Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2026 to Question 103696, whether his Department has assessed the compatibility of a proposed Islamophobia definition with existing statutory protections for free speech.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The independent anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia definition working group submitted their findings for Ministers to consider. As we have made clear, Government will consider this advice in a way that protects our fundamental right to free speech. Any definition would be non-statutory and compatible with relevant legislative frameworks, and Government will confirm next steps in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2026 to Question 103696, whether his Department has sought legal advice on the compatibility of any proposed definition with existing criminal law.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The independent anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia definition working group submitted their findings for Ministers to consider. As we have made clear, Government will consider this advice in a way that protects our fundamental right to free speech. Any definition would be non-statutory and compatible with relevant legislative frameworks, and Government will confirm next steps in due course.
Asked by: Will Stone (Labour - Swindon North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference his Department’s press release on 28 December 2025 regarding the signing of a £52 million contract for RCH 155, what assessment has he made of the potential benefits to UK industry from this contract.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Early Capability Demonstrator platforms of the RCH155, two for Germany and one for the UK, will be built in Germany for joint testing.
The project remains in its assessment phase and a production contract has not yet been placed.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of adopting a short stroke piston operated system rather than direct gas impingement for any of the rifle variants tendered for development under Project Grayburn.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Project GRAYBURN is currently in its concept phase. An important output of this phase will be the definition of user requirements, covering the full range of performance characteristics, including calibre and operating system.
Asked by: Will Stone (Labour - Swindon North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference his Department’s press release on 28 December 2025 regarding the signing of a £52 million contract for RCH 155, how much UK content will be part of the production of the capability.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Early Capability Demonstrator platforms of the RCH155, two for Germany and one for the UK, will be built in Germany for joint testing.
The project remains in its assessment phase and a production contract has not yet been placed.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential benefits of including an upper receiver which can accommodate .300 blackout as part of Project Grayburn.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Project GRAYBURN is currently in its concept phase. An important output of this phase will be the definition of user requirements, covering the full range of performance characteristics, including calibre and operating system.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he made of the potential benefits of including an upper receiver which can accommodate 6.5 Creedmoor as part of Project Grayburn.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Project GRAYBURN is currently in its concept phase. An important output of this phase will be the definition of user requirements, covering the full range of performance characteristics, including calibre and operating system.
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 Homes fit for heroes with extra £1.5 billion for forces housing through upcoming Strategic Defence Review, published on 31 May 2025, how much of the £7 billion to be spent on military accommodation this Parliament will be spent on Single Living Accommodation.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Housing Strategy, published on 3 November 2025, sets out plans to improve the standard of Service family homes as part of a generational renewal of Defence family housing. Through the Consumer Charter, 1,000 of the worst homes were refurbished before Christmas 2025 - with hundreds more military properties due to be upgraded by the Spring. Future plans are being worked through carefully, with the ambition to make improvements to homes right across the country and in all nations of the UK, Further updates will be provided in due course following the publication of the Defence Investment Plan. This Government inherited military homes in a terrible state with regular reports of black mould in bedrooms, leaky roofs and broken boilers. We said that we would make defence housing a priority and we are.
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 Homes fit for heroes with extra £1.5 billion for forces housing through upcoming Strategic Defence Review, published on 31 May 2025, how much of the £7 billion to be spent on military accommodation this Parliament will be spent on developing new forces housing in (a) Single Living Accommodation and (b) Service Family Accommodation.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Housing Strategy, published on 3 November 2025, sets out plans to improve the standard of Service family homes as part of a generational renewal of Defence family housing. Through the Consumer Charter, 1,000 of the worst homes were refurbished before Christmas 2025 - with hundreds more military properties due to be upgraded by the Spring. Future plans are being worked through carefully, with the ambition to make improvements to homes right across the country and in all nations of the UK, Further updates will be provided in due course following the publication of the Defence Investment Plan.
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 Homes fit for heroes with extra £1.5 billion for forces housing through upcoming Strategic Defence Review, published on 31 May 2025, how much of the £7 billion to be spent on military accommodation this Parliament will be spent on maintenance.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Housing Strategy, published on 3 November 2025, sets out plans to improve the standard of Service family homes as part of a generational renewal of Defence family housing. Through the Consumer Charter, 1,000 of the worst homes were refurbished before Christmas 2025 - with hundreds more military properties due to be upgraded by the Spring. Future plans are being worked through carefully, with the ambition to make improvements to homes right across the country and in all nations of the UK. Further updates will be provided in due course following the publication of the Defence Investment Plan.