Written questions by Rosindell.

What steps his Department is taking to support the cadet forces in (a) the London Borough of Havering, (b) Romford constituency and (c) England.

The Government is convinced of the benefits of cadets, not just for young people who participate, but for society as a whole. Participation in the Cadet Forces has significant positive impacts on young people, increasing their performance at school and improving their employment and career prospects. The Cadet Forces instil values and standards and provide the opportunity for young people to develop key skills including self-discipline, confidence, and resilience which equip them for life. The skills, confidence, and cultural capital that young people gain from being cadets improves their social mobility, and in terms of health and wellbeing alone, participation in the Cadet Forces produces an annual return on investment in the region of £95 million. For all of these reasons, we are committed to sustaining the Cadet Forces across the UK.

Whether stockpiles of NLAW armoury are being replenished.

Yes. In December 2022, a contract was signed for several thousand Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon (NLAW) systems to be delivered to the UK Armed Forces, and deliveries have commenced.

If he will make an estimate of the number of weeks the UK could sustain continuous combat for before exhausting its 155mm shells stock.

Munition stockpile levels are actively reviewed balancing current holdings against threats, availability, industrial capacity and evolving technology. It is not however possible to comment on specific stockpile levels, as this information is operationally sensitive.

How much his Department spent on external recruitment consultants in each of the last 5 years.

Since entering Government, we have taken immediate action to stop all non-essential Ministry of Defence consultancy spending. The information requested specifically on external recruitment consultants is not held centrally.

What steps he is taking to increase recruitment and retention in the Ministry of Defence Police.

Officer recruitment is dependent on a number of factors including operational need and changes in Defence priorities. As a result, our recruitment targets fluctuate throughout the year. Recruitment is kept under constant review and is driven by Defence requirements and takes account of the number of leavers and joiners at any given time. There are currently recruitment and retention issues affecting policing nationally. To counteract this, we target our recruitment campaigns in locations facing the most acute recruitment challenges, and we use a variety of outreach methods to promote opportunities to join the Force, including social media; events; briefings; and our recruitment website.

How many military personnel have (a) been recruited into the Armed Forces and (b) not passed basic training in each of the last 10 years.

The new Government inherited a very challenging recruitment and retention position for all Services, and has made improving recruitment and readiness of our Armed Forces an early priority. The Defence Secretary has already made announcements to improve recruitment and further announcements will be made by the Ministry of Defence in due course. The requested information is provided in the attached spreadsheet.

If he will take steps to streamline the recruitment for military personnel.

The new Government is focused upon improving Armed Forces recruitment, modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract the best possible talent. Recent policies have included a 35% pay increase for new recruits; one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel; scrapping over 100 outdated medical policies; a commitment to create a new military direct-entry cyber pathway; and setting an ambition to make a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days, and a provisional training start date within 30 days. These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Programme which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces.

What steps his Department has taken with the Royal Navy to support the mental health of officers in the Royal Navy.

The Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy (RN) have implemented several specific measures to promote the psychological wellbeing of officers, recognising the unique challenges they face, especially in high-stress operational environments.For those personnel requiring medical intervention, the Defence Medical Services (DMS) provide a responsive, flexible, accessible, and comprehensive treatment service. The DMS is reshaping mental health provision to reduce waiting lists, improve timelines for patient recovery and refocus on earlier intervention. This will provide a single point of access for specialist mental health networks allowing quicker access to initial assessment and earlier allocation to the right treatment pathway.Additionally, the RN provides mental health and stress management training, and continues to explore new initiatives to further enhance mental health support for all of our personnel.

If he will take steps he will take to tackle reductions in hull numbers within the Royal Fleet Auxiliary since 2003.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is an organisation of highly valued, specialist personnel. The Royal Navy, which includes the RFA, continues to ensure it has sufficient assets available to deliver its operational outputs. The Fleet Solid Support Programme will deliver three new solid support ships, entering service with the RFA in the early 2030s.

What percentage of the Armed Forces’ budget was spent on diversity initiatives in 2023.

The cost of the main diversity initiatives undertaken by the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and UK Strategic Command during financial year 202-24 represented an average of 0.007% of their budgets.

How much the average meal costs on a Royal Navy warship; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of fully funding food provision on Royal Navy warships.

Good nutrition is fundamental to military capability and the happiness of our personnel. It is essential for achieving optimum physical and mental performance, and for good health. The Royal Navy (RN) is committed to providing catering based on sound nutritional principles that support the health and performance of its people. The RN covers the cost of accommodation, bills and food when personnel are at sea and subsidises it when they are not. The Daily Messing Rate (DMR), which is used to calculate the level of food supplies aboard a ship, is currently set at £5.67 to cover all three meals. The DMR is set quarterly, and this figure covers the current quarter only (October - December 2024).

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of New Zealand joining the AUKUS partnership.

Our ambition to deliver nuclear-powered submarines for Australia under AUKUS Pillar One will remain trilateral, however AUKUS nations are seeking opportunities to engage key partners and allies on discrete advanced capability projects under AUKUS Pillar Two. Recognising New Zealand’s close bilateral defence partnerships with the AUKUS nations, we have commenced consultations with New Zealand to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities, on a project-by-project basis. We cannot prejudge the outcome of those consultations.

Whether he has met with his New Zealand counterpart.

The Secretary of State has met the Defence Minister for New Zealand, and looks forward to our countries working together on a range of defence and security issues.

How many Type 45 destroyers are (a) operationally available and (b) capable of being deployed simultaneously.

As of 31 October 2024, two Type 45 destroyers were immediately available, or deployed. The normal operating cycle of every ship involves them entering different readiness levels depending on their programmes, periods of refit and Departmental planning requirements. This is carefully managed to ensure the Royal Navy has sufficient assets available to deliver concurrent operational outputs, both in the UK and around the globe, whilst sustaining longer term availability, to meet changing defence demands in an uncertain world. Readiness is a priority for this Government. Options to improve the readiness and availability of the Royal Navy Surface Fleet forms a key part of the ongoing Strategic Defence Review.

What recent steps he has taken to ensure the security of Gibraltar.

The UK Government is committed to safeguarding the security of all our Overseas Territories, including Gibraltar. The Ministry of Defence undertakes regular assessments of the requirements for Defence support to Gibraltar.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the Royal Navy.

The new Government inherited a very challenging retention and recruitment position for all Services including the Royal Navy. Since taking office we have announced a number of new initiatives to improve recruitment including removing or updating over 100 outdated medical policies. We have also announced our intention to reduce the time it takes to join the Royal Navy as part of a new package of measures to improve recruitment. The Royal Navy continues to meet its operational commitments, but tackling recruitment and retention challenges is a top priority. The Royal Navy has implemented a number of measures to improve recruitment and retention including streamlining its recruiting and selection process with the aim of reducing the time candidates spend in the recruitment pipeline. Specific initiatives include an improved medical assessment procedure, an augmented recruitment workforce to increase outreach, additional funding to support an extended marketing campaign and a modernised and streamlined recruitment website.

How many Type 23 frigates are (a) operationally available and (b) capable of being deployed simultaneously.

As of 31 October 2024, six Type 23 frigates were available. The normal operating cycle of every ship involves them entering different readiness levels depending on their programmes, periods of refit and Departmental planning requirements. This is carefully managed to ensure the Royal Navy has sufficient assets available to deliver concurrent operational outputs today, both in the UK and around the globe, whilst ensuring longer term Frigate availability tomorrow to meet changing defence demands in an uncertain world. Readiness is a priority for this Government. Options to improve the readiness and availability of the Royal Navy Surface Fleet forms a key part of the ongoing Strategic Defence Review.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Strategic Defence Review on the ballistic missile defence capabilities of the Royal Navy.

Ballistic missile and aircraft carrier capabilities are important to Defence. The importance of maritime power more broadly has been highlighted by the recent Royal Navy response to protect international shipping - vital to our way of life and economic security - from Houthi missile attacks in the Red Sea. It is only right that we do not pre-determine what may happen in the review. The Strategic Defence Review will set out recommendations on the roles, capabilities, and reforms which UK Defence must have to meet the challenges, threats and opportunities of the twenty-first century.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Strategic Defence Review on the aircraft carrier capabilities of the Royal Navy.

Ballistic missile and aircraft carrier capabilities are important to Defence. The importance of maritime power more broadly has been highlighted by the recent Royal Navy response to protect international shipping - vital to our way of life and economic security - from Houthi missile attacks in the Red Sea. It is only right that we do not pre-determine what may happen in the review. The Strategic Defence Review will set out recommendations on the roles, capabilities, and reforms which UK Defence must have to meet the challenges, threats and opportunities of the twenty-first century.

What steps he is taking to increase domestic defence production capabilities.

This Government recognises the vital role of the defence industry in both keeping our country safe and in providing businesses, jobs, prosperity and tax in all corners of our United Kingdom. Our UK industry partners, of all sizes, are very much at the heart of our One Defence approach and we recognise the value that suppliers bring to the defence enterprise. That is why this Government is committed to bringing forward a Defence Industrial Strategy. The Defence Industrial Strategy will align our national security and economic priorities and will aim to create a better, bigger, more modern, connected, innovative, and resilient defence sector. It will also consider requirements for onshore production capability to ensure the UK has the industrial base needed to meet potential future threats.