Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Under the Lunna House Agreement what deeper industrial collaboration between the UK and Norway does he plan to achieve.

Under the Lunna House Agreement, our vision for the combined T26 fleet is to be as integrated and interoperable as possible, which opens opportunity for UK and Norway industrial cooperation to spirally develop the vessels and deliver the in-service support of the fleet.Additionally, the Agreement highlights an initial tranche of common strategic programmes which draw upon our respective defence industries, including Naval Strike Missile, Sting Ray torpedoes, and Standardised Vessels. Further opportunities will be determined on a project by project basis. Based on these projects we will work together to support our industries to gain market access and promote mutually beneficial export prospects.Finally, we will increase the number of personnel exchanges and embedded officers, which will help identify further opportunities for capability development and associated industrial activity across both nations.

By when does he expect the results of the a) army inquiry and b) safety investigation into the Ajax programme.

We will always put the safety of our personnel first; therefore, it is appropriate that the investigations are given adequate time to allow the underlying issues to be identified. I will provide a written update to the House before the end of term.

How many submarines are due to be dismantled under the Submarine Dismantling Programme.

I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s interest in this area. There is currently one decommissioned submarine undergoing dismantling at Rosyth Dockyard (HMS Swiftsure). A further 22 decommissioned submarines are awaiting disposal: six are at Rosyth Dockyard, all defueled, and 16 at Devonport Dockyard, of which four are defueled and 12 are awaiting defueling.

What is the status of all Royal Navy frigates under construction and when is the first due to come into service.

As of December 2025, the Royal Navy has five of eight Type 26 City-class frigates and three of five Type 31 Inspiration-class frigates under construction at BAES and Babcock shipyards. The first Type 26, HMS Glasgow, is expected to enter service in the late 2020s, while the first Type 31, HMS Venturer, is planned to enter service by the end of the decade.

How many service personnel have failed hearing assessments after operating as vehicle crew within (a) roles and( b) units equipped with an (i) Ajax and (ii) Ajax-platform vehicle.

It will take time to collate and review the information needed to answer the hon. Member's question. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Following the decommissioning of HMS Lancaster, how many frigates are (a) in service and (b) undergoing maintenance with the Royal Navy.

Following the decommissioning of HMS Lancaster, the Royal Navy will have seven frigates in service, one frigate (HMS KENT) is currently undergoing planned deep maintenance. New Type 26 and Type 31 frigates are in build in Scotland currently.

Following the selection of the Leonardo AW149 as the British Army New Medium Helicopter, a) how many platforms will be purchased, in b) how many tranches and c) over what delivery timeline.

A formal decision on the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) competition has not yet been made. The second stage of the NMH competition commenced on 27 February 2024 with the release of the Invitation to Negotiate to Airbus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK.Only Leonardo Helicopters UK elected to submit a tender which has been evaluated but since the competitive procurement process is still active, commercially sensitive information, including aircraft numbers, delivery timeline and value, cannot be confirmed.Officials continue to consider the NMH business case as part of the Government’s approval process, with a decision to be made as part of the upcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Following the selection of the Leonardo AW149 as the British Army New Medium Helicopter, what is the total value and size of the contract.

A formal decision on the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) competition has not yet been made. The second stage of the NMH competition commenced on 27 February 2024 with the release of the Invitation to Negotiate to Airbus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK.Only Leonardo Helicopters UK elected to submit a tender which has been evaluated but since the competitive procurement process is still active, commercially sensitive information, including aircraft numbers, delivery timeline and value, cannot be confirmed.Officials continue to consider the NMH business case as part of the Government’s approval process, with a decision to be made as part of the upcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Under the Lunna House Agreement, by when will the Royal Navy adopt advanced Norwegian naval strike missiles and what existing capability will they replace.

The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a Norwegian anti-ship and land attack missile, which has been acquired for the Royal Navy’s escort force. It replaces the Harpoon anti-ship missile, which went out of service in December 2023. The NSM is 20 years newer, has greater range, and is far more capable than the system it replaces.The Royal Navy completed its first successful launch of an NSM missile from HMS SOMERSET in Norway in September 2025 at Exercise AEGIR. Test firings are now complete and the NSM is expected to enter service later this year.

What the timeline is for the Warrior disposal plan up to its out of service date in 2027.

As of 8 December 2025, there are 388 Warrior vehicles in service in the active fleet and those yet to start the disposal process: VariantTotalFV510191FV51159FV51270FV51332FV51436FV5150Total388 The Out of Service date for Warrior is 2027 with all vehicles to be withdrawn from service by the end of the decade. Any vehicles that remain beyond this will be classed as surplus to requirements. The Ministry of Defence does not provide a breakdown of equipment by unit or sub-unit for reasons of operational security.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 94926 on Ajax Vehicles: Health and Safety, if he will set out the criteria that will allow the pause to be lifted.

Investigations by the Defence Accident Investigation Branch supported by the Army Safety Investigation Team and General Dynamics are ongoing. Further detail will be available once the investigation has concluded. Any decisions on the pause will be made by Ministers.

How many of each Warrior variant are still in service; and with which sub-units.

As of 8 December 2025, there are 388 Warrior vehicles in service in the active fleet and those yet to start the disposal process: VariantTotalFV510191FV51159FV51270FV51332FV51436FV5150Total388 The Out of Service date for Warrior is 2027 with all vehicles to be withdrawn from service by the end of the decade. Any vehicles that remain beyond this will be classed as surplus to requirements. The Ministry of Defence does not provide a breakdown of equipment by unit or sub-unit for reasons of operational security.

With reference to his comment given to British Forces Broadcasting Service following reporting of medical discharges relating to operating in Ajax vehicles that Medical discharges are not attributed to individual vehicles or pieces of equipment, what assessment has he made of the correlation between medical discharges and use of Ajax.

As a former member of the Armed Forces the hon. Member will know that the nature of military service exposes Service personnel to a wide range of hazards. For example, noise from weapons systems, Armoured Fighting Vehicles and helicopters over a full career often make a ‘condition’ attributable to service in general, rather than a specific cause or event. It is therefore inherently difficult to make direct linkages or define what is reasonably attributable to Ajax, or any other specific contributing factor, and medical discharge. We are currently undertaking reviews into the medical injuries sustained by Ajax crews and more details on the findings will be published in due course.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 94926 on Ajax Vehicles: Health and Safety, whether vehicles within the Ajax programme will be available for use prior to the a) conclusion and b) implementation of recommendations of that review.

On 22 November, during a routine training exercise, around 30 soldiers operating in Ajax reported being affected by noise and vibration exposure. As a result, I directed the Army to pause all use of Ajax for training and exercising, while a safety investigation is carried out into the events. Those investigations are ongoing and I will update the House at an appropriate point. I am putting in place a Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme, which will assess how effective the Department has been at implementing the actions of previous reviews, and seeking anything further that is required regarding safety. It will be conducted by experts who are not part of the AJAX programme, including Malcolm Chalmers, to provide a more independent view. It will be overseen by me and report to the Defence Secretary. It will be conducted at pace, but it will not be rushed. We will have the Terms of Reference before Christmas.

Pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to question 94541 on Ministry of Defence: Asbestos, what the cost was of the 119 awards for mesothelioma.

To provide the cost of the 119 War Pension Scheme awards for mesothelioma or any asbestos-related condition made 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 would require a manual review of each case to determine the exact money paid and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.As reported in the War Pensions Scheme Accredited Official Statistic, 96 lump sum awards for mesothelioma were paid out in the 2024-25 financial year at a cost of £13.2 million.The latest WPS Annual Statistics can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/war-pensions-scheme-statistics-2025As there is a delay between a mesothelioma claim being awarded and being paid, those paid out in 2024-25 could have been awarded in either 2023-24 or 2024-25.Since 16 December 2015, veterans diagnosed with service-attributable mesothelioma have had the choice between a one-off, tax-free lump sum of £140,000 or regular, smaller payments in the form of an ongoing disablement pension. Disablement pensioners already in receipt of an ongoing pension on 16 December 2015 were entitled to receive a lump sum payment of £140,000 less any monies already received. Lump sum payments have been made since 11 April 2016. Further details on the policy change can be found on GOV.UK website.

On what date did Project Matcha (a) start and (b) end.

The then Secretary of State for Defence granted approval for Project MATCHA in May 2021. The final programme activity occurred through a Closure Board in November 2024.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 94926 on Ajax Vehicles: Health and Safety, when the review into the Ajax programme will a) start and b) conclude.

On 22 November, during a routine training exercise, around 30 soldiers operating in Ajax reported being affected by noise and vibration exposure. As a result, I directed the Army to pause all use of Ajax for training and exercising, while a safety investigation is carried out into the events. Those investigations are ongoing and I will update the House at an appropriate point. I am putting in place a Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme, which will assess how effective the Department has been at implementing the actions of previous reviews, and seeking anything further that is required regarding safety. It will be conducted by experts who are not part of the AJAX programme, including Malcolm Chalmers, to provide a more independent view. It will be overseen by me and report to the Defence Secretary. It will be conducted at pace, but it will not be rushed. We will have the Terms of Reference before Christmas.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2025 to Question 93242 on Military Alliances: Space, what is included under the banner of space services.

The space services to which the UK assures access to include the following: (1) Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, (2) Position, navigation and timing, (3) Satellite communications, (4) Missile warning and tracking and (5) Environmental monitoring.Maintaining assured access to these services is crucial as they provide critical support to the UK's joint force, thus enabling and enhancing the UK's military effectiveness.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 93240 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement, what was the a) start and b) finish date of Project RARDEN.

Project RARDEN is a legacy project that introduced the Rarden cannon into service in the 1970s. On current planning, the Rarden cannon will be removed from service December 2027.

Pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025 to question 93243 on Defence: Procurement, for what reason was Project Magenta cancelled.

A routine programme review found Project Magenta was no longer viable in terms of cost or time. The review led to an alternate solution that was not available at the time of project approval.