Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

With reference to page 105 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, updated on 8 July 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of littoral strike by the Royal Navy on NATO regional plans.

The Royal Navy's Littoral Strike capabilities are aligned with NATO's strategic objectives. These capabilities enhance the UK's ability to contribute to NATO operations, particularly in contested and strategically significant regions, and they support the Alliance's goals of deterrence, crisis response, and operational readiness. The UK operates Littoral Response Groups (LRGs), which are part of the Littoral Strike concept, as forward-deployed amphibious forces capable of operating independently or as part of a larger joint force. These groups are designed to deliver defence engagement, maritime security operations, and hybrid warfare operations, as well as to support NATO operations including regional plans, which are routinely reviewed by the NATO Joint Force Command.

With reference to page 101 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what progress he has made on establishing a nuclear fuels programme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 September 2025 to Question 74105.

With reference to page 120 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on educating personnel on the risk of cyber-attack via Defence Digital.

The Strategic Defence Review 2025 recognised the importance of educating personnel on how they can protect the Department from cyber-attack. Since 2020 the Ministry of Defence has implemented a blended approach to this challenge, including formal training, supported with a thematic awareness campaign designed to develop and embed good cyber security behaviours across the entire workforce.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact for the RAF's F-35B fleet of the reasons for the crash of a USAF F-35A on 28 January 2025.

The RAF has a comprehensive Air Safety Management System, which includes learning from aircraft accident and incidents. As a F-35 Partner Nation, the UK works with the F-35 Joint Program Office to continuously improve F-35 operational effectiveness and safety.

If he will set out the remaining (a) scope and (b) cost to completion for the MENSA programme.

The MENSA programme continues to make progress and is nearing the end of its construction and commissioning stage. As set out in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, the latest cost estimate to deliver the programme is £2.9 billion.

With reference to page 135 of his Department's document entitled Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 2 June 2025, what progress he has made in increasing renewable energy production on overseas bases.

The priority for Defence is to maintain resilience to enable our warfighting capability both in the UK and Overseas. Assessments into energy resilience of our overseas bases have been undertaken and where it has been identified that renewables, fuel diversification or energy storage will enhance our operational resilience, then these projects have been raised onto the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) for consideration of funding. That plan is still under consideration.

What recent progress he has made on implementing the Submarine Waterfront Infrastructure Future project.

The Submarine Waterfront Infrastructure Future (SWIF) programme will provide facilities to locations such as Devenport that include a new non-tidal maintenance berth in 5 Basin, a refurbished 10 Dock, and supporting buildings and services. Significant planning has been undertaken in preparation for build, including working with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and de-risking the site for construction. The construction phase of the berth has commenced, with the excavation of more than 18,000 cubic metres of material, which will form the 280-metre-long tunnel that will carry electrical, water, communications and air services vital to the nuclear safety and maintenance of berthed submarines. The berth wall will be formed from a series of precast concrete reinforced sections secured by rock anchor to provide the required stability; as a precursor to this work four trial anchors are currently under construction. Progress against 10 dock refurbishment includes trial build activity and the fabrication of a dockyard concrete batching plant, which will support the pace required during main dock construction. Significant volumes of concrete were also poured in the Spring this year, the biggest single pour in 20 years at the dockyard, to form the base of the caisson which seals the dock. The next phase of caisson construction activity is due to commence in the coming days.

With reference to page 110 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Army’s contribution to the (a) planning, (b) preparation and (c) delivery of defence support to domestic resilience if it were mobilised for war.

The Army, Royal Navy and RAF all continuously contribute to national resilience and would do so in a time of war. At present personnel are held at very high readiness to respond to domestic crises, and have formed the backbone of domestic resilience efforts over the past several years, including during Covid. The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and National Security Strategy highlighted the importance of domestic resilience in a time a crisis. Working closely with the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme, we are developing plans and policies in a range of Home Defence related areas, taking the spirit and recommendations of the SDR and applying that to the whole range of policy areas that flow from it, including support to domestic resilience planning and preparation.

When the Protector programme will receive approval for a review note.

A revised Review Note will be submitted to re-baseline the Protector RG Mk1 programme once the Defence Investment Plan has been released and the impact is understood.

With reference to page 113 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, how arrangements for fast jet training are inadequate.

The Strategic Defence Review 2025 identified inadequacies in fast jet training arrangements, primarily due to the underperformance of the Hawk T2 aircraft, necessitating the initiation of a replacement programme. This issue, combined with the increased demand for fast jet pilot training following the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, has placed strain on existing training capacity. During this transitional period, the shortfall has been mitigated through outsourcing agreements with allies and partners, utilising their military fast jet training programmes worldwide.

With reference to page 127 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of restoring staffing levels in Defence Intelligence to 2019 levels.

The Ministry of Defence keeps all areas of its capability under review to ensure we are ready to meet the threat posed by adversaries and to protect the UK, but we do not comment in detail on aspects of Defence capability that could be useful to adversaries.

With reference to page 130 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what progress has he made in ensuring the national health ecosystem has the (a) capacity and (b) capability to meet the needs of service personnel.

There is a strong foundation of cross-Government working between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Department of Health and Social Care, including activities focused on understanding system-wide capacity and capability, potential future need and shared plans for delivery. The MOD is also exploring options for an independent review board to assure national health ecosystem—Defence, the NHS, and the private sector— readiness to meet Defence medical needs.

With reference to recommendation 48 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on revising the flying training arrangements for fast jets.

The RAF continues to implement incremental improvements as part of the continuous review of flying training. These include delivering additional synthetic training devices to RAF Valley and implementing the Combat Edge human performance optimisation programme, both designed to improve pass rates and enhance trainee resilience. Decisions on capabilities will be made in the Defence Investment Plan.

With reference to page 130 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what planning he has undertaken for the deployment of reserves in defence-related medical care.

As outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises a significant proportion of Reserves work in the NHS. The deployment of Reserves in Defence medical care requires careful planning given the impact on NHS staffing. There is a strong foundation of cross-Government working between the MOD and the Department of Health and Social Care, including on planning to meet Defence medical needs and other strategic health emergencies. Work is also ongoing to understand system-wide capacity and capability, potential future need and shared plans for delivery.

With reference to page 130 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what the Defence Medical Services pressures are that have been caused by workforce shortages.

As outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, the workforce shortages and the fragility of global supply chains are pressures for Defence Medical Services and the NHS. Work is ongoing between the MOD and NHS to understand system-wide capacity and capability, potential future need and shared plans for delivery to meet Defence medical needs.

With reference to recommendation 57 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, updated 8 July 2025, what progress he has made in establishing an independent review board.

The Ministry of Defence is exploring options for an independent review board to assure national health ecosystem—Defence, the NHS, and the private sector— readiness to meet the demands of warfighting and other strategic health emergencies involving Defence Medical Services.

If he will list the components that comprise 37% of each Typhoon aircraft assembled in the UK.

For all Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, and in line with agreed workshare arrangements, the UK leads on manufacturing the front and rear fuselage, windscreen and canopy, fin and rudder, engine bay doors, and foreplane comprising 37% of each Typhoon aircraft.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Senior Responsible Officer delivery confidence assessment commentary on the timing of the in-water phase for Astute Boat 6.

HMS Agamemnon has been undertaking her in-water testing and commissioning phase at BAE Systems’ Shipyard in Barrow since October 2024. We continue to work closely with industry to deliver HMS Agamemnon by the end of 2026.

What mine counter measures vessels will be in scope to be replaced by maritime autonomous systems under the Mine Hunting Capability programme.

All existing HUNT and SANDOWN-class Mine Countermeasures Vessels are planned for retirement within the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme, as part of the transition to advanced autonomous systems. For operational security reasons, the Royal Navy does not release the out of service dates of individual platforms.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

The Government is committed to a successful shipbuilding and maritime technology sector. In 2024 alone, the sector contributed £3.5 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy and employed approximately 50,000 people, with a median annual wage of £42,785—well above the national average of £37,430. In addition, the recent announcement of the UK’s biggest ever warship export deal with Norway worth £10 billion will support over 4,000 UK jobs and deliver on the Government’s Plan for Change. The Government intends to publish a new Shipbuilding and Maritime Technology Action Plan to deliver the Government’s ambitions for national security and economic growth.