where concerns are triaged, and appropriate action taken to ensure employers are adequately controlling the risks from working with formaldehyde.
HSE is also working with stakeholder groups to remind employers of their duty to protect their employees from the risks associated with working with formaldehyde.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is their official policy to omit mention of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai when ministers discuss the UK-Hong Kong bilateral relationship in the press.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
On the contrary, ministers and officials regularly raise the continued detention of Jimmy Lai, and China's obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, in interviews with the media, statements to Parliament, public speeches, the government's Six-monthly Reports to Parliament on Hong Kong, and discussions we have with our Chinese counterparts. For example, the Foreign Secretary raised Jimmy Lai's case both in her working dinner with G7 foreign ministers in Canada on 11 November, and a phone call with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on 6 November.