Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, how will individual’s personal data be used in preventative analytics “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.

The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.

How many intercept scrambles of Russian military aircraft by USAF aircraft have taken place from a) RAF Lakenheath and b) RAF Mildenhall since 2020.

For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information in relation to foreign nations’ military operations.

How many meetings his Department has had with Leonardo since 1 January 2026.

Leonardo is one of Defence’s key suppliers and therefore Ministers and officials have consistently met with representatives from the company since 1 January 2026. The Department continues to have conversations at every level regarding current programmes and wider business interests across the UK, though the total number of meetings is not centrally recorded.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to shotgun licensing will have on the time taken to process shotgun licence renewals in Cambridgeshire.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We will publish the consultation in due course.We will also provide an impact assessment in relation to any changes that we intend to bring forward after the consultation, including on police firearms licensing departments, in the normal way.The issuing of firearms certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces, including the timeframe taken for processing shotgun licence renewals, is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners. Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary work together as part of a tripartite arrangement intended to provide a consistent firearms licensing service across the three police force areas. The arrangements are led by Hertfordshire Constabulary and report to the Chief Constables of all three forces.

What role the Callen-Lenz Nyan One-Way Effector will play in the Army’s deep fires capability.

The Army intends to field an initial One-Way Effector capability, including the Callen Lenz NYAN effector, as part of the UK Forces’ deep fires contribution on Operation CABRIT.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) operational, (b) logistical and (c) legal constraints on the the ability of the Royal Navy to conduct (i) deterrence or (ii) interdiction operations against small boat migrant people-smuggling activities within UK territorial waters in the English Channel.

The Home Office, through the Border Security Command, is the lead Government Department responsible for tackling illegal migration and people‑smuggling in the English Channel. His Majesty’s Coastguard is responsible for search and rescue at sea. Their responses to the issue of small boat migration are underpinned by the UK’s legal obligations as a responsible maritime nation.

With reference to the speech by the Prime Minister at the Munich Security Conference on 14 February 2026, on which US capabilities he plans to decrease dependence.

The forthcoming Defence Investment Plan will set out how the UK will deliver the ambition of the Strategic Defence Review, ensuring we are integrated into NATO force structures by design but capable of acting as an integrated sovereign force when needed. This includes consideration of enabling capabilities such as munitions stockpiles, cyber resilience, space assets, and critical industrial capacity. While the UK-US defence relationship remains foundational to our defence and national security, and the UK derives great benefit from it, it is right that the UK continues to invest in a balanced mix of sovereign, bilateral and multilateral programmes. This ensures our Armed Forces can operate effectively with allies, lead when necessary, and maintain freedom of action in any future strategic environment.

How many extradition requests have been a) received and b) accepted, from Category 2 Type B countries since 5th July 2024.

Between 5th July 2024 until today’s date UK Central Authority (UKCA) in the Home Office received 64 extradition requests from Category 2 Type B countries.We have understood your request in relation to having been ‘accepted’ as how many cases have been certified under s70 of the Extradition Act 2003 (the ‘Act’). Of the 64 requests received, 56 have been certified to date. Once a request has been certified it is sent to the courts, after which the request is subjected to a largely judicial process.Please note that all figures are from local management information and have not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such they should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed strike action by Royal Fleet Auxiliary seafarers on Royal Navy operations.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary remains essential in supporting operations alongside the Royal Navy and our global allies. They continue to meet their operational commitments, and we are dedicated to resolving this dispute through ongoing dialogue with their trade unions.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2026 to question 109652 on Artificial Intelligence, what progress she has made on scaling onshore compute.

Compute is a critical enabler for AI development and scientific research. This Government is committed to scaling this essential infrastructure to accelerate innovation, drive economic growth and better support our public services.We are investing up to £2 billion in public compute through to 2030. This will deliver a new national supercomputer in Edinburgh and expand our AI Research Resource twentyfold by 2030 providing free access to compute for researchers, SMEs and the public sector.The UK has also established five AI Growth Zones, including the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone, announced this January. We will continue to work with these zones to secure them as the UK's AI powerhouses, as well as identifying new sites around the UK with the potential to become AI Growth Zones.

What he plans to commit to NATO’s Task Force X Baltic.

The UK is fully committed to NATO’s broader deterrence posture in the Baltic region, demonstrated through our significant contributions across air, maritime, and land domains. This includes our Forward Land Force commitment in Estonia, regular participation in NATO exercises, and involvement in maritime operations. We continue to work closely with our NATO Allies to regularly review and assess how best to allocate resources to ensure the greatest possible deterrent effect and to uphold the security of the Alliance.

Pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2026 to question 111934 on Armed Forces: Parachuting, what roles across the Armed Forces are defined as specialists.

Within the Armed Forces there are two levels of parachute specialisation: Low Level Para and High Altitude Para.

How many medically discharged personnel have been referred to (a) Op COURAGE, (b) Op RESTORE and (c) Op VALOUR in each of the last five years.

Op COURAGE and RESTORE are both NHS initiatives; to date Op COURAGE has received 35,000 referrals, whilst over 1,000 veterans have used the Op RESTORE service.VALOUR is a programme which will give veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support available to them. There are three components of VALOUR. VALOUR Recognised Centres will facilitate access to multiple services for veterans, and will connect local, regional, and national services. A network of VALOUR Field Officers will bring together charities, service providers, and local government to improve collaboration and coordination, enabling data-driven policy and service development. Finally, a VALOUR HQ, within the MOD, will gather data and insight, working with policy and research teams to ensure services are designed to meet local needs.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact on UK security of the inclusion of BYD Company Limited on the recent update to the “Entities Identified as Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States in Accordance with Section 1260H of the William M. (“Mac”) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283)1".

As part of the National Security Strategy the Government is implementing new measures to make the UK a harder target for actors who seek to exploit our open, democratic society. This includes bolstering our cyber and economic security defences.For example, the national security powers in the Procurement Act 2023 allow the Government to exclude suppliers from public sector procurement, terminate their public contracts and debar them from future ones. These powers target risk from individual suppliers—not specific countries—and will be used proportionately based on the threat posed.

With reference to the press release entitled UK announces urgent new air defence package for Ukraine worth over half a billion pounds, published on 12 February 2026, what is the a) total value of the package announced and b) from which budget will the funding be taken.

The total value of the air defence package announced by the Defence Secretary at the most recent Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting, is £540 million. This is funded through the UK’s annual commitment of military aid to Ukraine and Ukrainian funding underwritten by UK Export Finance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2026 to question 110522 on Ajax Vehicles: Modernisation, when he expects the Ajax-family vehicles due to reach Drop 3 standard by October 2028 reach Drop 4 standard.

All 589 Ajax family vehicles will reach Capability Drop 4 by September 2029 as contracted, subject to reviews that are ongoing.

Pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2026 to question 110522 on Ajax Vehicles: Modernisation, by when will those Ajax-family vehicles due to reach Drop 3 standard by October 2028 will reach Drop 4 standard.

All 589 Ajax family vehicles will reach Capability Drop 4 by September 2029 as contracted, subject to reviews that are ongoing.

With reference to the press release Battlefield tactics to inspire UK fight against prison drones, published on 16 January 2026, how many prisons across the prison estate currently have access to active counter-UAS capabilities.

We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones that deliver contraband so that prisoners have access to a safe and stable rehabilitative environment. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes physical security countermeasures, legislation and working across Government and with international partners on this global issue. H M Prison & Probation Service uses targeted physical countermeasures, such as improvements to windows, installing specialised netting and grills to prevent drones from delivering contraband into prisons. HMPPS also conducts vulnerability assessments across the estate, to understand the risk and develop and implement plans to mitigate the threat. We work widely across Government to understand how current and emerging counter-drone capabilities can be used to keep our prisons and the public safe. We are also engaging with international counterparts to develop our learning, support our strategy and share best practice. We cannot share information about our counter-drone tactics, but HMPPS uses suitable technology, alongside a variety of countermeasures and intelligence tools to prevent drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile phones and weapons.

What counter-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities are available to HM Prison and Probation Service staff.

We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones that deliver contraband so that prisoners have access to a safe and stable rehabilitative environment. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes physical security countermeasures, legislation and working across Government and with international partners on this global issue. H M Prison & Probation Service uses targeted physical countermeasures, such as improvements to windows, installing specialised netting and grills to prevent drones from delivering contraband into prisons. HMPPS also conducts vulnerability assessments across the estate, to understand the risk and develop and implement plans to mitigate the threat. We work widely across Government to understand how current and emerging counter-drone capabilities can be used to keep our prisons and the public safe. We are also engaging with international counterparts to develop our learning, support our strategy and share best practice. We cannot share information about our counter-drone tactics, but HMPPS uses suitable technology, alongside a variety of countermeasures and intelligence tools to prevent drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile phones and weapons.

How many (a) warranted Police Officers, (b) Police Community Support Officers and (c) Special Constables there were on (i) 31 March 2025 and (ii) 11 February 2026.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales, on a biannual basis, as at 31 March and 30 September each year in the Police Workforce, England and Wales statistical bulletin available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.Data for this release is collected as a snapshot at 31 March and 30 September only. As such, data for 11 February 2026 is not available. The latest information covers the situation as at 30 September 2025.Information on the number of police officers, police community support officers and special constables, on both a full-time equivalent and headcount basis, as at 31 March 2007 to 2025 can be found in the Police Workforce Open Data Table here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697255b5a1311bdcfa0ed8f3/open-data-table-police-workforce-280126.ods