Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

What the planned out of service date is of all Royal Navy ships.

The Royal Navy constantly reviews out of service dates to achieve maximum availability of its platforms for operational tasking. For operational security reasons, the Royal Navy does not release the out of service dates of individual platforms. Class of Ship Out of Service Date Queen Elizabeth Class2069Albion Class2025Daring Class2038Duke Class2035Wave Class2025Tide Class2040Bay Class2034Fort Class2028Hunt Class2031Sandown Class2025River Class2028 (Batch 1 Offshore Patrol Vessel) 2040 (Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessel)

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of contracting a single advertising agency to deliver all Armed Forces recruitment advertising.

The Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) contract has recently been awarded to Serco, with a contract commencement date of 1 April 2025. The Recruiting Service will transition to a full-service implementation by October 2027, replacing the separate schemes operated by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force. Serco will collaborate with HQ Armed Forces Recruiting to deliver focused tri-Service marketing campaigns using an omni-channel, digital and social first approach. Partnering with TMP Worldwide, a leader in innovative and strategic marketing solutions, Serco aims to attract proactive candidates and engage those not initially considering Defence as a potential opportunity, expanding and diversifying the applicant pool. The use of TMP Worldwide as the sole marketing agency aims to boost efficiency and coherence whilst building an in-house team with deep Armed Forces marketing expertise. Subcontracting to top-tier agencies remains an option to access specialised skills as needed.

What fpv drones have been procured by his Department since 5 July 2024.

Uncrewed systems are changing the character of warfare at pace, and this Government is adapting our approaches to acquisition, regulation and operation. In support of the conflict in Ukraine the Ministry of Defence has procured over 30,000 First Person View Drones spending circa £35 million and utilised the lessons to inform the Department's approach to FPV Drone capabilities.

What steps he is taking to tackle fake veterans’ charities set up as Community Interest Companies.

Charities are independent from Government and are regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland depending on location. Community Interest Companies are regulated by the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies. Specific services provided by charities are subject to other regulators as appropriate, such as the Care Quality Commission or the Fundraising Regulator.The Office for Veterans’ Affairs works closely with many Armed Forces charities and organisations who play a vital part of the wider support system for veterans, and I am also actively exploring ways of simplifying and cohering access to Government support, working in partnership with the charity sector.We advise anyone who wishes to support our veterans through charitable donations, to check the legitimacy of organisations and charities claiming to raise money for veterans. We are grateful for the generosity of the public and urge supporters to seek out official Service charities.Any Community Interest Company must adhere to a Code of Practice and is regulated by the Fundraising Regulator.

Which company is contracted to deliver recruitment advertising for the Army.

Capita is currently contracted to deliver recruitment advertising on behalf of the British Army, until the new tri-service Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) launches in 2027. The approved budget for the Army’s recruitment advertising in 2025-26 is c.£18,000,000.

How much his Department has spent on fpv drone (a) development and (b) procurement since 5 July 2024.

Uncrewed systems are changing the character of warfare at pace, and this Government is adapting our approaches to acquisition, regulation and operation. In support of the conflict in Ukraine the Ministry of Defence has procured over 30,000 First Person View Drones spending circa £35 million and utilised the lessons to inform the Department's approach to FPV Drone capabilities.

What plans his Department has to procure fpv drones.

Uncrewed systems are changing the character of warfare at pace, and this Government is adapting our approaches to acquisition, regulation and operation. In support of the conflict in Ukraine the Ministry of Defence has procured over 30,000 First Person View Drones spending circa £35 million and utilised the lessons to inform the Department's approach to FPV Drone capabilities.

What steps he is taking to amend the requirement service personnel spouses to request permission at each posting to run a business from Service Family Accommodation.

A review of the policy and process around occupants operating a business from their Service Family Accommodation, is ongoing. There is currently a pause in progressing new applications to run a business from home until the review is completed. It is anticipated that an update will be provided to families by the end of May 2025. Whilst the review remains underway, there is no intent to amend the requirement to request permission at each posting and therefore that requirement will remain.

What change there has been in the cost of hearing loss compensation claims since the implementation of the Tactical Hearing Protection System in each financial year.

The implementation of the Tactical Hearing Protection System programme took place between April 2015 and September 2016. The supporting table below shows the total number of initial injury/illness claims cleared under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2024 with a condition awarded for hearing loss by financial year, and the corresponding payment amounts. The Ministry of Defence publishes annual statistics for the AFCS on the GOV.UK website. The latest publication was on 18 July 2024 using data extracted from the Compensation and Pension System (CAPS) as at 31 March 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/armed-forces-compensation-scheme-statistics-indexTable 1: Total initial injury/illness claims cleared under the AFCS with a condition awarded for hearing loss by financial year1, numbers and £2,31 April 2013 - 31 March 2024Financial Year2013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Total Awarded438301292186158102715460119117Lump Sum Amounts£3,293,900£2,026,000£2,102,900£1,378,000£1,130,900£835,300£707,300£362,700£380,800£763,900£752,600Guaranteed Income Payments£2,233,800£906,900£773,300£768,600£391,300£269,300£422,900£58,600£0£17,100£7,300Source: Compensation and Pension System (CAPS), Veterans UK Finance TeamBy financial year which the initial claim was cleared. If a claim had subsequent activity (a reconsideration, appeal and/or review) which led to an increase in awarded tariff, the claim is presented in the financial year the initial claim was cleared.Expenditure amounts awarded have been rounded to the nearest hundred. Includes accrued expenditure for claims awarded but were still to be processed and paid.Multiple injuries/illnesses can be awarded under one claim. Lump sum compensation: only the lump sum amount awarded under the Senses tariff of injury table within the claim for a hearing loss related tariff. Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP): total GIP amount paid, to date, for the whole awarded claim if hearing loss was the highest awarded condition; this is due to the methodology behind GIP calculations.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of US tariffs on defence procurement from US providers.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 April 2025 to Question 43981 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge).

What steps he is taking to help reduce the impact of posting on the SEN provision for the children of service personnel.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the impact of mobile Service life on the families of our Service personnel, including in regard to supporting Service children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and have taken a number of steps to mitigate this. Over the last three years, the MOD’s Service Pupil Support Programme, administered by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, has distributed over £970,000 in funding to schools and local authorities for SEND support related projects. In February 2025 the MOD published an advisory note to Local Authority SEND teams and SEND professionals to assist in their delivery against statutory Armed Forces Covenant duties, specifically with regard to SEND services and provision. The MOD has also funded research conducted by Oxford Brookes University which focuses on how Service life affects the educational opportunities, experiences and outcomes of children with SEND, focusing on what helps these children thrive. The MOD is currently working with administrations in England, Scotland and Wales to establish resources that support the delivery of positive transition experiences for Service children between UK education systems. We aim to reduce the particular risks associated with Armed Forces’ mobility between the different SEND related systems across the devolved administrations. In conjunction with colleagues in the Department for Education we have produced guidance for local authorities to clarify arrangements to maintain Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans when children accompany their parents on temporary assignments outside of England. This guidance explained the legal flexibilities available to local authorities and what they should consider in determining the appropriateness of maintaining EHC plans in such circumstances.

What the (a) existing and (b) projected cost of outsourced fast-hey pilot training from other nations is.

The cost detail for outsourced fast jet pilot training is being withheld to protect commercial confidentiality. Outsourcing services are negotiated Government to Government via Memorandums of Understanding and Technical Arrangements and therefore it would be inappropriate to disclose specific cost detail.

Whether his Department has budgeted for ordering a second tranche of F-35 jets.

The Integrated Review Defence Command Paper 2021 set the Departmental budget for the F-35 Lightning Programme. This remains the programme of record.

What assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of the Tactical Hearing Protection System in reducing hearing loss amongst service personnel.

As part of the procurement process for Tactical Hearing Protection System (THPS) the Defence Equioment and Support Delivery Team conducted independent testing to confirm the Original Equipment Manufacturer noise attenuation data. This information forms part of the THPS Safety and Environmental Safety Case Report, which is reviewed every three years.

What the planned out-of-service date is for Hawk T2.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question 41211 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) on 28 March 2025.

What recent progress he has made on Project Grayburn.

The British Army’s projected Out of Service Date for the L85A3 (SA80A3) variant of the L85 rifle family is currently 2030. The replacement for the L85 rifle will be procured under Project GRAYBURN, which is currently in the concept phase with the aim of identifying and understanding the capability requirements. As part of this phase, various rifle calibres are being considered. Performance, interoperability and complexity are some of the factors under consideration. The Army will take measures to mitigate any risk of potential capability vulnerabilities. Recent Project GRAYBURN progress includes discussions with manufacturers and industry experts to analyse the influence of the Land Industrial Strategy and UK manufacturing on the project. Due to the current phase of the project, we are unable to provide a formal cost estimation yet. This will be established once the scope, timeline and complexity of the project is confirmed but may be subject to commercial sensitivities.

What assessment he has made of the feasibility of procuring AERALIS as (a) the UK’s new fast-jet trainer, (b) as a light combat aircraft and (c) as an acrobatic display jet.

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. There are several market options available that may be considered.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 42680 on RAF Molesworth: US Air Force, from which budget the cost of the European Infrastructure Consolidation construction works at RAF Molesworth will come.

All United States Visiting Forces projects are funded using the Ministry of Defence (MOD) budget, with all construction and maintenance work subsequently recharged to the United States Visiting Forces. They also provide a contribution of 7.5% of actual construction costs towards MOD expenses.

What comparative assessment he has made of the capabilities of the (a) enhanced Leonardo M-346 T Block 20 trainer and F-model light combat aircraft, (b) the Hawk T2 and (c) other commercially available options.

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. There are several market options available that may be considered.

Which nations are members of the artillery capability coalition alongside the UK.

The artillery capability coalition is co-led by France, the United States and Ukraine, with the UK leading the weapon system sub-group. Over 20 nations are members of this coalition; the full list of membership is owned by the coalitions’ co-lead nations. The artillery capability coalition delivers immediate support to Ukraine and also has a long-term plan to support Ukraine’s ambitions for a NATO-interoperable future force. Since the beginning of the conflict, the UK has delivered over 500,000 rounds of artillery ammunition worth over £1.5 billion to Ukraine.