Written questions by Cartlidge.

With reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Spring Statement, 26 March 2025, what his planned timetable is to achieve his target for rapid commercial exploitation to have a three-months cycle.

The Ministry of Defence is reforming its acquisition system to deliver defence capabilities at greater pace, drive productivity and secure the best possible value for money, under the leadership of a new National Armaments Director.A timescale for practical application of a segmented approach to procurement will be developed in consultation with industry and closely integrated with implementation of wider defence reforms, the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy.

How many dual serving service personnel are living in Substitute Service Family Accommodation.

As of 28 March 2025, there were 174 Service personnel and their families, living in Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA). Information on the number of Service personnel living in SSFA by rank or by the number of dual Serving Service personnel is not held.

How many service personnel were living in Substitute Service Family Accommodation by rank as of 27 March 2025.

As of 28 March 2025, there were 174 Service personnel and their families, living in Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA). Information on the number of Service personnel living in SSFA by rank or by the number of dual Serving Service personnel is not held.

Whether there are any benefits that are provided to a service person living in Substitute Service Single Accommodation that would not be provided to a service person living in private accommodation.

Substitute Service Single Accommodation (SSSA) exists to accommodate Service personnel who are entitled to Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at their primary duty unit where none is available. SSSA is intended to mirror the conditions of SLA in so far as possible and cannot be compared like-for-like with private accommodation. There are a wide range of allowances available to Service personnel to meet the costs incurred in carrying out their duties, and eligibility will depend on a number of permutations, not just the type of accommodation in which they are resident.

Whether the forecasted cost of the Rented Living Accommodation Project has changed since 5 July 2024.

The average annual cost of the Rented Living Accommodation Project (RLAP) is £80 million. The RLAP Contract is due for renewal on 1 April 2027. The overall forecast cost for RLAP has not changed since 5 July 2024.

What the annual cost is of Substitute Service Family Accommodation.

As of 28 March 2025, 174 Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA) properties are in use in the United Kingdom. The cost of SSFA for financial year 2024-25 is £1.28 million. Information regarding the annual cost of SSFA by region is not held.

How many service personnel live in Substitute Service Family Accommodation.

As of 28 March 2025, there were 174 Service personnel and their families, living in Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA). Information on the number of Service personnel living in SSFA by rank or by the number of dual Serving Service personnel is not held.

How many Substitute Service Family Accommodation properties are in use in the United Kingdom.

As of 28 March 2025, 174 Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA) properties are in use in the United Kingdom. The cost of SSFA for financial year 2024-25 is £1.28 million. Information regarding the annual cost of SSFA by region is not held.

With reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Spring Statement, 26 March 2025, what his Department's definition of novel technology is.

At the Chancellor’s Spring Statement the Ministry of Defence (MOD) committed to establishing UK Defence Innovation (UKDI). This new body will simplify and consolidate the current MOD structures for innovation. The Spring Statement also confirmed that from next year the MOD will spend at least 10% of its equipment procurement budget on novel technology. Novel technology investments include dual-use technologies such as uncrewed and autonomous systems and AI-enabled capabilities. This list is not exhaustive, and work is ongoing to establish a formal definition of novel technology that UKDI and the wider Department will work against. The creation of UKDI underlines this Government's commitment to exploiting new ideas and technologies to equip our Armed Forces with cutting edge tech and grow high tech businesses across the UK.

With reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Spring Statement, 26 March 2025, when he plans to achieve his target for major platforms to have an average of two years to contract.

The Ministry of Defence is reforming its acquisition system to deliver defence capabilities at greater pace, drive productivity and secure the best possible value for money, under the leadership of a new National Armaments Director.A timescale for practical application of a segmented approach to procurement will be developed in consultation with industry and closely integrated with implementation of wider defence reforms, the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy.

What the entitlement requirements are for an application to live in Substitute Service Family Accommodation.

When Service Family Accommodation (SFA) is unavailable on assignment to a new duty unit, Service personnel who are married and accompanied by their family, registered in a civil partnership, a lone single parent, or are married unaccompanied fulfilling certain key appointments are entitled to apply for Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA) broadly equivalent to SFA entitlement. SSFA is provided by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) contractor responsible for sourcing suitable properties from the commercial rental market, subject to the following criteria: The applicant must be entitled to SFA in accordance with MOD regulations;The MOD contractor must have issued a non-availability certificate in respect of the applicant;They expect to occupy the property for a minimum of six months.

What the annual cost to his Department for Substitute Service Single Accommodation is, by region.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 31 March 2025, to Question 41231.

What the annual cost is of the Rented Living Accommodation Project.

The average annual cost of the Rented Living Accommodation Project (RLAP) is £80 million. The RLAP Contract is due for renewal on 1 April 2027. The overall forecast cost for RLAP has not changed since 5 July 2024.

With reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Spring Statement, 26 March 2025, whether he plans to set a formal target for end to end procurement time for major platforms.

The Ministry of Defence is reforming its acquisition system to deliver defence capabilities at greater pace, secure the best possible value for money and support growth, under the leadership of a new National Armaments Director. These reforms will enable the end-to-end procurement approach to be tailored according to the nature of each programme, delivering capability into the hands of the war fighter more quickly to maintain operational advantage. As set out in the Spring Statement, the department will set targets for time to contract as part of its new segmented approach to procurement. While larger, complex platforms, such as those in the Government Major Projects Portfolio, will often take longer to deliver, we will look for opportunities to drive pace at every stage of the acquisition process.

With reference to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Oral Statement on 26 March 2025 entitled Spring Statement, Official Report and his Department's press release entitled Government buys back 36,347 military homes to improve housing for forces families and save taxpayers billions, published on 17 December 2024, how much of the additional funding for defence will be spent on the agreement with Annington Homes in 2025-26.

The Annington agreement was partially funded through eliminating liabilities associated with the leases to create budgetary headroom. The remaining £1.7 billion required in 2024-25 was funded by His Majesty’s Treasury at the time of purchase. None of the additional funding for Defence as announced in the Spring Statement will be used to fund the Annington agreement.

How many business cases relating to procurement of new equipment or capabilities that have been submitted by his Department are currently awaiting approval by (a) HM Treasury and (b) Cabinet Office.

At the time of writing, the Ministry of Defence currently has eight business cases with His Majesty's Treasury, and seven cases with the Cabinet Office awaiting approval.

What steps he is taking to accelerate the in service date of the DragonFire system on Royal Navy vessels during the period after 2027.

The Ministry of Defence has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability by equipping four Navy Destroyers with this world leading system, starting in 2027. By doing this we are bringing laser technology to the Navy around five years faster than previously planned, which will protect our Armed Forces, and let us learn by doing, helping us to make continual improvements on areas like integration, software, and overall lethality. These learnings will support development of both the DragonFire system, and the choices we make on future DEW capabilities. As announced in the Spring Statement, additional funding for Defence will be directed toward advancing technology including guaranteeing the in service date for DragonFire. This approach to transitioning novel technology into capability is an example of how we are ensuring we translate the UK’s technological strengths into operational advantage at pace.

What the cost to the public purse will be of the defence reform model.

Defence Reform is delivering meaningful change through a phased approach over the course of this parliament to reform Defence. However, it is too early to capture the required level of investment in this programme of work, which we expect will deliver net benefits through changes such as more efficient procurement processes, including a reduction in waste. A temporary team was established in Autumn 2024 to lead Defence Reform activity. The team is expected to continue for the duration of the transformation work, and resource and budget will flex to meet the requirements of the programme. A Written Ministerial Statement setting out the key areas and features of Defence Reform was released to the House today.

Whether a programme similar to the Army Officer Internship scheme exists in the RAF.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) does not currently offer an internship programme similar to the Army Officer Internship Scheme. However, there are a number of programmes that provide an insight to RAF life such as University Air Squadrons and through work experience placements for students aged 16 and over who are in full-time education. There are also a number of bursaries available to support those planning a career in the RAF.

With reference to the Spring Statement on 26 March 2025, whether the £13.4 billion increase in defence spending announced by the Prime Minister on 25 February 2025 will go ahead.

The Government has set out its clear commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP in 2027, and to 3% of GDP in the next parliament as fiscal and economic conditions allow. When the Prime Minister announced the uplift to 2.5%, he was clear that comparing total NATO qualifying defence spending in 2024-25 with 2027-28 was an uplift of £13.4 billion. The new OBR forecast means that this figure has increased to £14.2 billion.