Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question 44144 on Armed Forces: Training, what steps his Department has taken to improve the Royal Air Force Apprenticeship programme’s Ofsted rating.

The RAF is committed to continuous improvement and has identified several measures to build on the Good Ofsted rating awarded to the Royal Air Force Apprenticeship programme last year. Ten Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) positions have been established to assist Apprenticeship Centres with ensuring the apprentice’s journey continues to meet Ofsted’s requirement.A further 30 FTRS positions are to be established at operational units to provide support, advice and guidance in the completion of apprenticeships.Apprenticeship Management Groups have been introduced to engage all stakeholders, alongside the development of an apprenticeship webpage including unit-based apprenticeship points of contact.An Apprentice Handbook will be introduced to cover the latest guidance, practical tips and signposting to internal and external support organisations.

With reference to page 24 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, what steps he has taken to ensure that cryptography capability is UK-based.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that Crypt-Key is fundamental to the defence and security of the UK. The ability to develop Crypt-Key technologies and capabilities is a strategic imperative for the United Kingdom’s (UK) national security. The National Crypt-Key Strategy and the Crypt-Key Industrial Strategy were approved by the National Security Council (NSC) in May 2022. The MOD has implemented the core strategy outcomes such as the Cabinet Office Spent Control measures for Crypt-Key and continues to support their full implementation. The Defence Industrial Strategy (2025) continues to recognise Crypt-Key as a critical sub-sector where strategic imperative requires full, or majority, industrial capability to be UK-based. The MOD has taken the appropriate steps to ensure alignment to the Crypt-Key strategies.

With reference to page 69 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what recent progress the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has made with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency to help support generation-after-next innovation.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a longstanding relationship and regular conversation with for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Staff engagement is regular and pre-dates the Strategic Defence Review. Building on this, officials from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) have begun initial conversations with their counterparts in the Advanced Research and Innovation Agency in relation to specific areas of technology with potential defence interest.

How many and what proportion of his Department's suppliers are registered on the central procurement platform.

The Department has a total of 20,690 active unique suppliers with live contracts The Department has a total of 131,172 unique suppliers.

With reference to page 48 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what his Department's planned timetable is for broadening the range of employers it supports through the Jobs and Careers Service.

The Department for Work and Pensions through the new Jobs and Careers Service is taking steps to broaden its support for employers by engaging over 8,000 strategic and local businesses, tailoring services to regional labour market needs, and collaborating with trade bodies and Government Departments to deliver inclusive recruitment campaigns, sector-specific training, and modernised job-matching tools. This is as a result of the Get Britain Working White Paper published in November 2024.

With reference to page 52 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what progress he has made on implementing a bespoke commercial pathway for SMEs.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hold a crucial place in UK defence. They are the backbone of the UK economy and are vital to delivering the innovation, expertise and agility that we need now and in the future. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy, as well as the Department’s Social Value policy. We work with our largest suppliers through a network of their SME Champions, trade associations and SME representatives to ensure that smaller companies have access to opportunities in our supply chain and that our prime contractors are adopting policies, such as fair payment practices, that support small businesses working in defence. We are also introducing a new SME Commercial Pathway as part of our broader acquisition transformation. Through this pathway, Defence will increase the number of opportunities for SMEs, and make our contracting processes simpler, less onerous and faster. This Government has already announced an ambitious but achievable target to spend £7.5 billion with SMEs by 2028 which will see direct spend increase by approximately £700 million during the next three years, and we will launch a new Office For Small Business Growth to provide SMEs with better access to the defence supply chain, ensuring that thousands of small businesses in the UK, continue to lead the way in developing the world-beating technologies and services that we will need.

With reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, how the members of the Defence Industrial Joint Council are selected.

Membership of the Ministerially chaired council comprises a diverse group of defence sector partners, including SMEs, primes, tech, investors, trade associations, academia and Trade Unions. This signals a significant step in establishing the MOD’s new approach to partnerships; one focused on collaboration across the breadth of the UK’s defence ecosystem. All members of the DIJC have been appointed, via HMG’s Public Appointments Process, based on the expertise and insight they bring. Spaces allocated to different sector groups have, through necessity, been limited to ensure a Council with a diverse membership from across the defence landscape and of a suitable size to drive pace and support delivery of the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). All appointments to the DIJC top Council are made for an initial period of 12 months after which they will be reviewed, ensuring a principle of rotation is built into the membership and to provide opportunities for new organisations to participate.

With reference page 46 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what progress he has made on exploring a partnership with UCAS to promote defence careers.

We continue to work with UCAS to promote defence careers and explore the scope of support they can offer in raising awareness of defence career pathways among students and educators. This includes working with UCAS to create an industry guide and to support an increased number of defence employers represented on their existing portal. Further details will be published in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 44144 on Armed Forces: Training, what recent steps his Department has taken to help improve University Officer Training Corps’ OFSTED rating to Outstanding.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring the highest standards of training and welfare across all its establishments, including the University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) Group and its efforts to achieve an Outstanding Ofsted rating The UOTC was inspected by OFSTED in February 2024, resulting in a GOOD rating, with five key recommendations for improvement. The Combined Individual Training Assurance Team (CITAT) has worked with the UOTC Group to address these areas, and significant progress has been made across all areas. Actions have included enhancing staff training, improving facilities maintenance, streamlining medical clearance processes, mitigating the impact of budget constraints, and centralising quality improvement processes.

With reference to page 65 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, from where the UK Defence Innovation Rapid Innovation Unit will access below market rate loans.

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) will continue invest in structures to support business growth and to increase investment into SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional defence and security suppliers to support a diverse and agile supply chain and ensure delivery of pioneering capability to national security and defence. The UKDI - Defence and Security Accelerator (UKDI_DASA) is a Special Partner in the delivery of The Defence and Security (D&S) Seed Fund portfolio, which is funded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and sits within UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S). UKI2S is a Pre seed and Seed fund for defence and Security SMEs with investment from MOD for SME innovation looking for private equity funding. The UKDI - Defence and Security Accelerator (UKDI_DASA) supported by Innovate UK Loans Ltd (Innovate UK) delivers a Defence funding competition: the Defence Innovation Loan. This service provides an opportunity for single Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with solutions to defence themed problems to apply for a Defence Innovation Loan of between £100,000 and £1 million with a below market interest rate of 7.4% per annum

With reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he is taking to increase innovation in the defence sector.

As of July 1, 2025 UK Defence Innovation has reached initial operating capability. UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) approaches innovation. We recognised that for too long, innovative companies and start-ups faced significant barriers when trying to engage with defence innovation programmes. The previous landscape was fragmented, slow, and difficult to navigate, which prevented promising companies from scaling their solutions and securing the investment they needed to grow. The Establishment of UKDI consolidates and simplifies structures, creating a clearer pathway for innovation that aligns with the Government's agile state agenda and ensures we can harness the best of British innovation for our defence capabilities. Sat at the heart of the National Armaments Director Group, UKDI will accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge commercial technology in support of Defence’s most pressing strategic challenges. We are drawing upon the success of the US Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) model relevant to the UK Ministry of Defence.

With reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps his Department is taking to help support British tech companies to scale up.

One of the top priority outcomes in the Defence Industrial Strategy, published on 8 September 2025, is to put the UK at the leading edge of defence innovation. To support tech companies to scale up we have launched the new UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), supported by a ringfenced annual budget of at least £400 million. UKDI will support and grow the UK technology sector, including improving companies’ access to innovation funding and advice, and drive pace and agility of defence innovation (Section 5.2). In addition, we are also streamlining the regulatory environment to make it fit for the current era of threat, removing barriers limiting faster delivery, scale up and innovation at wartime pace (Section 5.2.4).

What the level of venture capital investment is within UK defence companies within the Defence Industrial Strategy.

This Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) (published on 8 September 2025) sets how we will deliver a more competitive, innovative, resilient and integrated defence sector to make defence an engine for growth. To assess progress against the priority outcomes of the strategy we will consider a range of indicators, including levels of venture capital investment in UK defence companies. This is being considered as part of our DIS implementation plan, ensuring that we improve the data we hold on venture capital investment in defence.

With reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what criteria would need to be met to define an academic institution as part of the defence industrial base.

The Defence Industrial Strategy adopts a whole of society approach to the defence sector and redefines the UK defence industrial base to include academic institutions based on the contribution they make to defence Research and Development and the provision of skills and education needed in the workforce that defence relies upon.

How many veterans have gained full-time employment via the Veteran Industry Engagement Programme since its inception.

The Veterans Industry Engagement Programme (VIEP) is a free, Government-backed advocacy service designed to collaborate with industry and trade bodies. It helps organisations adopt veteran-friendly practices and behaviours, ensuring the skills and talents veterans bring to the workforce are recognised and valued. By fostering this engagement, critical sectors can better leverage a vital national strategic asset - the Armed Forces community. This initiative is delivered by the charity Mission Community who have developed a framework of sector specific initiatives to create sustainable employment opportunities for service leavers, veterans, reservists and military families. VIEP forms part of a suite of wider initiatives supporting Veterans into employment including Op ASCEND, which has successfully engaged over 420 employers and supported over 4,600 veterans and family members.

What the full scope is of Project Replicator 2.

REPLICATOR 2 is a US Department of War initiative delivered through the US Defense Innovation Unit (US DIU) to Counter threats from Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS). Under this initiative UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has entered into a joint project with the US DIU to rapidly develop Low Collateral Defeat (LCD) solutions to counter small-Unmanned Aerial Systems (CsUAS) within the US or UK homeland. The project is being run by the US DIU utilising their Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process. Phase 1 took place in May 2025, and saw over 200 US and UK companies apply to the Area of Interest issued by the USDIU. Following a period of evaluation, which included UK participation, 18 potential solutions were down-selected to present their solutions to a joint US-UK evaluation board. Upon completion of this board in September 2025, eight companies, including two UK options, were selected for Phase 2 – Prototyping. Following this, any successful protypes, will be considered for procurement by UK and US transition partners.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question 44144 on Armed Forces: Training, what steps his Department has taken to improve the British Army Apprenticeship programme’s Ofsted rating.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring the British Army Apprenticeship Programme (AAP) achieves the highest standards of training and continues its progress towards an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The Army, as the UK’s largest Employer Provider with 12,500 soldier apprentices across 41 programmes, continues to achieve results well above the national average. The AAP operates a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), informed by Ofsted inspections and an internal Self-Assessment Process, which is being updated to align with the new Ofsted Further Education and Skills Inspection Toolkit (FES IT) coming into effect in November 2025. Key improvements being implemented include digitalising the programme by 2027, creating 92 additional management posts to oversee End Point Assessment delivery, enhancing functional skills delivery and governance, improving curriculum standards, reducing the number of Post Planned End Date learners, and strengthening safeguarding measures.

With reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what the nature is of the support he plans to provide to businesses.

This Defence Industrial Strategy (published on 8 September 2025) emphasises the importance of supporting UK-based businesses, to build a thriving, resilient and competitive UK industrial base. The nature of the support we are providing UK-based businesses is set out in Section 4 and includes a comprehensive review of defence contracting, establishing a new Defence Office for Small Business Growth and dedicated SME Commercial pathway, and transforming the way we export through the new Office for Defence Exports and new Government-to-Government exports offer. There are further measures throughout the strategy to create the business environment needed to the UK defence industry to thrive and grow in priority areas.

With reference to page 46 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what progress has he made on investing in cutting-edge teaching and university facilities to increase places in defence-related courses.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is investing £80 million in our world leading universities so they can invest in cutting edge facilities and expand places in defence related courses, including in engineering and computer science disciplines. The MOD is working closely with the Department for Education on plans for the delivery of this funding, and further details will be published in due course.

With reference to page 23 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, what the UK’s reformed commercial model is.

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), makes a commitment to transform our acquisition system, taking a broad view of measures and approaches, including streamlining decision-making, a segmented approach to procurement, digitally enabled acquisition, and accelerated commercial pathways. Work is already underway to deliver against these ambitions, helping to ensure our acquisition system is fit for the future.