theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for the British Transport Police. \p Simon Lightwood: The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for the British Transport Police. \p Simon Lightwood: The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.
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Dr Andrew Murrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps Great British Rail plans to take to help improve (a) travel times, (b) punctuality and (c) passenger experience on the West of England line. \p Simon Lightwood: Services operated by South Western Railway, which operates the West of England line, will transfer into public ownership when their contract expires on 25 May 2025. Under public ownership, passenger services will be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders.

Bringing train operations into public ownership is the first step in the Government’s plans for wider rail reform. The Railways Bill will be introduced later this session, which will enable the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR). GBR will have the tools and operational independence it needs to plan and run the rail system on a long-term basis to deliver for passengers and freight customers.

Through these reforms we will deliver better quality services for passengers and freight customers, resulting in fewer delays and a timetable that better serves their needs.
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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) transition to and (b) commencement of Great British Railways on the level of funding for British Transport Police. \p Simon Lightwood: The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set currently set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry.

We anticipate that the level of funding for the BTP during the transition to and commencement of Great British Railways will similarly balance the needs of the industry and the force against public sector affordability.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what was the total cost to the public purse was of British transport police offices in the last financial year (a) based at rail stations (b) not based at rail stations. \p Simon Lightwood: The British Transport Police do not hold data separating the costs for station-based and non-station-based offices. The British Transport Police operate from 141 properties split between railway stations and commercial buildings close to the railway.

In the financial year 24/25, the total cost of British Transport Police’s estate including all running, maintenance, general improvement, and asset replacement costs was approximately £26.8m. In addition, as part of BTP’s cost reduction measures there was a one-off cost of £10.2m to relocate the British Transport Police Force Headquarters, which is anticipated to save £1.4m a year.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps National Highways is taking to coordinate with local authorities on managing (a) fly-tipping and (b) litter in places which overlap between special roads and trunk roads. \p Lilian Greenwood: National Highways works closely with local authorities to tackle litter on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). National Highways has introduced litter partnership agreements to facilitate better coordination of litter clearing operations and has provided health and safety training to key local authority personnel to support their litter-clearing teams.

National Highways regularly engage with local authorities to help identify opportunities for local authority teams to access the network and address priority areas of concern for litter-picking and sweeping. Local authorities are able to utilise National Highways’ traffic management to schedule their own litter picks, helping to reduce costs for taxpayers and minimise disruption to road users. Although National Highways does not possess enforcement powers, in the event its CCTV operators notice illegal activity such as littering or fly tipping taking place on the SRN, evidence of that is also passed onto the local authorities responsible for prosecution.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps National Highways is taking to reduce (a) fly-tipping and (b) litter on roads it is responsible for. \p Lilian Greenwood: National Highways are committed to the effective management of fly tipping and litter on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). National Highways pick litter on the SRN every day and its inspectors regularly survey the network, grading it in accordance with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse.

National Highways consistently work to deliver improved clean-up using innovative methods such as industrial vacuums, as well as undertaking several anti-littering interventions to influence behaviours and attitudes of road users towards litter. These include anti-littering messaging through social media, trialling AI enforcement cameras to capture those throwing litter on the SRN, using geofencing to send targeted anti-littering messages to mobile devices around identified litter hotspots, as well as putting anti-littering posters and signs and installing car and lorry height bins at motorway service areas.
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John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 904123 Gatwick Airport: Carbon Emissions, if she will list the organisations from which she has received carbon emissions projection data relating to Gatwick's proposed expansion. \p Mike Kane: As this is live planning application that is yet to be decided, unfortunately I cannot comment in detail at this time. However, all information provided to the Secretary of State by the applicant, the Examining Authority, and any parties who chose to make written representations is available on the Planning Inspectorate website. This will include information on carbon emissions.
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Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring local authorities to consider the curtilage of properties when assessing local speed limits. \p Lilian Greenwood: Traffic authorities have the power to make speed limits on the public roads which they manage.  English authorities are asked to consider the best practice guidance ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’, designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances.  This lists important factors that may be taken into account which include, among other things, the composition of road users including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users, and the road environment such as the level of roadside development and the possible impacts (for example, severance, noise or air quality) on residents.  This could include effects on the curtilage of neighbouring properties.

The final decision is for the traffic authority, working with the police who would carry out any enforcement.

The Department’s guidance to English traffic authorities can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support manufacturers of (a) 44-tonne and (b) all weights of volumetric concrete mixers. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has supported the transition of volumetric concrete mixer (VCM) operators and manufacturers by providing a 10-year temporary weight exemption, allowing time to adapt to compliant vehicles.

The temporary arrangement will conclude in 2028. Existing VCMs will be able to continue operating, but only within the applicable weight limits.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the HGV parking and driver welfare match funding grant scheme. \p Lilian Greenwood: The HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme (MFGS) was launched in 2022 to fund investment in HGV driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security, and decarbonisation. These priorities were identified through the National Survey of Lorry Parking (2022) and aim to improve the working conditions of HGV drivers.

My department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the scheme, to consider the application and delivery process, the role of the scheme in improving lorry driver facilities in England and the impact of the site improvements for drivers.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Solicitor General, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of fast-tracking Crown Prosecution Service advice in (a) politically sensitive and (b) time-critical investigations. \p Lucy Rigby: It is vital that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is rightly operationally independent from Government, makes decisions as quickly as possible after a careful consideration of all relevant facts. As Solicitor General, I review and monitor CPS performance including timeliness of charging decisions on a quarterly basis. All prosecution decisions are taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, and the CPS must always aim to make their decisions as quickly and efficiently as possible.

It is right that any case review is undertaken with the utmost care and, whereas some cases may be straightforward, others will have large volumes of evidence that can take time for investigators to identify and gather, often with the support of investigative advice from the prosecutor. That evidence then needs to be reviewed by the prosecutor, often with complex legal issues to resolve. While every case will be different, prosecutors must be even-handed in their approach, and they have a duty to protect the rights of suspects and defendants, while providing the best possible service to victims.

This Government is committed to reducing delays across the system and driving forward wider improvements and efficiencies to improve outcomes and secure swift and effective justice for victims, witnesses, suspects, defendants and the public.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the VALOUR support system is accessible to veterans in (a) rural and (b) remote areas. \p Luke Pollard: VALOUR is a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. It will ensure easier access to essential care and support is available, wherever they live in the UK.

This regional approach, based on a network of VALOUR support centres providing multiple services in one place, together with regional field officers coordinating the provision of local services, will ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities.

The detailed structures and processes that will underpin VALOUR will be designed in collaboration with relevant partners and further details will be announced in due course.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the total cost of the Royal Marines’ Knights Armament Stoner 1 (KS-1) rifle programme, including (a) optical and thermal sights and suppressors and (b) all associated equipment; and how much of this budget has been spent to date. \p Maria Eagle: The Knight Stoner KS-1 has been procured by Royal Navy as part of the Future Commando Force Transformation. The total cost of this rifle to the Programme is £30.422 million, of which, £22.887 million has been spent to date.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned in-service date is for the deep precision strike weapon that will be developed with Germany. \p Maria Eagle: The UK and Germany are considering several concepts and technologies to address emerging threats so far and have defined a joint range requirement of over 2000km.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to procure the Lura-SG-1 artificial intelligence system. \p Maria Eagle: The Royal Navy has begun industry engagement to understand how commercial systems could be used to conduct anti-submarine warfare in the Atlantic.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 46190 on Warships: Decommissioning, what ships will take on the role of mine clearance following the decommissioning of the Sandown Class vessels. \p Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the response I provided to Question 47760 to the hon. Member for Suffolk South (James Cartlidge), on 29 April 2025.

Question 47760 (docx, 15.9KB)
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 46190 on Warships: Decommissioning, what the disposal plan is for (a) Wave and (b) Sandown class ships. \p Maria Eagle: The Wave Class ships have been declared for regulatory and legislative-compliant disposal. All value for money options will be considered.

With regards to the Sandown Class, the transfer of HMS Pembroke via Government to Government sale to Romania will complete in the summer of this year. Disposal options are being scoped for two additional Sandown Class ships and HMS Bangor remains in service.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 51569 on Aircraft Carriers, what factors his Department would consider on balancing funding decisions on aircraft launch and recovery equipment. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence considers numerous factors to ensure a balanced result when making procurement decisions. These include: operational capability enhancement and technical innovation offered by new equipment; alignment with national security and defence strategies; interoperability with allies; industrial benefits; lifecycle costs and affordability; procurement risk; environmental sustainability; and regulatory compliance.

Decisions on future capabilities are subject to the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review which is considering how the UK will meet the challenges, threats and opportunity of the 21st century.
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Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2025 to Question 49938 on Nuclear Submarines: Safety, what the Category (a) A and (b) B Nuclear Site Event Reports recorded at (i) Coulport and (ii) Faslane were. \p Maria Eagle: Nuclear Site Event Reports are raised to foster a robust safety culture that learns from experience, whether that is equipment failures, human error, procedural failings, documentation shortcoming or near-misses.

I cannot provide specific detail for the events as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of any relevant forces, I can assure the hon. Member that none of the events listed in Question 49938 caused harm to the health of any member of staff or to any member of the public and none have resulted in any radiological impact to the environment.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve broadband (a) connectivity and (b) speeds in Scotland. \p Ian Murray: Our Plan for Change recognises the importance of ensuring people across Scotland have access to the fastest broadband networks on the market to level the playing field and realise our mission to boost economic growth and improve living standards.

Earlier in May, we announced the largest single UK Government Project Gigabit contract to date with Openreach: £157 million to bring gigabit-capable internet to 65,000 homes and businesses across the Highlands, Outer Hebrides and other hard-to-reach areas across Scotland.

In February, the Hon Member for Rhondda and Ogmore announced the first Project Gigabit contract signed in Scotland. 11,000 homes and businesses in the Scottish Borders and East Lothian will benefit from the Scotland-wide roll out with further contracts planned for other parts of Scotland this year.
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Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department is taking steps with animal protection organisations to phase out animal experimentation. \p Feryal Clark: The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year, and is engaging animal welfare organisations in developing this. The Government has also recently hosted a roundtable with representatives from these organisations to discuss the strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that LGBT veterans are adequately informed about their rights and how to apply for compensation under the Financial Recognition Scheme. \p Al Carns: As of 1 September 2025, the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) had made payments of £8.3 million to 221 applicants. We have been prioritising payment to applicants who are terminally ill, over 80 and those in significant financial distress to ensure they receive support as quickly as possible, with the first payments issued as planned within 15 weeks of the Scheme going live to these prioritised groups. Applications are now being processed in date order, and we are in the process of recruiting additional staff, to speed up the process.

Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action Team is working closely with external and internal Defence communications teams to deliver campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to claim under the FRS. To further support this effort, Defence has allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications.

The LGBT Restorative Action Team also continues to engage with relevant Veterans networks, and customer facing teams, to ensure that eligible applicants of FRS receive the appropriate information, support, and guidance. The Government encourages those affected by the Ban to visit gov.uk for further information, guidance, and support on how to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-of-the-lgbt-ban-financial-recognition-scheme

Payments made by the FRS are not compensation payments and do not seek to compensate for any pecuniary losses or attempt to place personnel in a financial position they could have been in, had the ban not existed.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what ammunition natures are compatible with the Ajax Case Telescoped 40mm Cannon. \p Maria Eagle: The CTA International 40mm Cannon is compatible with the following ammunition:

Of the seven ammunitions, only the APFSDS-T, GPR-PD-T, and TP-T have been procured for use on Ajax.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what weapons systems are compatible with the Ares Remote Weapon Station. \p Maria Eagle: The ARES Remote Weapon Station (RWS) is used with the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), Heavy Machine Gun (HMG), and Grenade Machine Gun (GMG).
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry to the hon. Member for South Suffolk of 29 July 2025, how much of the stated NATO-qualifying expenditure will be spent on strategic stability in the (a) 2027-28 and (b) 2028-29 financial years. \p Maria Eagle: The Department’s spending plans will be set out in the Defence Investment Plan, which will be published in the autumn.

The share of this spending that relates to individual categories of spend will be considered as part of future returns to NATO.
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Alex Sobel:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the draft guidance by the Equality and Human Rights Commission entitled Code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025, on (a) operational readiness and (b) combat effectiveness (i) of all service personnel and (ii) of service personnel who are trans. \p Al Carns: Defence welcomes the Supreme Court's ruling and the clarity that it brings. The independent Equality and Human Rights Commission is now developing its updated statutory Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations and we will liaise with them through our engagement with the Office for Equalities and Opportunity as they progress this work. The application of the Supreme Court ruling in some settings is complex and that is why it is important we await the Code of Practice before applying the Equality Act on a day-to-day basis.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to commemorate Merchant Navy Day on 3 September 2025. \p Al Carns: Merchant Navy Day honours the bravery, sacrifice, and service of the many men and women of the Merchant Navy, past and present, who have kept our nation afloat in times of peace, in crisis and during conflict.

This Ministry of Defence is recognising its importance by raising the Red Ensign across the country on Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, at the Ministry of Defence Main Building on Whitehall and at Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth. There are also wreath laying ceremonies and services in locations across the country and a Merchant Navy Parade at Trinity Gardens in London on Sunday 7 September.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support is available for military families relocating to areas with limited access to public services. \p Al Carns: Military families relocating to areas with limited public infrastructure can face distinct challenges. The Ministry of Defence is committed to supporting these families through a range of targeted initiatives and cross-government collaboration. Central to this effort are the Armed Forces Families Strategy 2022–2032 and the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Armed Forces Families Strategy exists not only to ensure we listen to and address the needs of the families that provide vital support to our Service Personnel, but also to provide direction to and inspire partnership between policy makers across Government to empower these families to live rich and fulfilling lives. It is underpinned by an Action Plan delivered in partnership with Devolved Administrations, Local Authorities, and the Third Sector.

We are reinforcing our existing commitment to the Covenant by bringing it into Law through the Armed Forces Bill, promoting better outcomes for the Armed Forces community when accessing key public services and removing disadvantage. We are also working on the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill which will further strengthen oversight and advocacy for Service families.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date Ant Middleton was appointed by the Executive Council as the first Chief Cadet of the Volunteer Cadet Corps. \p Al Carns: In November 2019, Ant Middleton was appointed as Chief Cadet and Honorary Captain in the Royal Navy’s Volunteer Cadet Corps. This ended nine months later following controversial statements made on Twitter.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 26 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, what discussions his Department has held with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on plans to expand community-based Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030. \p Al Carns: The campaign to increase the Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030 (’30 by 30’) is backed by £70 million of extra funding. The diverse and unique nature of the individual Cadet Forces and the federated approach to delivery mean that this funding will be spread across the single Services, Ministry of Defence (MOD) Centre, and supporting organisations. Work is currently underway to establish how the 30% increase will be realised, and costings will be refined through the ongoing Defence Investment Plan process.

The recommendation of the Strategic Defence Review covers both school and community-based Cadet Forces across the country. For a number of years, one focus for Cadet growth has been through the ongoing joint Department for Education (DfE)/MOD Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) in schools. The CEP will form a key component of the new ‘30 by 30’ campaign, and our important engagement with DfE on the delivery of this discreet element will continue.

We wish to grow Cadets in areas where the need is greatest. The MOD and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are working together to achieve this aim. In addition to our ’30 by 30’ campaign, MOD future growth plans will be aligned with areas with the highest deprivation levels and the weakest social infrastructure, including MHCLG’s Plan for Neighbourhoods programme places.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services for (a) service personnel and (b) veterans. \p Al Carns: To improve access to mental health services for Service personnel, Defence Medical Services (DMS) has established Defence Mental Health Networks (DMHNs) across the UK. These specialist community mental health services provide enhanced access to expert assessment and treatment for Service personnel experiencing mental health disorders. By introducing new single points of access, enabling the sharing of specialist skills across network locations, and consolidating clinical and governance processes, DMHNs are reducing wait times to enhanced assessments and core treatment therapies.

DMS has further introduced standardised training for primary care clinicians incorporating emerging digital interventions to ensure that Service personnel can access initial mental healthcare at any Defence medical centre.

Op COURAGE, the Veterans Mental Health, and Wellbeing Service, provides an integrated mental health care pathway for veterans in England, with similar services in other parts of the UK.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to clause 24 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether he plans to have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the (a) protection and (b) defence of critical national infrastructure. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the importance of the Department for Education (DfE) in increasing understanding and appreciation of our Armed Forces in young people. Ministers and officials from the MOD have met with colleagues in the DfE and discussed how a formal curriculum could be part of their ongoing curriculum review. Both departments have also discussed the vital work of Cadet Forces in schools, membership of which is proven to help develop self-confidence, teamwork, leadership and resilience in young people. Our ongoing discussions with the DfE are crucial to implementing the Cadet ‘30 in 30’ scheme under which this Government is investing £70 million to add 40,000 new Cadets across the UK by 2030.

The Strategic Defence Review is clear on the need for a whole of society approach to defence and the ongoing relationship between the MOD and the DfE is a key component of that plan. The Armed Forces enjoy good relationships with schools, primarily in terms of engagement to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) curriculum areas but this also extends to careers engagement. The Armed Forces only visit when they have been invited by a school to support activities and such visits cover a range of activities such as career events, citizenship talks, science and maths challenges and exercises.

Regarding the recruitment of young people, it is important to note that the Armed Forces do not target recruitment activity at under-16s, and no visits to schools by the Armed Forces are directly linked to recruitment, other than specific Careers/Jobs Fairs which generally involve a range of employers. While presentations may be given highlighting the careers available in the Armed Forces, no pupil is ever signed up or able to make a commitment to become a recruit in the Armed Forces during the course of a visit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to expand apprenticeship and training routes into the Armed Forces. \p Al Carns: Defence is the largest apprenticeship employer in the UK with over 23,000 personnel employed on a nationally recognised apprenticeship programme at any one time and over 95% of our non-commissioned military recruits offered an apprenticeship aligned to their trade training. That represents an annual enrolment average of 7.5% of Armed Forces personnel that have started an apprenticeship in the last 3 years. The Armed Forces were ranked 1st (Army), 2nd (Royal Navy) and 5th (RAF) in the Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2025 and offers over 130 apprenticeships across the three Services and the Civil Service and remains committed to adding more apprenticeship standards every year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of staffing levels administering the War Pension Scheme. \p Al Carns: The MOD is currently handling a significant volume of claims. To address this, staffing levels have been evaluated as part of efforts to reduce holdings and improve processing times. Several measures are being implemented, including the recruitment of additional staff for the War Pension Scheme, the introduction of new training programmes and standardised processes, and enhancements to IT systems to optimise and digitise the end to end services we provide to veterans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2025 to Question 66296 on Armed Forces: Conferences, if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) 6 February guidance and (b) previous edition of the guidance. \p Al Carns: The MOD's policy for officials on contact with the media and communicating in public is available on gov.uk and has been in place for at least ten years: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-instruction-contact-with-media-and-public Copies of Defence Information Notices are not placed in the Library.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many full-time equivalent civil servants are working on policy related to nuclear test veterans. \p Al Carns: The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK's security.

Many officials from across the Ministry of Defence are working on policy related to nuclear test veterans. Collating information on the precise number of officials is not possible, as some officials will spend periods of time focused on nuclear test veterans when certain matters arise and will then focus on other areas as and when needed.

The Secretary of State for Defence and I were glad to recently meet with the Right Honourable member and others to provide reassurance that the Department is taking seriously our commitment to Nuclear Test Veterans and that appropriate resource has been dedicated to this matter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to provide an answer to the freedom of information request with reference FOI2025/17106. \p Luke Pollard: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this freedom of information request. A response will be issued shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to review the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. \p Al Carns: The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) is independently reviewed every five years through the Quinquennial Review (QQR) to ensure it remains fit for purpose. The most recent QQR report was published in July 2023, with the previous Government's response issued in March 2024. Implementation of the accepted recommendations is currently underway.

The Independent Medical Expert Group advises Ministers on medical and scientific aspects of the AFCS and related matters and also ensures the AFCS remains current with latest research and changing circumstances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the level of resilience of military infrastructure to extreme weather events. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) develops and delivers an annual programme to apply Climate Impacts Risk Assessment Methodology on a site-by-site basis, to specific locations. This includes the assessment of military infrastructure in respect of extreme weather events.

The MOD has a robust inspection process for buildings and accompanying infrastructure which highlights degradation and helps prioritise funding for upgrades.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help support veterans facing homelessness in each UK nation. \p Al Carns: The Prime Minister has made clear that ensuring veterans and their families can access support, including for housing, is a priority.

In November 2024, he announced an additional £3.5 million to continue the Reducing Veterans Homelessness Programme, which provides vital supported housing services to veterans across the UK. This programme has awarded grants to organisations in all four UK nations. Further information on grant awards can be found here: https://covenantfund.org.uk/reducing-veterans-homelessness-projects-weve-supported/

This funding also provides continuation of Op FORTITUDE, the single referral pathway providing housing support to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness across the UK. To date, Op FORTITUDE has taken over 3,800 referrals and supported over 970 veterans into housing.

We have removed the five-year local connection requirement for veterans to access social housing in England. This is in addition to existing regulations which state veterans must be given 'additional priority' status as long as they have an urgent housing need.

In addition, the Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund has awarded and continues to award grants to organisations across the UK to refurbish, expand or enhance veteran accommodation. This programme will ensure there will be a long-term and sustainable supply of high-quality properties with access to wraparound support for veterans. Further information on the grants awarded under this programme can be found here: https://covenantfund.org.uk/2025/05/14/almost-4-5-million-awarded-to-support-veterans-with-a-housing-need/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 34 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on the successor to the Dreadnought class submarine since 2 June 2025. \p Maria Eagle: This Government is fully committed to the United Kingdom’s independent nuclear deterrent, underpinned by our triple lock commitment to continue to build the four new Dreadnought Class submarines, maintain our continuous at sea deterrent and deliver all the required upgrades, including the replacement warhead.

The Government has accepted all of the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations. We routinely hold discussions on possible future national security and defence capabilities with our industry and international partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 33 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, whether he plans to make any amendments to the Single Source Contract Regulations regarding the delivery of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. \p Maria Eagle: In accordance with recommendation 33b (Nuclear Industry Flexibility - Ensuring it has the flexibility to incentivise industry investment in infrastructure and asset management) of the Strategic Defence Review, the Department will be conducting a review of the Single Source Contracting Regulations (SSCRs).

The review will commence by the end of September 2025 and will conclude within the current financial year in readiness for any necessary legislative changes following ministerial and parliamentary approval.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_22

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what are his Department’s ethical principles for developing and deploying AI. \p Maria Eagle: The SDR recognised the transformative potential of AI and set out MOD's commitment to accelerate the adoption of AI-enabled capabilities across warfighting domains. All development and use of AI across Defence must align with MOD's AI Ethics Principles, published in 2022 in the Ambitious, Safe Responsible policy.

The five principles are: human centricity, responsibility, understanding, bias and harm mitigation, and reliability. Joint Services Publication 936 on Dependable AI defines the governance and assurance processes necessary to apply these principles as part of a proportionate, risk managed approach.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_23

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) role and (b) size is of the Army's General Service Corps. \p Luke Pollard: The General Service Corps (GSC) is an administrative grouping for Service personnel with no other assigned Regiment or Corps, such as those who are recruited directly into limited specialist roles.

As at 28 July 2025, there were c800 Service personnel in the GSC.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the primary language will be in the three-star multi-national command headquarters for the Multinational Force Ukraine. \p Luke Pollard: Over 30 nations are working together to provide support for MNF-U. We will be working using usual protocols for international collaboration. The planned working language is English.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of Weeton Barracks for transitional accommodation on (a) military training operations and (b) the availability of housing for service personnel and their families. \p Luke Pollard: Weeton Barracks has been occupied by 1st Battalion The Lancashire Regiment since 2024. It was not used as transitional accommodation for Afghans. I can reassure the hon. Gentleman that only surplus Service Family Accommodation was allocated as part of the Afghan Relocation Programme.

There has been no impact caused by the Afghan Relocation Programme on military training operations or the availability of housing for Service personnel at Weeton Barracks.

The Afghan Entitled Persons (EPs) are expected to have vacated the Surplus SFA by the end of November 2025. Following the vacation of the Afghan EPs, the properties will be refurbished as required and made available for allocation to Service personnel.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much money attributed to the Single Intelligence Account was included in UK NATO qualifying defence expenditure in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24. \p Luke Pollard: In line with all other NATO members, it is UK Government policy that we do not release individual elements of our NATO return publicly.