Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79413 on Nuclear Installations: Safety, what criteria define each classification of nuclear site event.

Categorisation is based on an independent assessment of the incident against the Nuclear Regulatory guidance of both the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator; the relevant regulations including the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 and any appropriate Relevant Good Practise. Events are reported to Nuclear regulators as required in accordance with standing arrangements.

What the scope is of the combat edge human performance optimisation programme.

The Combat Edge Human Performance Optimisation Programme is a strategic initiative led by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to enhance the effectiveness of the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS). It represents a mindset shift in military aviation and aims to deliver aircrew who are mentally and physically prepared to operate in increasingly complex and contested environments. The programme includes cutting-edge approaches to human performance and cognitive agility, including psychological resilience and human performance enhancements in relation to fitness, nutrition, and sleep. It will maximise the use of technology enhanced learning, such as simulators and synthetics, as well as digital analysis. It draws on best practices from elite sport, academic research, and allied air forces to embed Psychological Skills Training, coaching and mentoring within UKMFTS.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79608 on Military Bases, how many of the projects in the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio are (a) completed and (b) under construction.

17 construction projects within the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio have been completed and a further five projects are currently in construction.

How many veterans have accessed support via Op ASCEND since its launch.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question 83061 on 27 October 2025.

What his planned timetable is for the (a) completion and (b) publication of the Defence Accreditation Review.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to ensuring that the Defence Accreditation Review is conducted thoroughly and effectively to support the development of a robust and future-focused training strategy for Defence. The MOD is currently aiming to complete the Defence Accreditation Review by the middle of 2026. However, it is important to note that the complexity and scale of this task, alongside the need to establish a strong foundation for Defence’s future training and accreditation framework, may necessitate additional time to ensure the review is comprehensive and fit for purpose. The Defence Accreditation Review is an internal review designed to inform policy development; the MOD has no plans to publish it externally. It is being delivered in phases, allowing the MOD to address challenges systematically and engage meaningfully with stakeholders. The MOD is working closely with partners across Defence, Government, and industry to ensure that the review reflects a wide range of perspectives and expertise, and to drive progress in this critical area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79409 on Navy: Patrol Craft, what recent progress has he made in identifying the replacement for Batch 1 OPVs ahead of their out-of-service date.

All decisions on capabilities will be taken in the Defence Investment Plan.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79415 on Air Force, what the scope is of the Chief of the Air Staff's Optimise Directive.

The principal focus of the Optimise Directive is to increase the operational readiness and resilience of the Royal Air Force by targeting effectiveness, driving change and maximising the potential of existing resource.

Pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2025 to Question 79357 on Navy: North Atlantic Ocean, what capability options under Atlantic Bastion have been submitted for consideration in the Defence Investment Plan.

The Atlantic Bastion capability options submitted for consideration in the Defence Investment Plan include a blend of uncrewed systems, underwater payloads, options to increase lethality, and improvements to crewed platforms. These are consistent with the transition to a Hybrid Navy and reflect industry maturity to deliver, as set out in the Strategic Defence Review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79365 on Navy: Military Aircraft, what the scope is of the Royal Navy’s approach to Maritime Aviation Transformation.

Maritime Aviation Transformation is the Royal Navy’s strategy to shift towards a digitally led, crewed-uncrewed operating model that supports the Hybrid Air Wing outlined in the Strategic Defence Review. By 2040, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Strike and Logistics Lift will be delivered by a mix of crewed and uncrewed systems, with autonomous aircraft increasingly deployed in warfighting roles. Investment decisions to support this transformation will be published in the Defence Investment Plan.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79715 on Guided Weapons: Procurement, what conditions must be met in order for FASGW (Light) to progress from initial to full operating capability by December 2025.

In order to move from Initial Operating Capability to Full Operating Capability the full set of User Requirements will need to have been delivered and signed off by the Defence Lines of Development owners. The substantive elements of the programme have been delivered and so this final step is completion of the paperwork. Once this process is complete, a recommendation will be made to the Programme Sponsor that Full Operating Capability is declared.

What nations form the European Carrier Group Initiative.

The European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative comprises the UK, France, Italy and Spain (Carrier Nations), alongside the non-Carrier members of Portugal, Greece, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79390 on Armed Forces, when he plans to publish the review of future workforce requirements.

The Ministry of Defence continues to make progress in enhancing Standing Joint Command (SJC), including a directed increase in resource to meet immediate priorities. Longer term workforce and capability requirements are being considered and, on current plans, will be announced as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 79203 on NATO, what (a) plans and (b) capability targets have been set for the UK armed forces through NATO's Defence Planning Process.

NATO capability targets are designed to ensure Allied have the capabilities they need to strengthen NATO’s collective deterrence and defence. They cover the full spectrum of military capabilities, across all domains, and include personnel, equipment, logistics, and readiness. The specific targets and associated plans are classified secret and are being withheld for reasons of national security and operational effectiveness.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76411 on Ajax Vehicles, if he will publish the findings of the assessment programme for the use of the ARES variant of Ajax for mounted close combat.

I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand that I am withholding the details of the assessment programme findings, as its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

With reference to page 75 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, if he will make an assessment of the lessons learned from the first joint wargame undertaken by his Department with industry.

Wargaming, such as the December 2024 Industry Wargame, helps the Ministry of Defence, industry, and wider society identify and address risks, enhancing operational resilience and ensuring mission continuity in contested environments. The exercise yielded critical insights across multiple areas essential for surging capacity and scaling to full warfighting readiness. Achieving this requires strengthening strategic collaboration with industry and international partners, alongside further developing enablers such as appropriate legislation, financial frameworks, specialist skills development, and digital transformation. Considerable progress is already underway, including work on a Defence Readiness Bill, the formation of a dedicated scenario planning and modelling capability, accelerated digital system upgrades for secure information sharing, and cross-Government efforts to access vital defence skills.

What his planned timetable is for the appointment of the National Armaments Director.

The National Armaments Director (NAD) was appointed on 13 October 2025 and started the role on 14 October 2025. The hon. Gentleman met him on 27 October in the House and I hope he found it useful.

With reference to page 72 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what recent progress he has made in piloting the provision of a high fidelity virtual test range.

As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, our Test and Evaluation Transformation programme is piloting the provision of a high-fidelity virtual test range, focused on the evaluation of UK equipment in the most demanding operational environments. This project will pave the way for the UK Defence enterprise to rapidly test, innovate and integrate systems against the most demanding operational use-cases.Since publication of the Defence Industrial Strategy, the project’s technical approach has been tested through the largest and most ambitious multinational trial ever undertaken on a virtual range of this type. This successfully validated the technical direction of the project and work is underway to establish the facilities needed to expand access to the pilot by the summer of 2026.

How much and what proportion of his Department's expenditure was with small and medium sized enterprises in the latest period for which data is available.

The information is published annually. The most recent data can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-regional-expenditure-statistics-with-industry-202425/mod-regional-expenditure-with-industry-202425#mod-expenditure-with-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises The latest publicly available figures were released in September 2025 and cover the 2024-25 financial year period. 4% (£1.2 billion) of MOD direct expenditure with UK industry was with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in 2024-25.

With reference to page 72 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, how much funding his Department plans to provide for more mobile test technologies.

As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, investing in mobile test technologies has the potential to accelerate innovation, particularly amongst smaller companies for whom geographically remote and highly capable test ranges may be prohibitively expensive. The same technology will also help Defence undertake more testing in the field, under operationally representative conditions, contributing towards the industrial, innovation and warfighting readiness ambitions in the Strategic Defence Review. Mobile testing is one aspect of the Department’s Test and Evaluation Transformation programme, which is forecast to spend over £1 million on mobile test technologies this year. The scale of future funding is dependent on the outcome of the Defence Investment Plan.

When he plans to publish the Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan.

The Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan will be published later this year alongside the Defence Investment Plan. It will set out our plans to deliver relevant recommendations in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review.