Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

What assessment he has made of the potential risk of Russian Yasen class submarines transiting the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment has he made of the potential merits of collaborating with the US Navy on the F/A-XX programme.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much money has been saved from her Department's budget as a result of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill not completing its passage in each financial year for the remainder of the current Parliament.

No payments are due under the terms of the UK-Mauritius agreement until the Treaty has been ratified. Full details of the proposed payments have already been published in the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the Treaty.

Pursuant to the answer of 22 April 2026 to question 127881 on Ukraine: Military Aid, what is the projected cost to the core defence budget of the UK lead contribution to MNFU.

The Ministry of Defence invested £0.2 billion last financial year to prepare the UK Armed Forces for potential deployment as part of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNFU). Future costs will depend on the scale, scope and duration of any deployment and will be considered as part of the Ministry of Defence’s normal planning and budgeting processes.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of a shortage of aviation fuel on the operations of air ambulance charities.

We engage routinely with air ambulance charities on contingency planning. As part of this, we have engaged with air ambulance charities on fuel resilience.The United Kingdom remains well stocked for all fuel types and the Government is working with fuel suppliers to make sure businesses and essential services are supported.

What the scope is of the recent alignment between the Oils and Pipelines Agency and the National Armaments Director Group.

The Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) remains a statutory public corporation established by the Oil and Pipelines Act 1985 and wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Defence. However, the recent alignment of the OPA with the National Armaments Director Group, will enable better coherence of energy governance and delivery within Defence. Specifically, aligning the OPA’s energy expertise with NAD Group will enable OPA to better inform, align with, and deliver Defence requirements through supporting the delivery, maintenance, and operation of key Defence energy capabilities. Resultingly, the NAD Group can ensure energy infrastructure is managed as a core, governed capability that underpins readiness, resilience, and operational energy across Defence.

How many development contracts have been awarded following the deadline for proposals under Project Nightfall.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential threat of the Russian Amur Class Repair Ship PM-82 to the Galloper wind farm array when operating in its vicinity on 5 May 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What proportion of the £200 million Barrow Transformation Fund will be provided by the Department of Transport.

The Department for Transport does not contribute directly to the Barrow Transformation Fund. However, the Department is investing in important transport infrastructure schemes that support the Plan for Barrow, including £23.31 million towards the A595 Grizebeck improvement scheme.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Gordon Brown held discussions with the government of Mauritius in 2009 during which the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands was raised.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 February to Question 109314.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2026, to Question 125343 on Syria: Islamic State, what is the full scope of the “closer work together on returns” that was discussed between her and the President of Syria on 31 March 2026.

On 31 March, the Prime Minister welcomed Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa on his first official visit to the UK. Details of his discussions with the PM and other UK Government interlocutors were included in the press notice released on 31 March and discussed in my Written Ministerial Statement on 29 April:https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-04-29/debates/26042963000007/Syria#contribution-8A524287-7FE5-4A3D-BCF7-28DA236ADC0F.

What progress he has made in publishing the unclassified public version of the UK AUKUS review report by Sir Stephen Lovegrove.

Sir Stephen Lovegrove submitted his classified report at the end of 2024. A version was also shared with the US and Australian governments, both of which have conducted their own reviews of AUKUS over the past 18 months. In order to protect the confidentiality of inputs received from US and Australian contributors and others consulted during the review, it was decided that it would not be appropriate to publish the report. This is consistent with the approach taken by the US and Australian governments in their reviews.The government accepted the recommendations made by Sir Stephen and he has made a number of public appearances since then in which he has set out his headline findings and the actions being taken in response. They include measures to underpin delivery of the “Optimal Pathway” by accelerating production across the UK Submarine Industrial Base; to jointly clarify and focus the pursuit of Advanced Capabilities under Pillar II; and to strengthen the UK’s cross-government leadership and co-ordination arrangements across both pillars. The associated actions are all either complete or well underway.The government has also made a landmark £6bn investment in the UK Submarine Industrial Base to drive an 18 month submarine production drumbeat. The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK is "all in" on delivering against our AUKUS commitments and that he regards it as a strategic partnership which is fundamental to the UK's NATO-first approach and to Trans-Atlantic burden-sharing.

Which ministers form the membership of the Contingency Planning Small Ministerial Group.

Awaiting answer.

What the total savings are for each financial year for the remainder of the current parliament owing to the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill not completing its passage through Parliament before the end of the previous session.

Funding associated with the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory remains subject to ongoing discussions and will continue to be managed as part of the Department's usual financial planning processes, in conjunction with His Majesty's Treasury.

With reference to the answer of 21 April 2026 to question 125506 on HMS Bulwark, what is the projected cost of the regeneration of HMS Bulwark.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to FOI 2026/03320 for what reason did her department deem it to be a) unlawful and b) unfair with respect to the withholding of the requested information regarding the number of ISIS-linked individuals repatriated to the UK from the Al-Roj camp in Syria.

The Government’s priority is the safety and security of the UK and our citizens. This can, where appropriate, include the exercise of immigration powers, the use of domestic and international watchlists, and law enforcement partners to disrupt the travel to the UK of individuals who are assessed to pose a threat.Individuals who return should expect to be investigated and, where there is evidence that they have committed crimes, to face prosecution. A wide range of criminal and terrorism offences can be used to prosecute returning foreign fighters, carrying the possibility of a sentence up to and including life imprisonment.It is the long-standing policy of successive UK Governments not to comment routinely either on individual cases or intelligence and security matters. On this Freedom of Information request, the Home Office set out the legal basis for withholding the requested information under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Those who are dissatisfied with the Home Office’s response to their Freedom of Information request may request an independent internal review within two months of the response.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to question 125519 on Navy: Guided Weapons, by when does he plan to have achieved a) Initial Operating Capability and b) Full Operating Capability for the Mk 41 vertical launch system.

The Ministry of Defence continues to progress integration of the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System across relevant platforms. In-service dates remain subject to ongoing programme delivery, integration activity, and approval processes, and will be confirmed in due course.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to question 125513 on F-35 Aircraft: Procurement, by when does he plan to have completed the Block 4 upgrade programme.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 20 April 2026 to Question 125513: We do not routinely comment on detailed delivery schedules. However, the Block 4 upgrade programme continues, it did not impact the declaration of Lightning Full Operating Capability. The Block 4 upgrade programme will further develop our world leading Combat Air capability, the UK Lightning, through improvements in lethality, survivability and supportability.

With reference to the answer of 27 April 2026, to question 118987 on Iran: RAF Akrotiri, what ballistic missile interception capability was deployed in defence of RAF Akrotiri during HMS Dragon’s maintenance in Crete.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to update the Modern slavery strategy, published on 29 November 2014.

This government is taking forward an updated approach to tackling modern slavery through delivery, reform and integration across wider Government strategies, rather than by re-issuing an updated standalone strategy.Our March 2025 Modern Slavery Action Plan provided a clear delivery framework for 2025/26, and has already driven seen significant progress across the modern slavery portfolio, including an 84% reduction in outstanding National Referral Mechanism (NRM) conclusive grounds decisions (as of end of April 2026). This means that victims are receiving certainty and appropriate support in a timely fashion, allowing them to recover from their exploitation.We are also strengthening the system itself, including through the expansion of devolved decision-making pilot for exploited children, and the procurement of new support services for adult and child victims of modern slavery. Alongside this, we have updated guidance for modern slavery statements and are progressing work to strengthen the transparency in supply chains regime, including consideration of mandating reporting, penalties for non-compliance, and the extending requirements to public bodies.These reforms are being taken forward as part of wider Government priorities set out in the Asylum and Returns Policy Statement (“Restoring Order and Control”) and Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (“Freedom from violence and abuse”), ensuring modern slavery policy is embedded across prevention, enforcement and victim support. Officials are now taking forward the findings from the recent Call for Evidence on victim identification to inform the next phase of system reform.