theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of introducing new measures on governing the influence of agentic AI tools. \p Kanishka Narayan: AI is a general-purpose technology, with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI should be regulated at the point of use – including agentic AI tools.

A range of existing rules already apply to AI systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation, and online safety. In response to the AI Action Plan, the government confirmed it would work with regulators to boost their capabilities.

This is complemented by the work of the AI Security Institute, which has deepened our understanding of the critical security risks posed by frontier AI, including agentic AI. We are committed to ensuring our rule book is up to date and future-proofed so the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, when the alternative method priorities list will be published; and if she will consult with animal welfare organisations in developing the alternative method priorities list. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government’s strategy to support replacing animals in science commits to publish biennially from 2026 a list of alternative-methods research and development priorities, coalescing UK scientists around these areas and incentivising partnerships between research organisations, CROs and industry. These priority areas will be developed collaboratively between academic institutions, industry trade associations, learned societies, the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research’s (NC3Rs) Regulatory Sciences Forum, the New Approaches to Chemical Risk Assessment in the Regulatory Space (NACRARs) Cross Government group and international partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, if the £75 million funding announced to bring forward new testing methods is (i) additional funding or (ii) funded through reallocation from existing budgets. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government has committed to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods with £60 million of new funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology that has not been derived from reallocation of existing budgets. This includes £30 million to set up a translational hub and £30 million for the UK centre for the validation of alternative methods.

£11.4m has also been committed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK’s core budgets as part of routine prioritisation activities, and £4.5m from the Wellcome Trust which is non-Government funding, to advance human in vitro model development.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, if the preclinical translational models hub will be a physical institute; and what is the timetable to establish the translational models hub. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government’s strategy commits to create a preclinical translational models hub, supported by £30m of government funding, by the end of 2026. This will bring together data, AI, cell engineering, genomic technology and cutting-edge disease modelling capabilities to generate collaborative research at scale. This will create a pipeline of novel translational medicine models, with opportunities for partnerships across academia and industry. The hub is being developed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in consultation with stakeholders and more details will be announced at a later date.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what transparency conditions are currently required when government departments procure AI systems from private companies; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure public sector bodies can explain AI-driven decisions to citizens when the underlying models are proprietary. \p Ian Murray: Since February 2024, all government departments and arm’s-length bodies must comply with the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS), which mandates publishing details on algorithmic tools, including decision-making processes, human oversight, technical specifications, and risk assessments. Suppliers are required to provide sufficient information for transparency records, with exemptions balancing commercial sensitivities. Over 36 ATRS records have been published to date.

The AI Knowledge Hub further enhances transparency by sharing open-source code, problem statements, and performance metrics.

Additionally, the Open Source AI Fellowship promotes explainability through publicly inspectable models. These measures enable government to explain AI-driven decisions while maintaining accountability.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on the rollout of Project Gigabit in Northumberland. \p Kanishka Narayan: GoFibre recently completed delivery of two Project Gigabit contracts, covering North Northumberland and Teesdale. These contracts have provided gigabit-capable coverage to 8,200 premises, including in Otterburn in the Hexham constituency.

In addition, Openreach is currently delivering a Project Gigabit contract across the North East, covering approximately 14,000 premises in the region, over 2,200 of which are in the Hexham constituency, including Ponteland and Darras Hall.

Approximately 2,900 premises in Hexham have also benefitted from the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, with more included in live projects.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria determined the order in which asylum accommodation hotels were prioritised for contract termination since 2023. \p Alex Norris: This Government is committed to closing all hotels accommodating asylum seekers and will do so in a controlled, managed and orderly manner. A range of factors are considered when selecting hotels for closure including contractual arrangements, geographical considerations and operational deliverability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the potential merits of offering fast track UK citizenship to asylum seekers who report (i) the preparation of acts of terror, (ii) serious organised crime and (iii) approaches by a hostile state to undermine the UK's national security and community cohesion. \p Alex Norris: The requirements to become a British citizen are set out in the British Nationality Act 1981 and apply equally to everyone. The Act does not allow the government to reduce residential periods for those who report crimes.

The Government has recently launched a consultation, which runs until 12 February 2026, on proposals to reform arrangements for granting settlement in the UK, and under which applicants will be able to earn a reduction in the qualifying period if they meet criteria linked to suitability, integration, contribution and residence.

Any changes to the statutory requirements for citizenship will require an amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981 which will go through the usual parliamentary process.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has been (a) informed of, (b) consulted on and (c) involved in EU-funded projects for migrant (i) accommodation and (ii) reception facilities in (A) France, (B) the Western Balkans, (C) north Africa and (D) Türkiye since 2022. \p Alex Norris: Since EU Exit, the UK is not a participant in EU funding programmes that cover third country compliance with UN standards on reception facilities and migrant accommodation.

We have not had specific discussions with the EU or member countries about EU-funded migrant accommodation or reception centres in France, Türkiye, North African or Western Balkan nations. That would be an internal matter for those countries.

However, the Home Office works closely with international partners to address the shared challenge of irregular migration and as such we continue to engage on wider migration management with the EU and member countries.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the National Crime Agency is taking to investigate organised financial crime networks coordinating fraud schemes involving overseas equities and UK-based victims; and whether she is making additional enforcement resources available to support those investigations. \p Dan Jarvis: The National Crime Agency (NCA) continuously assesses the origin of organised financial networks targeting UK based victims from overseas and does so through in-depth analysis of intelligence from across the public and private sectors.

This analysis enables the identification of key jurisdictions of risk which in-turn determines the prioritisation of resources and enrichment of partnerships with international law enforcement, the latter being afforded by the NCA’s niche capability of an international network comprising officers deployed in 50 countries worldwide.

Through these relationships, the NCA seek to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups using various tools including protracted joint investigations, capacity building and information sharing. Efforts this year, have resulted in a significant uplift on executive action being undertaken in source countries which have specifically targeted UK victims through high-harm fraud threats types.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Gareth Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on the number of cases of trustee mismanagement of asset protection trusts that were investigated in each of the last three years by (a) Merseyside Police, (b) Metropolitan Police, (c) Suffolk Police, (d) the National Crime Agency and (e) the Serious Fraud Office; and what discussions she has had with Police Scotland on this matter. \p Sarah Jones: The Public Safety Group has no role in data collection on trustee mismanagement, or in any police investigations which may or may not be going on.

Matters relating to solicitor regulation or misgivings are for Ministry of Justice's Arms Lengths Bodies.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for people arrested for upskirting. \p Jess Phillips: We recognise the devastating impact of non-contact sexual offences, such as upskirting, have on victims and are committed to ensuring more perpetrators are bought to justice.

The Home Office has supported the development of new training for police on these crimes which was made available to all police forces in February. The training will help ensure officers use the principles from Operation Soteria when responding to or investigating these offences and understand how to identify risk factors to safeguard victims and disrupt offending.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with police forces on trends in reported incidents involving trespassers attempting to enter residential properties. \p Sarah Jones: It is important that the police have the power to tackle trespassing where there is intent to commit an offence.

On 10th June, the Government announced its intention to repeal the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824.

We have introduced targeted replacement measures in the Crime and Policing Bill to ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe, including a criminal offence of trespassing with intent to commit a criminal offence, an offence which was previously provided for under the 1824 Act, and for which the police have told us is useful to retain.

As is currently the case in the 1824 Act, it will be an offence for a person to trespass on any premises, meaning any building, part of a building or enclosed area, with the intention to commit an offence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with police forces about the handling of antisocial behaviour cases where responsibility is deferred to housing management companies. \p Sarah Jones: The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.

It is right that all relevant agencies have the right tools to tackle anti-social behaviour quickly and effectively. That is why, through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are enhancing the powers available to the police and other local agencies under the 2014 Act. This includes extending the power to issue closure notices to registered social housing providers. Currently only local authorities and police can issue closure notices. This is despite registered social housing providers often being the first agency to be aware of the ASB in question. Extending this power to social housing providers will help to save police and local authorities time as housing providers will be able to make applications directly.

The Home Office regularly engages with police forces on a range of issues, including the handling of antisocial behaviour. This measure in the Crime and Policing Bill followed a consultation in 2023, which included responses from the police, and suggested several changes to the powers that could improve their application and effectiveness.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of sharing information between Border Force and Kent Police on HGV drivers that repeatedly break the speed limit. \p Sarah Jones: The allocation of resources and deployment of officers in Kent is an operational matter for Kent Police’s Chief Constables to determine in line with local policing plans and in conjunction with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

Excess speed is a major cause of death and serious injury on our roads and anyone who breaks the speed limit should expect to face proper sanction.

Any form of dangerous or inconsiderate driving behaviour is a serious road safety issue. We expect all drivers to observe the speed limit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data the Police National Computer holds on the number of offences committed in the last 12 months, by where the offender was born. \p Sarah Jones: The Police National Computer (PNC) is a system that provides real-time access to criminal records of offenders, vehicle data, and other information relevant to policing. The PNC retains records by individual suspects and offenders rather than by offences.

The PNC holds some information on the place of birth and in some circumstances the nationality of the individuals, but that data is not held for all convictions. It does not retain information in a format that would provide an answer on the number of offences committed in the last 12 months, by where the offender was born. In any case, the PNC is not designed to provide such bespoke reports and would need development to obtain such information.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Home Office hold regular discussions about the appropriate use of this information for purposes beyond policing.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in the Hexham constituency regarding steps to reduce rural crime. \p Sarah Jones: Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.

Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.

Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.

The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.

We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.

This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.
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Yuan Yang:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the future viability of the Community Speedwatch Scheme. \p Sarah Jones: Decisions on adopting the Community Speedwatch scheme, and other schemes, are operational matters for individual Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to take, based on their local policing plans.

They are best placed to understand how to meet the needs of local communities.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of tool thefts in England have been made in each year since 2015. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not routinely collect data on the items stolen in theft offences which are reported to the police.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) provides estimates of the proportion of theft offences reported to the survey where tools were stolen. This will include incidents which were not reported to the police but will exclude incidents which affected commercial premises.

The most recently published data is presented in the table below

Table 1: Number of incidents and proportion where a tool was stolen, in year ending March 2024

Crime Survey for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics

Offence type

Number of incidents

Proportion of incidents where a tool was stolen

Domestic burglary in a dwelling

74,000

2%

Domestic burglary in a non-connected building

53,000

25%

Theft from outside a dwelling

517,000

3%

Theft from a vehicle

465,000

12%

Other theft of personal property

446,000

11%
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many mobile phones were stolen in the most recent year for which data is available; and how many of those were recovered. \p Sarah Jones: The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) provides estimates of the number of people who were the victim of mobile phone theft. In the most recent year for which data is available (year ending March 2024), an estimated 235,000 people in England and Wales were the victim of mobile phone theft in the previous 12 months. Data for previous years is available as part of the Property crime tables (Table 13) published by the Office for National Statistics, at the link below:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/focusonpropertycrimeappendixtables

The CSEW cannot provide an estimate of the number of stolen mobile phones which were later recovered.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her department are taking to increase visible policing on streets. \p Sarah Jones: The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee ensures that every neighbourhood has named, contactable officers and that communities are now benefitting from more visible patrols, and stronger engagement.

Additionally, as part of the Guarantee, 3,000 additional officers and PCSOs will be deployed to neighbourhood policing teams across England and Wales by March 2026.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of permitting self-defence weapons on personal safety. \p Sarah Jones: The Government has no plans to permit the possession or use of currently prohibited weapons, such as pepper sprays or tasers, for self-defence purposes. Pepper sprays and tasers are prohibited under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.

The Government considers that increased availability of such items potentially increases the risk of them being used by violent criminals, alongside a risk that they may be used inappropriately or irresponsibly in a variety of different circumstances, increasing the risk of serious injuries.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data the Department holds on the theft of agricultural equipment in the last (i) 5 years, (ii) 10 years in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not routinely collect data on the items stolen in theft offences which are reported to the police.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of police force forensic analysis capacity and completion times in England. \p Sarah Jones: Forensic turnaround times currently vary with discipline. Time taken by forces to examine digital devices for example varies considerably, but urgent requests are always prioritised.

Chief Constables, and ultimately Police and Crime Commissioners, are currently responsible for forensics procurement and delivery, with some regional coordination. We are exploring the creation of a specialist national capability for police forensics, within the proposed National Centre for Policing, and have recruited a Director of Forensic Services to stabilise and reform forensics in the meantime.
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Sadik Al-Hassan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help prevent the online sale of vapes containing illegal drugs. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs, including online, and the harms associated with their misuse.

We are taking a coordinated approach across Government that includes law enforcement activity, stronger engagement with technology companies, better education for users so they understand the risks and harms; as well as requiring internet companies to take responsibility for content on their platforms.

We have strengthened the regulatory framework to address online harms, and the unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is a priority offence under the illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act 2023. In-scope providers are legally required to implement measures to protect their users and to remove illegal content from their platforms, including that related to the sale of vapes containing illegal drugs. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the Act, is monitoring compliance with the regime.

The National Crime Agency also works with partners in the UK and internationally to identify offenders operating online, and to take down UK-based sites committing offences.
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she last met the Police Federation; and when she next plans to meet the Police Federation. \p Sarah Jones: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

As part of Government transparency information about meetings is published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk

The Police Act 1996 establishes the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) as the representative body for police officers in the federated ranks in England and Wales.
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Andy Slaughter:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring shops to hide knives for sale from public view. \p Sarah Jones: Since 2016 there has been a voluntary agreement between the Home Office and most major high street retailers on the responsible sale of knives. The purpose of the agreement is to set out best practice around the sale of knives, including age verification and display.

Retailers who are signatories are required to ensure knives are displayed and packaged securely as appropriate to minimise risk. This should include retailers taking practical and proportionate steps to restrict accessibility and avoid immediate use, to reduce the possibility of injury, and to prevent theft.

We are clear that knives should be sold responsibly. Through measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, we are increasing the maximum penalties for selling knives to those under the age of 18 and selling prohibited weapons to 2 years imprisonment.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 2 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many meetings have taken place within his Department on establishing a roadmap for delivering deeper interoperability with NATO allies by January 2026 since 2 June 2025. \p Al Carns: The Strategic Defence Review is clear that our defence policy is ‘NATO First’. The Armed Forces must be capable of operating as part of a NATO force by design. We are taking this forward with and through NATO, which will produce an Interoperability Plan for the Alliance by the end of the year. The Military Strategic Headquarters has appointed an interoperability champion to support the implementation of this plan.

The UK’s own roadmap for delivering deeper interoperability with NATO allies is being developed with and in support of our Integrated Force Design. Officials within the Department meet regularly to discuss these, however, information regarding the total number of meetings is not held in the format requested.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Operation Olympic Defender. \p Al Carns: Multinational Force Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER (MNF-OOD) is a US led multinational force which provides national-level authority for centralised planning of combined space operations. The core members are the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and New Zealand.

MNF-OOD's focus is to optimise space operations, improve mission assurance, enhance resilience of space-based systems and synchronise efforts to strengthen deterrence against hostile actors.

UK Space Command is leading the UK's contribution. The UK's role is to analyse and share information about the space domain to ensure troops on the ground are aware of threats and their options to maintain access to space services.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the competition for the Battlegroup Small Uncrewed Air System will align with the Defence Drone Strategy's commitment to keep up with relentless cycles of battlefield adaptation. \p Luke Pollard: The information as to who exactly has bid remains commercially sensitive and is currently not for onward release.

There are however a number of UK companies involved, providing various different Small Uncrewed Aeriel System (sUAS) solutions. This is testament to the growth of the Uncrewed System development in the UK.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the competition for the Battlegroup Small Uncrewed Air System on strengthening the British industrial base. \p Luke Pollard: The information as to who exactly has bid remains commercially sensitive and is currently not for onward release.

There are however a number of UK companies involved, providing various different Small Uncrewed Aeriel System (sUAS) solutions. This is testament to the growth of the Uncrewed System development in the UK.
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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role and responsibilities his Department has for cadet security and protection on Army training camps. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The Ministry of Defence takes the safety and wellbeing of all cadets extremely seriously. Cadets receive the same level of security as other users of the

Defence Estate, aligned to the UK Threat Level and Response.

Cadet facilities on the Defence Estate fall under the Head of Establishment; those in other locations not on the Defence Estate are overseen by the local Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association.

Defence operates a robust safeguarding system open to referrals from cadets, volunteers and parents, with all concerns investigated. Physical security is reviewed regularly, and risk assessments are aligned to security regulations. Industry partners that work on site are subject to the minimum vetting of Baseline Personnel Security Standards.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the closure of armed forces recruitment centres on enlistment in those areas. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: Defence assesses that the wide variety of available recruitment engagement options it provides affords opportunity for candidates to enlist, regardless of the presence of an Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO) in any given geographic location. The Armed Forces regularly review their recruiting activities and associated resource in accordance with the requirement.

Whilst AFCOs continue to provide core support to the Armed Forces' national recruiting activities, their geographic footprint across the UK is complemented by dedicated call centres and online recruiting operations. This ensures that members of rural or isolated communities have the same opportunity to apply to the Armed Forces as anyone else.

In addition, the Services conduct outreach engagement programmes across the whole of the UK, delivering events such as career fairs and roadshows, supported by online services and social media campaigns. These recruitment activities are further supported through strategic partnerships such as with JobCentrePlus, which provides additional face-to-face touchpoints with potential applicants.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_97
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_97

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria he will use to measure the success of Defence Reform. \p Luke Pollard: The success of Defence Reform will be measured against the following criteria:

• Clearer accountabilities and responsibilities across the organisation.

• Simpler decision-making processes and systems to improve efficiency.

• Enhanced ways of working, including better use of technology and behaviours.

• The establishment of a 'One Defence' culture, fostering collaboration across allareas of defence.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_98
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_98

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are employed as part of Defence Reform. \p Luke Pollard: As of 1 November 2025, a total of 41 individuals are employed within Defence Reform, based on headcount.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_99
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_99

Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what responsibilities his Department has in providing alternative safe, legal and compliant space for the Crowborough Cadets at Crowborough Training Camp, in the context of its proposed use for asylum seeker accommodation. \p Luke Pollard: The Government takes the safety and wellbeing of all Cadets extremely seriously. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work with the Home Office to assess the potential impact that housing asylum seekers on military bases could have on our Cadet Forces and future activities, and to develop any necessary mitigating actions. Our priority is ensuring these developments have limited impact on our Cadets, and we will always apply the appropriate safeguarding measures so that we can continue delivering Cadet programmes. We will also ensure that staff, Cadets and their families are kept abreast of any updates.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_100
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_100

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many break-ins were detected at Royal Air Force bases in the UK in each year since 2022. \p Al Carns: The number of break-ins detected at Royal Air Forces bases in the UK in each year since 2022 is as follows:

2022

2023

2024

2025

3

5

6

8

The data provided is where the incident has been recorded as a trespass or an intruder on the site with some evidence of unauthorised forced entry.

The safety and security of the Defence estate continues to be a key priority for Defence and we are taking decisive action to strengthen security across our estate, reversing years of under-investment and focusing our resources on our highest priority sites.

The Department is using in-year funding to deliver physical security enhancements, focussing on high priority sites across the defence estate. We have delivered urgent physical enhancements, introduced advanced surveillance technology such as the Immediate Threat Mitigation Solution, and we are investing £20 million in digital transformation to modernise our approach. Enhanced vigilance, updated guidance, and improved reporting have made it easier for personnel and industry partners to report incidents, while successful recruitment campaigns are increasing our policing and guard capacity.

The Strategic Defence Review recognised that we are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for UK Defence.

We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of security to safeguard our national defence capabilities.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_101
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_101

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many break-ins were detected at Royal Navy bases in the UK in each year since 2022. \p Al Carns: The number of break-ins detected at Royal Navy bases in the UK in each year since 2022 is as follows:

2022

2023

2024

2025

0

1

0

0

The data provided is where the incident has been recorded as a trespass or an intruder on the site with some evidence of unauthorised forced entry.

The safety and security of the Defence estate continues to be a priority key for Defence and we are taking decisive action to strengthen security across our estate, reversing years of under-investment and focusing our resources on our highest priority sites.

The Department is using in-year funding to deliver physical security enhancements, focussing on high priority sites across the defence estate. We have delivered urgent physical enhancements, introduced advanced surveillance technology such as the Immediate Threat Mitigation Solution, and we are investing £20 million in digital transformation to modernise our approach. Enhanced vigilance, updated guidance, and improved reporting have made it easier for personnel and industry partners to report incidents, while successful recruitment campaigns are increasing our policing and guard capacity.

The Strategic Defence Review recognised that we are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for UK Defence.

We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of security to safeguard our national defence capabilities.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_102
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_102

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many break-ins were detected at British Army bases in the UK in each year since 2022. \p Al Carns: The number of break-ins detected at British Army bases in the UK in each year since 2022 is as follows:

2022

2023

2024

2025

5

5

0

3

The data provided is where the incident has been recorded as a trespass or an intruder on the site with some evidence of unauthorised entry.

The safety and security of the Defence estate continues to be a key priority for Defence and we are taking decisive action to strengthen security across our estate, reversing years of under-investment and focusing our resources on our highest priority sites.

The Department is using in-year funding to deliver physical security enhancements, focussing on high priority sites across the defence estate. We have delivered urgent physical enhancements, introduced advanced surveillance technology such as the Immediate Threat Mitigation Solution, and we are investing £20 million in digital transformation to modernise our approach. Enhanced vigilance, updated guidance, and improved reporting have made it easier for personnel and industry partners to report incidents, while successful recruitment campaigns are increasing our policing and guard capacity.

The Strategic Defence Review recognised that we are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for UK Defence.

We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of security to safeguard our national defence capabilities.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_103
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_103

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to stop trespass on military training grounds. \p Al Carns: Defence is taking decisive action to strengthen security across our estate. The Department is committed to safeguarding UK military training grounds from unauthorised access through a combination of physical security measures, legal enforcement, and community engagement.

To further enhance security, the Ministry of Defence ensures increased visible patrols, maintains guard readiness, regularly inspects and maintains CCTV, gates, and barriers, and promotes heightened security awareness across the Defence Estate. This Government has also delivered significant physical enhancements, introduced advanced surveillance technology such as the Immediate Threat Mitigation Solution, and we are investing £20million in digital transformation to modernise our approach.

As part of the Respect the Range campaign, tailored communication packages are delivered to educate the public on safety measures and the importance of adhering to guidelines near the training estate.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_104
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_104

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the announcement of the security review into the defence estate in connection to the security breach at RAF Brize Norton on 20 June 2025, what recent progress he has made on the review. \p Al Carns: Further to the written ministerial statement of 27 November, work in relation to the MOD Security Review is continuing at pace. All military sites were assessed and prioritised, and a programme of site reviews is ongoing. Ministers are kept regularly informed through routine meetings and frequent written and oral updates.

Defence is taking decisive action to strengthen security across our estate, reversing years of under-investment and focusing our resources on our highest priority sites. We have delivered urgent physical enhancements, introduced advanced surveillance technology such as the Immediate Threat Mitigation Solution, and we are investing £20 million in digital transformation to modernise our approach. Enhanced vigilance, updated guidance, and improved reporting have made it easier for personnel and industry partners to report incidents, while successful recruitment campaigns are increasing our policing and guard capacity.

Our multi-layered security approach combines technology, workforce, and physical security to protect our people and assets. The piloting of Restricted Airspace above strategic sites and significant investment in remotely piloted aerial systems further enhance our ability to deter and respond to threats.

Defence will use all available levers to take swift action wherever and whenever security is threatened and will not hesitate to pursue prosecution where criminality is suspected. Safeguarding the Defence estate remains a key priority, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue improvements to ensure we deliver the highest standards of security and resilience for our estate.
wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_105
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-28 conversation_105

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there is a contracted end date for staff employed as part of Defence Reform. \p Luke Pollard: Contract end dates for Ministry of Defence staff engaged in Defence Reform vary by individual.