Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 79538 on NHS: Defence Medical Services, when was the process of digitally extracting redacted patient notes from general practice surgeries introduced.

The British Army introduced the use of the Intelligent General Practice Supporting (iGPR) software for the secure and efficient processing of sensitive medical reports in January 2025 following an initial pilot. The Royal Navy adopted Medi2data to digitally access candidate medical reports from 9 April 2025, noting the wider benefits of using this service. The Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) will provide a streamlined, single-entry point for prospective recruits. The service will launch in 2027, replacing the individual schemes run by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force. The Defence Medical Services is engaged in this work.

What progress he has made on establishing the Office for Small Business Growth.

Planning for the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth continues.  The support that will be offered by the Office has been developed following wide ranging consultation with a variety of stakeholders, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), prime contractors, trade associations, mid-tier suppliers, Regional Defence and Security Clusters, and academia. The Office for Small Business Growth will be established by the end of January 2026 on a limited basis and develop its offering throughout 2026.

What his Department's contribution is to Exercise PEGASUS.

Defence fully participated in Exercise PEGASUS, a tier one national exercise designed to simulate a realistic pandemic scenario. A Defence team was fully integrated with DHSC and UKHSA to plan and design Defence's contribution to the exercise.For each of the three full-play 'anchor' exercise days that ran between September and October 2025, a Departmental Operations Centre was stood up. This included a mix of civilian and military experts to simulate a fully informed response to a pandemic. Defence Ministers also participated in simulated Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) meetings.Defence teams are now involved in the evaluation process, identifying any lessons learned from the exercise. Defence will take action on these lessons and will incorporate them into our existing pandemic management plan.

What assessment he has made of his Department’s capability during Exercise PEGASUS.

Defence fully participated in Exercise PEGASUS, a tier one national exercise designed to simulate a realistic pandemic scenario. A Defence team was fully integrated with DHSC and UKHSA to plan and design Defence's contribution to the exercise.For each of the three full-play 'anchor' exercise days that ran between September and October 2025, a Departmental Operations Centre was stood up. This included a mix of civilian and military experts to simulate a fully informed response to a pandemic. Defence Ministers also participated in simulated Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) meetings.Defence teams are now involved in the evaluation process, identifying any lessons learned from the exercise. Defence will take action on these lessons and will incorporate them into our existing pandemic management plan.

Which Royal Air Force sub-unit has been deployed to Belgium in a counter-unmanned aerial systems role.

The RAF Regiment's No2 Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (CUAS) Wing has been deployed to Belgium.

What assessment he has made of the feasibility of including directed energy weapons in the specification for the Global Combat Air Programme.

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), has considered a wide range of existing and future weapon capabilities to meet the evolving threat.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October to Question 83151 on Warrior Vehicles, what the disposal timeline is of each Warrior variant.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 June to Question 55779, which remains extant and applies to all variants of Warrior vehicles: As at 1 June 2025, there are 359 Warrior vehicles in service. As the Out of Service date for Warrior is 2027, with all vehicles withdrawn from service by the end of the decade, any that remain held by the Department beyond this will be classed as surplus to requirements. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-05-30/55779

What the full scope is of Project Beehive.

Project BEEHIVE is a joint endeavour between the Royal Navy (RN) and UK Defence Innovation to deliver 20 uncrewed surface vessels to the Surface Flotilla and Commando Force. This initiative will not only deliver a vital Maritime Remote and Autonomous Systems (MRAAS) capability for Coastal Forces and Commando Force, but also serve as an accelerator and proving ground for the RN’s future Hybrid Navy. By enabling rapid adoption and operational testing of cutting-edge technologies, Project Beehive will drive innovation, de-risk future acquisition, and ensure the RN remains ready to meet evolving threats.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October to Question 79450 on Guided Weapons, which project the £1billion investment to enhance our homeland air and missile defence falls under.

The £1 billion investment in Integrated Air and Missile Defence follows the Strategic Defence Review's recommendation and respond to the threat the UK faces in the Air domain. There is no project name for this investment. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be prioritised appropriately against the threat as part of the future Integrated Force and set out in the Defence Investment Plan to be published this year.

By when he expects Phase 2 of Project REPLICATOR 2 to be completed.

The final report for the current phase is due in May 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October to Question 79482 on Defence: Intelligence Services, whether the Defence Counterintelligence Unit was delivered by the November 2025 timeline outlined in the Strategic Defence Review.

The Defence Counterintelligence Unit (DCIU) was endorsed at the Military Strategic Headquarters Board earlier in November 2025, in line with the timeline outlined in the Strategic Defence Review. This unit will build on the work of existing capabilities in Defence with further work required to reach full operating capability. We expect to announce further progress on the intelligence recommendations from the Strategic Defence Review, including the DCIU, by the end of the year.

What progress he has made on delivering the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability programme.

An Outline Business Case covering the Construction Test and Evaluation phase for the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability programme (DARC) was submitted to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Investments Approval Committee this summer. It is now being considered alongside other investments as part of the Government's ongoing Defence Investment Plan (DIP). The MOD has already begun a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed redevelopment of Cawdor Barracks for the DARC site. This includes a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment to ensure that DARC has a minimal impact on the local skyline.The EIA is part of a Town Planning application that will be submitted to the local planning authority in due course.

Who the eight companies participating in Phase 2 of Project REPLICATOR 2 are.

From an initial 196 bidders, six suppliers have been down-selected for physical trials. The name of these companies cannot yet be disclosed publicly.

What role the Office for Defence Exports played in the recent deal for Turkey to purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoons.

A cross-Government team worked on successfully delivering Typhoon to Turkey. The Defence Export Office provided expert advice and support during this process.

What progress he has made on delivering the Shadow MK2 upgrade programme.

I can confirm that the Shadow Mk2 upgrade programme has been cancelled as it is late and has failed to deliver the capability that our Armed Forces need. It is also facing unacceptable cost escalation and delays.This decision will allow us to focus on investing in other defence priorities and the Shadow Mk1.We won't shy away from making difficult decisions that arise in the best interests of our Armed Forces and the taxpayer.

What discussions he has had with cabinet colleagues on the UK’s position in the event of military action by the United States against Venezuela.

The Defence Secretary engages with Cabinet colleagues on a range of foreign policy issues. The US is the UK’s principal defence and security partner and the depth of our defence relationship with the US remains an essential pillar of our security.

Who the members are of the Defence Investors’ Advisory Group.

The Defence Investors Advisory Group is co-chaired by Kerry Baldwin and Sharon White (Baroness White of Tufnell Park) and brings together venture growth, private equity, lending and financial expertise to inform the development and delivery of the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS), to be developed by early 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 October to Question 83064 on Unmanned Air Systems: Training, how many base level FPV operators were trained via Project DRONE ACADEMY.

Project DRONE ACADEMY was a time limited innovation project that ran for 12 months from May 2024 to April 2025. The 120 operators were trained from a variety of units across Army, Navy and Air Force. At the end of the trial, all lessons and equipment from the project were transferred to the Army’s Combat Manoeuvre Centre (CMC) to inform their ongoing FPV drone flying training offering.

What criteria he plans to use to declare Full Operating Capability for the F-35 fleet.

I am withholding the specific criteria for achieving Full Operating Capability as it would harm the security and capability of the Armed Forces. The declaration of Full Operating Capability remains on track. The decision will be based on objective criteria and the subjective assessment of the Senior Responsible Owner, following detailed and rigorous analysis, which will be captured in the Full Operating Capability acceptance case report.

With reference to paragraph 5 of the Committee of Public Accounts report entitled The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability, HC1232, what steps he has taken to help tackle increases in the F-35 stealth fighter capacity programme’s whole-life costs.

This will be achieved through routine Departmental financial management throughout the life of the F-35 fleet to the out-of-service date.