theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the inclusion of children in multilateral events such as the Nutrition for Growth Summit. \p Stephen Doughty: The safety and security of children globally spans across all six of the Foreign Secretary's priorities. At the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are funding Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Civil Society Organisation (CSO) network advocacy work to elevate youth participation and representation at the summit, directly facilitating their inclusion and highlighting the experience and needs of mothers and children in their communities. FCDO also are funding a UK and a global south partner country youth delegate to attend the Commission on Population and Development summit. FCDO continues to strengthen CSO partnerships, ensuring grassroots voices are heard and amplified globally, as the Foreign Secretary outlined in his Human Rights Day speech in December 2024.
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Bobby Dean:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK-Canadian Critical Mineral Dialogue is still on-going. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK and Canada are the closest of allies. We have shared values and are committed to ensuring critical mineral markets are diverse, ethical, fair and transparent. We continue to engage with Canada including through the Critical Minerals Dialogue, the Minerals Security Partnership, the International Energy Agency, and the G7.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35684 on Development Aid: Reviews, whether he has considered including hon. Members in additional consultations. \p Stephen Doughty: The review recommendations are now being considered as part of the Foreign Secretary's wider work to reform the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Parliamentarians will be included as part of any approach to further consultation.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the median age is of computers issued to officials in their Department. \p Catherine West: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office median age for its laptop estate issued to officials is currently 1 year.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of comments made by Georges Pierre Lesjongard on 15 February 2025. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK's position is clear - we do not and will not pay reparations.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with other signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the future of the Iran nuclear deal, in the context of the withdrawal of the United States from that agreement. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary and his predecessors have engaged the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) participants, and the US. The Foreign Secretary and our officials continue to engage France, Germany, Iran, China and the EU as JCPoA participants, as well as the US, in support of a diplomatic solution.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to (a) expedite and (b) delay the ratification of the Chagos sovereignty transfer to Mauritius. \p Stephen Doughty: Both sides remain committed to concluding a deal on the future of the Chagos Archipelago which protects the long-term effective operation of the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia.   Once an agreement is reached and the Treaty is signed, the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance (CRaG) process in the usual way.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he has taken to help develop international (a) norms, (b) rules and (c) principles on responsible behaviours in space since 5 July 2024. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK has been advocating and building international support for norms, rules and principles of responsible space behaviours at the United Nations to tackle threats to space systems, reduce the risk of conflict and preserve strategic stability. Since 5 July 2024, the UK has:

Secured support for the UK-led resolution on responsible space behaviours at the UN General Assembly.

Ensured the mandate of the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space in all its Aspects (PAROS) included norms, rules and principles of responsible space behaviours.

Used the International Security Fund to support diplomatic engagement with a broad range of countries on how responsible space behaviours can address space threats.

Shaped discussion on responsible space behaviours in the Conference on Disarmament.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37768 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Fisheries, what estimate he has made of the level of financial assistance that will be provided to the Government of Mauritius to implement a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area. \p Stephen Doughty: Further engagement on the details of the Marine Protected Area will take place as part of the implementation of the Agreement post-signature.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) Canada, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand on establishing a formal diplomatic alliance between those countries and the UK. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary has not held any discussions about establishing a new diplomatic alliance with these countries. However, Australia, Canada and New Zealand are among the UK's closest and most-valued allies, and we continue to deepen our partnership, including through established alliances and initiatives such as the Commonwealth, 5EYES, NATO, AUKUS and G7. The Foreign Secretary speaks with his Australian, Canadian and New Zealand counterparts regularly.
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John Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which development programmes he plans to maintain funding for after the planned reduction of the Official Development Assistance budget is implemented. \p Stephen Doughty: ODA allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through following the decision to reduce UK ODA from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3% in 2027.

We will be taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA delivers value for money.

We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding he plans to allocate to the Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa 2 programme in the (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27 and (c) 2027-28 financial year. \p Stephen Doughty: The Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa 2 programme is a five year programme which is saving lives and reducing the impact of disease outbreaks on populations in Africa. Now in its second year of implementation, the programme is strengthening regional health security capacity and leadership to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies, protecting populations around the world, including the UK. We have signed a 3-year agreement to support Africa Centres for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation's Joint Emergency Action. We have offered significant support to the response to mpox in Africa through the World Health Organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and UNICEF Burundi. Our support to UNICEF Burundi alone will directly benefit about 20,000 people in communities, including 1,800 children through mpox case management, mental health and psychosocial support, infection prevention and control, and WASH and risk communication activities.

The impact on specific programmes of the decision to reduce UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5 per cent of GNI to 0.3 per cent of GNI in 2027 is being worked through. We will be taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA delivers value for money. Announcements will be made following the completion of the ongoing Spending Review process.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered using official development assistance as part of the financial arrangements for the Chagos Islands deal. \p Stephen Doughty: Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February to Question 29154 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, what index the annual payments will be linked to. \p Stephen Doughty: Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.
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Christine Jardine:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the meeting of the UK and Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council between 19 and 21 November 2024, what progress has been made on the implementation of public registers of beneficial ownership in the Overseas Territories. \p Stephen Doughty: Work is ongoing to improve beneficial ownership transparency in the Overseas Territories. At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers.

Every Territory is making progress towards these commitments and FCDO officials are in regular contact with counterparts in the Overseas Territories on their proposals for registers to ensure they meet the agreement made at JMC. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories. I have recently spoken with the Premiers of BVI and Bermuda on this issue.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason his meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius on 23 July 2024 was not included in the transparency data entitled FCDO ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings, July to September 2024, published on 30 January 2025; and if he will update that record. \p Stephen Doughty: As per standard practice, the Government Transparency data for July-September 2024 records the Foreign Secretary's meetings with external organisations. Bilateral meetings between the Foreign Secretary and other Governments are not required to be disclosed as part of this exercise.
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Richard Burgon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK continues to step up for Ukraine as new funding announced to bring war criminals to justice, published on 29 December 2024, if he will publish a summary of his Department's legal advice on war crimes committed by Russia during its war on Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: Since the start of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2021, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has recorded over 150,000 incidents of alleged war crimes committed during the conflict. The UK government is committed to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to document and investigate these atrocity crimes. As set out in our funding announcement of 29 December 2024, we are focussing efforts through practical support co-ordinated via the Atrocity Crimes Advisory group, established with our US and EU partners. We have also provided support to the International Criminal Court, which established its own investigation into the situation in Ukraine in March 2022, and been an active member of the Core Group of countries, working to explore options to establish a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's latest estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the proposed agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, including (a) annual payments to Mauritius, (b) total projected expenditure over the 99-year lease period and (c) any upfront costs. \p Stephen Doughty: Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the proposed agreement with Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory will contain (a) provisions and (b) timescales when costings can be reviewed; whether a measure of indexation will be used to uplift UK payments to Mauritius for the lease; what currency will payments be required to be made including the relevant exchange rate provision; at what point will the UK need to give notice of it’s request to extend the lease; whether the Mauritius Government will be able to set the cost of the exercise of the extension provisions; and whether arbitration processes will be in place to arbitrate potential disputes over the costs of exercising the lease extension provisions. \p Stephen Doughty: Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37160 on Blue Belt Programme: Finance, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for the Blue Belt programme on the UK's commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15. \p Stephen Doughty: The Blue Belt Programme has been instrumental in supporting the UK's global ocean commitments, including the Global Biodiversity Framework, where the Convention on Biological Diversity has been extended to the UK Overseas Territories. Future funding considerations are subject to the ongoing Spending Review.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the destruction of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. \p Catherine West: The UK Government supports the Interim Government's agenda to restore law and order, ensure accountability and promote national reconciliation. While we have not had discussions with the Interim Government of Bangladesh regarding the destruction of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum specifically, we have encouraged all sides to work together to end the cycle of retributive violence. In February, UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, visited Bangladesh. She discussed a wide range of human rights concerns with the Interim Government. We continue to work with the Interim Government as it charts a peaceful transition to an inclusive and democratic future.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing guidance on limiting ambient noise in specific settings to help improve levels of accessibility. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Government welcomes steps some retailers are taking to introduce sensory friendly hours for customers who may find busy or loud shopping environments overwhelming.

In educational settings, guidance on ambient noise levels may be found in Building Bulletin 93 and in DfE standards and guidance documentation found at: School and Further Education College Design and Construction on GOV.UK.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for deploying Typhoons to Poland. \p Luke Pollard: RAF Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth landed in Poland on 25 March 2025 as part of NATO’s commitment to maintaining regional security and airspace integrity. As the air policing role develops, further announcements will be made.

We have a strong and broad defence relationship with Poland and in January 2025, our Prime Ministers announced work on a Defence and Security Treaty.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has considered a derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights in the event of the deployment in Ukraine of a British (a) peacekeeping and (b) reassurance force. \p Luke Pollard: The Government is leading detailed military planning, along with allies and partners, to develop potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

As longstanding practice over many decades, the UK complies fully with UK and international law whenever it conducts military operations at home or abroad. Our Armed Forces will always have out fullest support.
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Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to incorporate (a) the impact of climate change and (b) access to (i) water and (ii) nutritious food into the UK's future defence strategy. \p Luke Pollard: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) agrees that Climate Change will have impacts on the world to which our Armed Forces may need to respond, both directly and indirectly. The MOD carefully considers climate change impacts, along with other drivers of food and water insecurity, when conducting strategic planning.

The MOD continues to play an important part in contributing to Government's Plan for Change, including our contributions to the energy security and sustainability Mission.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28586 on HMS Achilles, for what reason the Committee chose to recommend to the Sovereign the name of HMS Achilles. \p Luke Pollard: The name HMS Achilles was considered in light of the forthcoming VE and VJ Day anniversaries and given its WWII battle honours at the River Plate and Okinawa. The name also has a very fine heritage outside of WWII, having been borne by six ships previously and having earned battle honours including Trafalgar.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's commitment to enhanced NATO air policing patrols. \p Luke Pollard: The UK remains fully committed to NATO air policing. The RAF has deployed to Poland, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania and Romania, securing Allied airspace and playing a key role in NATO’s deterrence and defence.

Along with other European Allies, the UK provides our P8 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft to NATO’s BALTIC SENTRY maritime operation throughout the Baltic Sea. The objective of this to detect and understand sabotage against undersea infrastructure, as well play a critical part in deterrence.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on the role of the UK in the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence. \p Luke Pollard: NATO is the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security, and the UK’s commitment to the Alliance is unshakeable. The UK is the Framework Nation for the Forward Land Forces Battlegroup in Estonia, with UK forces deterring threats on NATO’s eastern flank. In October 2024 the Defence Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to scale this force to a brigade if required when the UK and Estonia signed a Defence Roadmap.

The UK contributes a squadron to the US-led Forward Land Forces in Poland.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the ability of the Armed Forces to contribute to the Multinational Force Ukraine. \p Luke Pollard: Elements of UK Armed Forces remain ready to respond to all challenges including deployment to Ukraine in order to support a Coalition of the Willing.

Discussions continue around military planning of air, sea and land forces that would be required to support a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) extent and (b) nature of military support from North Korea to Russia’s campaign against Ukraine. \p Luke Pollard: The military co-operation between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has serious security implications for Europe and the Indo-Pacific. North Korea already sends significant munitions and arms to Russia, in direct violation of multiple UN resolutions. It has also been reported that DPRK has subsequently deployed limited numbers of additional troops in support of Russian Forces, who have made territorial gains in recent weeks in offensive operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British service personnel are deployed to (a) Estonia, (b) Latvia, (c) Lithuania and (d) Poland as part of the UK contribution to the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence. \p Luke Pollard: As part of the UK contribution to the NATO Enhanced Forward presence, circa 1,300 British Service personnel are deployed to Estonia and circa 100 to Poland. The UK does not contribute forces to Latvia or Lithuania within the context of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what size force he intends to send on Exercise Hedgehog in May 2025. \p Luke Pollard: The UK has endorsed the deployment of 4 Brigade and four Typhoons to Exercise HEDGEHOG. The UK will provide roughly 2,500 Service personnel towards the exercise, in addition to the Forward Land Forces armoured battle group already deployed in Estonia, comprising circa 800 soldiers. France will also provide support, alongside Finland and the US.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of commercial providers being used to implement the UK's defence space capabilities on the resilience of those capabilities. \p Luke Pollard: The Ministry of Defence is committed to investing £6.5 billion over 10 years to ensure the UK is a competitive force in the Space domain. The National Space Strategy makes clear that to meet the Government's goals, the UK requires a flexible approach to determining where space capabilities can be most useful and where multi-use capabilities can best meet civil and defence needs.

The Defence Space Strategy delivers this flexibility by fully embracing the own-collaborate-access (OCA) framework making informed decisions to protect sovereign requirements (own), whilst maximising shared force output (collaborate, access).

All capabilities within the Defence Space Portfolio incorporate a robust level of scrutiny to ensure the appropriate level of security and resilience is applied.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of sending British (a) Typhoons, (b) F-35s and (c) other military aircraft to Ukraine as part of any (i) peacekeeping and (ii) reassurance force. \p Luke Pollard: Following last week’s first operational planning meeting held at the UK’s Permanent Joint Operations Headquarters in Northwood, senior military personnel will continue to meet throughout this week to develop plans. The military planning meetings have focused on – how we keep the skies, the seas and the border safe, looking across the full range of European military capabilities including aircraft, troops, intelligence and logistics.

The specifics of these plans are subject to further discussions, and we will not comment on operational details at this stage.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37596 on Ammunition: Lost Property and Theft, for what reason 200 rounds were lost overboard in the Solent from a Navy vessel. \p Luke Pollard: An investigation into the loss of 200 rounds of ammunition from a Royal Navy vessel in 2024 concluded that the most likely cause was due to equipment failure. Appropriate measures have been put in place to prevent recurrence following an Immediate Ship's Investigation.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of welfare reform on veterans. \p Al Carns: This Government is committed to providing veterans with the support they need after their time in service, whether that's through specialist housing provision or employment advice and career support. This commitment applies equally to the welfare and benefits space, and while most veterans require limited support after they leave the military, some, including those who were wounded or injured while in the Armed Forces, rely to varying degrees on being able to access the health and disability benefits system.

The Department for Work and Pensions are consulting on the impact of changes to the benefits system, and I will continue to work closely with my colleagues in the Department to ensure the needs of our veterans are understood. No changes are being made to Armed Forces Independence Payments.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Royal Air Force on the procurement of the Aermacchi M-346 fast jet trainer. \p Maria Eagle: The Royal Air Force continuously researches and assesses options for the sustainment, enhancement and development of hardware and systems to maintain competitive advantage within the flying training system. The Aermacchi M-346 fast jet trainer is one of several market options available and no formal market engagement has been conducted.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press notice entitled Major defence reforms launched, with new National Armaments Director to tackle waste and boost industry, published on 25 October 2024, what steps he is taking to (a) harmonise procurement and (b) streamline his Department’s governance and processes. \p Maria Eagle: The new National Armaments Director will ensure our Armed Forces are properly equipped to defend Britain, will build up the British defence industry, and will reduce waste.

Key to success will be harmonising procurement, which includes driving forward common procurement guidelines and processes to reduce inconsistencies; greater transparency for suppliers; international cooperation, notably with NATO allies; bulk purchasing, leading to better pricing and reduced costs; spiral acquisition; and, increased use of digital platforms for efficiency.

This will be delivered by taking a Defence wide approach to procurement that breaks down previously vertical structures that do not allow cross Services procurement ways of working, and prioritises activity at Departmental level.

The Ministry of Defence will work closely with wider Government, industry, academia, and international partners to deploy best practice and optimise investment.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a programme similar to the Army Officer Internship scheme exists in the RAF. \p Al Carns: The Royal Air Force (RAF) does not currently offer an internship programme similar to the Army Officer Internship Scheme. However, there are a number of programmes that provide an insight to RAF life such as University Air Squadrons and through work experience placements for students aged 16 and over who are in full-time education. There are also a number of bursaries available to support those planning a career in the RAF.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Defence Reform Model will have (a) an annual budget and (b) a full time staffing allocation. \p Maria Eagle: Defence Reform is delivering meaningful change through a phased approach over the course of this parliament to reform Defence. However, it is too early to capture the required level of investment in this programme of work, which we expect will deliver net benefits through changes such as more efficient procurement processes, including a reduction in waste.

A temporary team was established in Autumn 2024 to lead Defence Reform activity. The team is expected to continue for the duration of the transformation work, and resource and budget will flex to meet the requirements of the programme.

A Written Ministerial Statement setting out the key areas and features of Defence Reform was released to the House today.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_238

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department’s stockpile levels in the context of proposals to send a British peacekeeping force to Ukraine. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence remains fully engaged with industry, allies and partners to ensure that stockpile levels are sufficient to support current and future operations. Defence stockpile levels are classified and therefore any further commentary would be inappropriate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_239

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to implement the Defence Drone Strategy, published on 22 February 2024. \p Maria Eagle: The Defence Drone Strategy was released in February 2024 to provide a strategic approach to drive delivery across Defence and support Frontline Command Drone capabilities. With over £4.5 billion of funding already being invested in Drones, the Ministry of Defence is committed to implementing the Defence Drone strategy, learning lessons from the conflict in Ukraine.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_240

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes have been made to the government’s assessment of future skills needs following the announcement on February 25 that defence spending would increase to 2.6% of GDP by 2027. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence is working closely with Skills England and the Department for Education to ensure the boost in defence spending supports the training and development of new generations of defence sector workers. The future skills requirement for defence is being assessed as part of the ongoing development of the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_241

David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has considered inviting Canada to contribute to the Global Combat Air Programme. \p Maria Eagle: All three Global Combat Air Programme nations have highlighted an openness to working with other nations, while keeping us on track with the programme delivery schedule and helping us deliver future military capabilities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_242

Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to provide information for Gurkha personnel at recruitment and transition about their rights and entitlements. \p Al Carns: The Government greatly values the Service of the Gurkhas who have a long and distinguished history of service to the UK, both at home and overseas. We take the welfare of our Gurkha personnel extremely seriously and remain committed to supporting them and their families during and after their Service with the British Army.

All Gurkha personnel are briefed and provided with access to information on their rights and entitlements at every stage throughout their career, in the British Army and beyond, from the initial recruitment phase through to post-service.

During the recruitment phase, information regarding rights and entitlements is passed to all candidates through both written and verbal communications, including providing forums for candidates to ask questions. During Resettlement and Transition, all Gurkha personnel have access to Resettlement training to ensure a successful transition to civilian life in the UK or overseas.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_243

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 39639 on Warrior Vehicles, which of these units are due to transition to Boxer. \p Maria Eagle: The Army is currently undergoing a combined programme of work to ensure our Land Forces will have the lethality, protection and mobility to fight and win against any adversary. The outcome of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) will guide future capability development priorities and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment until the SDR has reported and decisions have been made.

On current plans, the first Boxer unit will be the 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_244

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent service personnel working in the bomb disposal portfolio from contracting medical diseases. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to the health and safety of our people and we have robust policies and processes in place to ensure Defence activities are conducted in a safe manner. We will keep the evidence base for associations between military occupational exposures and bladder cancers under review, consulting with independent external medical experts as required to determine if there are any risks to Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Ammunitions personnel which need to be addressed.

All activities across Defence, including bomb disposal, must be conducted within the elements of a Safe System of Work (SSW). A SSW is a method of work which puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to manage identified hazards.

In accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, the MOD ensures it supplies its people with suitable PPE, and training, to ensure they are protected against risks to their health and safety for the activity they are undertaking. Additionally, Defence ensures it has procedures in place for the testing, inspection, maintenance and storage of PPE.

For bomb disposal, Defence has the UK’s in-house experts in chemical, biological, and radiological threats. These experts are employed in the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories (DSTL) which provide constant operational support and advice to the bomb disposal community and wider Defence. When faced with unknown substances, new threats or known contamination, DSTL are there to provide expert guidance and advice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_245

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to expand its procurement activities to UK Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. \p Maria Eagle: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make a vital contribution to economic growth and are a valuable source of technical innovation in defence. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent, and the governments National Procurement Policy Statement.

As announced in the Spring Statement, with defence spending rising, we will spend a minimum of 10% of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment budget on novel technologies, including drones and AI enabled technology. We will establish a protected budget of £400 million within the Ministry of Defence, that will rise over time for UK Defence Innovation.

This is in addition to the announcement the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary made on 3 March which included the launch of a new hub to provide SMEs with better access to the defence supply chain. We have committed to set a direct SME spending target for the Ministry of Defence by June this year, increasing our spend with them and ensuring that thousands of small businesses in the UK will benefit from the historic decision to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_246

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Spring Statement on 26 March 2025, whether the £13.4 billion increase in defence spending announced by the Prime Minister on 25 February 2025 will go ahead. \p Maria Eagle: The Government has set out its clear commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP in 2027, and to 3% of GDP in the next parliament as fiscal and economic conditions allow.

When the Prime Minister announced the uplift to 2.5%, he was clear that comparing total NATO qualifying defence spending in 2024-25 with 2027-28 was an uplift of £13.4 billion. The new OBR forecast means that this figure has increased to £14.2 billion.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_247

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to accelerate the in service date of the DragonFire system on Royal Navy vessels during the period after 2027. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability by equipping four Navy Destroyers with this world leading system, starting in 2027. By doing this we are bringing laser technology to the Navy around five years faster than previously planned, which will protect our Armed Forces, and let us learn by doing, helping us to make continual improvements on areas like integration, software, and overall lethality. These learnings will support development of both the DragonFire system, and the choices we make on future DEW capabilities.

As announced in the Spring Statement, additional funding for Defence will be directed toward advancing technology including guaranteeing the in service date for DragonFire. This approach to transitioning novel technology into capability is an example of how we are ensuring we translate the UK’s technological strengths into operational advantage at pace.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_248

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many business cases relating to procurement of new equipment or capabilities that have been submitted by his Department are currently awaiting approval by (a) HM Treasury and (b) Cabinet Office. \p Maria Eagle: At the time of writing, the Ministry of Defence currently has eight business cases with His Majesty's Treasury, and seven cases with the Cabinet Office awaiting approval.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_249

Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 1.2.of the Office for Budget Responsibility's report entitled Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published on 26 March 2025, what assessment he has made of the (a) affordability and (b) achievability of increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027. \p Maria Eagle: The Government is committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP in 2027, with an ambition to increase to 3% in the next Parliament as fiscal and economic conditions allow.

The increase to defence spending is fully funded. ODA is being reduced to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI to fund the additional spend required to ensure we reach 2.5% of GDP on defence spending in 2027-28.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_250

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Outline Business Cases are being considered by Departmental Spend Control Approvals. \p Maria Eagle: In year controls are used across the Department to manage its performance against the Defence budget as part of good financial management. This is separate to the full business case scrutiny process which continues as usual.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_251

Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of retiring HMS Northumberland on the Royal Navy’s operational capacity; and what steps he is taking to support the Royal Navy until the Type 26 frigates are delivered. \p Maria Eagle: I refer the right hon. Member to the response provided by the Minister for the Armed Forces (Luke Pollard) to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) on 10 December 2024 to Question 17147.

HMS Northumberland (docx, 29.0KB)