Written questions by Cartlidge.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department’s stockpile levels in the context of proposals to send a British peacekeeping force to Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defence remains fully engaged with industry, allies and partners to ensure that stockpile levels are sufficient to support current and future operations. Defence stockpile levels are classified and therefore any further commentary would be inappropriate.

What the annual cost to the public purse is of substitute service single accommodation.

The total cost to the public purse for Substitute Single Service Accommodation for Financial Year 2024-25 is £75,240,044. This figure includes rent, monthly service fees and utilities costs. However, utilities data for March 2025 is not yet available.

What steps his Department is taking to help prevent service personnel working in the bomb disposal portfolio from contracting medical diseases.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to the health and safety of our people and we have robust policies and processes in place to ensure Defence activities are conducted in a safe manner. We will keep the evidence base for associations between military occupational exposures and bladder cancers under review, consulting with independent external medical experts as required to determine if there are any risks to Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Ammunitions personnel which need to be addressed. All activities across Defence, including bomb disposal, must be conducted within the elements of a Safe System of Work (SSW). A SSW is a method of work which puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to manage identified hazards. In accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, the MOD ensures it supplies its people with suitable PPE, and training, to ensure they are protected against risks to their health and safety for the activity they are undertaking. Additionally, Defence ensures it has procedures in place for the testing, inspection, maintenance and storage of PPE. For bomb disposal, Defence has the UK’s in-house experts in chemical, biological, and radiological threats. These experts are employed in the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories (DSTL) which provide constant operational support and advice to the bomb disposal community and wider Defence. When faced with unknown substances, new threats or known contamination, DSTL are there to provide expert guidance and advice.

If he will launch an investigation into the potential medical impact of work in the bomb disposal portfolio on service personnel.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to the health and safety of our people and we have robust policies and processes in place to ensure Defence activities are conducted in a safe manner. We will keep the evidence base for associations between military occupational exposures and bladder cancers under review, consulting with independent external medical experts as required to determine if there are any risks to Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Ammunitions personnel which need to be addressed. All activities across Defence, including bomb disposal, must be conducted within the elements of a Safe System of Work (SSW). A SSW is a method of work which puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to manage identified hazards. In accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, the MOD ensures it supplies its people with suitable PPE, and training, to ensure they are protected against risks to their health and safety for the activity they are undertaking. Additionally, Defence ensures it has procedures in place for the testing, inspection, maintenance and storage of PPE. For bomb disposal, Defence has the UK’s in-house experts in chemical, biological, and radiological threats. These experts are employed in the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories (DSTL) which provide constant operational support and advice to the bomb disposal community and wider Defence. When faced with unknown substances, new threats or known contamination, DSTL are there to provide expert guidance and advice.

Whether a UK peacekeeping or reassurance force in Ukraine would in principle cover (a) land, (b) sea, (c) air, (d) space and (e) cyber domains.

The Prime Minister has been clear that we must all come together to support Ukraine to remain in the fight and back US efforts to make real progress to ensure Ukraine can defend itself from future Russian aggression. Planning so far has looked across the full range of European military capabilities including aircraft, tanks, troops, intelligence and logistics capabilities – and discussions have centred on how European nations can contribute their own capabilities to support any future force. Discussions continue around military planning of air, sea and land forces that would be required to support a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

If he will list the other countries in the coalition of the willing that have committed in principle to deploy troops to Ukraine in a peacekeeping or reassurance capacity.

With France, the UK is leading plans to put together a Coalition of the Willing. 31 nations joined a planning meeting last week at the Permanent Joint Headquarters, with over 200 military planners convening this week for further meetings focused on how we keep the skies, the seas and the border safe, looking across the full range of European military capabilities including aircraft, tanks, troops, intelligence and logistics.We can not provide a list of the countries that have committed in principle to deploy troops to Ukraine. That is a matter for those countries to provide details on.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND funding in South Suffolk.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Together with additional funding for schools’ increased National Insurance contributions costs announced recently, this brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Suffolk County Council is being allocated over £124 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £10.3 million on the 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF). This NFF allocation is an 9% increase per head of their 2 to 18 year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.In addition to the DSG, local authorities will also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG) in the 2025/26 financial year. This CSBG continues the separate grants payable in 2024/25, which are to help special schools and alternative provision with the costs of teachers’ pay and pension increases and other staff pay increases, as well as the additional funding in respect of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions. The department plans to publish individual local authorities’ allocations of this funding for 2025/26 in May 2025.

What discussions he has has with his US counterpart on a security guarantee in the event of a UK peacekeeping or reassurance force in Ukraine.

The Defence Secretary regularly speaks with his US and international counterparts, including on our collective support to Ukraine’s armed forces. The UK, along with a number of allies and partners, held further discussions this week at the Permanent Joint Headquarters to consider in detail how best to ensure Ukraine can defend itself from future Russian aggression. We will continue to keep the US informed on that planning process.

Whether he plans to order additional A400M aircraft this Parliament.

All capability requirements, including those for tactical airlift, are being considered as part of the Strategic Defence Review process.

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

Individuals are permitted to occupy Substitute Service Single Accommodation (SSSA) up to two working days prior to the date of posting to a new place of duty subject to the following criteria: a. Single Living Accommodation (SLA) is not available (at the time of requirement) up to 45 minutes travelling time by public transport (or up to a 10 miles radius when there is no viable public transport at the discretion of the Local Service Commander) of the duty station (60 mins for London only). b. They should expect to occupy SSSA for a minimum of six months and spend not less than four nights each week in the accommodation. c. They are single or Serving unaccompanied; they must either be separated from their family who are residing in Service Family Accommodation (SFA), Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA) or their own property which is more than 50 miles or 1½ hours travelling time (by public transport) from their duty station. If the Commanding Officer considers that due to exceptional circumstances these limits should be reduced, a case is to be submitted through the chain of command to the Ministry of Defence Project Manager. Where the Service Person’s (SP) family occupy surplus SFA and the SP is Serving unaccompanied at the duty station, and Notice to Quit has been served, the SP will be required to Serve accompanied. d. Where both spouse/civil partner are Serving members of the Armed Forces and are Serving unaccompanied at different duty stations, where no SLA exists both have an entitlement to SSSA; they are awaiting allocation of SFA, where no SLA exists providing the waiting period is likely to exceed six months. However, entitlement to SSSA will cease when individuals are allocated SFA at the permanent duty station. e. They are awaiting allocation of SFA, where no SLA exists providing the waiting period is likely to exceed six months. However, entitlement to SSSA will cease when individuals are allocated SFA at the permanent duty station. The full entitlement requirements for Substitute Service Single Accommodation are set out in Joint Service Publication 464 (Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations), Volume 2, Part 1, Chapter 8, Para 8.200; and Annex A to Section 2, Chapter 8 sets out the levels of accommodation entitlement, which differs depending on rank. This information can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-464-tri-service-accommodation-regulations-tsars

Whether his Department has had discussions on the rules of engagement for a potential UK peacekeeping or reassurance force in Ukraine.

The UK is playing a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine. Operational planning continues but it is long-standing Government policy not to comment on Rules of Engagement. The only person who would benefit from that is Putin.

What plans her Department has to tackle persistent absences in secondary schools in South Suffolk.

This government is determined to tackle the generational challenge of school absence. Missing school regularly is harmful to a child’s attainment, safety and physical and mental health, which limits their opportunity to succeed. There is evidence that more students are attending school this year compared to last, thanks to the sector’s efforts, although 1.6 million children remain persistently absent, missing 10% or more of lessons.The department has a national approach to supporting all schools to tackle absence, including those in the South Suffolk constituency. Central to this approach is stronger expectations of local authorities and schools, as set out in the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance which was made statutory on 19 August 2024 and can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf. The guidance promotes a 'support first' approach, encouraging schools, trusts and local authorities to work with families in addressing attendance barriers.Every state school in England should now be sharing their daily attendance register data with the department, local authorities and trusts. These bodies can access this data through a secure, interactive dashboard which is maintained by the department, allowing them to target attendance interventions more effectively.The department recognises the importance of creating opportunities within the sector to share existing best practice on how to improve attendance. This is why the government set up a network of 31 attendance hubs, who have offered support to 2,000 schools and shared their strategies and resources for improving attendance.In addition to this work, the department is improving the existing evidence on which interventions work to improve attendance. Over £17 million is being invested across two mentoring projects that will support at least 12,000 pupils in 15 areas. These programmes will be evaluated and the effective practice shared with schools and local authorities nationally.The department recently announced that new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams will support all state schools by facilitating networking, sharing best practice across areas, and empowering schools to better access support and learn from one another. Improving school attendance is one of four national priorities for RISE teams.School attendance is also supported by broader investments, such as funded breakfast clubs across all primary schools to ensure children start their day ready to learn.The department will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.Schools can also allocate pupil premium funding, which has now increased to over £2.9 billion for the 2024/25 financial year, to support pupils with identified needs to attend school regularly.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of restricting the patient’s Right To Choose service on people with ADHD in South Suffolk.

The Government is committed to patients, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in South Suffolk, having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient. A patient’s right to choose is set out in legislation, and no changes are being made to this legal right. Further information on the choices available for patients can be found on the NHS Choice framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework

Whether he has held discussions with his US counterpart on deploying air capabilities in Ukraine.

The Defence Secretary regularly speaks with his US and international counterparts, including on our collective support to Ukraine’s armed forces in response to Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. The UK along with Allies and partners, recently held discussions on future security arrangements for Ukraine across the air, maritime and land domains. The specifics of these plans are subject to further discussions. The UK is set to host further joint planning meetings at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood this week, where discussions will continue over several days.

How many homes on the defence estate were constructed in the years (a) since 2000, (b) 1980-1999, (c) 1960-1979, (d) 1940-1959, (e) 1900-1939 and (f) before 1900.

The table below provides the number of Service Family Accommodation homes, broken down into the decades they were constructed. Year/Decade Total2000 – to date6,0331980 – 19997,1351960 – 197916,6401940 – 195914,1921900 – 19392,640Pre 190011Unknown (no data held)349

How many properties on the defence estate are categorised as (a) detached houses, (b) semi-detached houses, (c) terraced houses, (d) bungalows, (e) flats without lifts and (f) flats with lifts.

The information is not held in the format requested. The table below details the number of Service Family Accommodation broken down by the type of property, which is categorised by the Department as follows: Type of PropertyGarageTotal (circa)HouseNo22,613HouseYes22,591MaisonetteNo80MaisonetteYes89BungalowNo154BungalowYes83FlatNo1,357FlatYes33 Total47,000 Please note that these figures are as at 1 March 2025

What the average rent paid per month is on the defence estate for (a) detached houses, (b) semi-detached houses, (c) terraced houses, (d) bungalows, (e) flats without lifts and (f) flats with lifts.

This information is not held. The Combined Accommodation Assessment System (CAAS) determines the accommodation charge for individual Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties based on condition, scale, and location. SFA entitlement depends on various factors, such as family size and rank of Serving person. Charging rates for SFA for Service personnel are set by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB).

If he will publish minutes of his meeting with military chiefs and the Prime Minister at Permanent Joint Headquarters on 20 March 2025.

I recognise the importance of this Government's commitment to being open and transparent. However, as a former Defence Minister I hope that the hon. Gentleman will recognise that on this occasion the importance of national security outweighs this interest to ensure the safety of the UK and its citizens remains upheld.

If he will provide a breakdown by marital status of the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme as of 24 March 2025.

Data on the Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is routinely published by the Ministry of Defence, with the next release scheduled for May 2025. The latest published data as at 31 December 2024 can be found at the following gov.uk link:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-202425/forces-help-to-buy-quarterly-statistics-quarter-3-202425 Figures in this response relate to active accounts as at 31 December 2024. Therefore, figures will differ from published statistics, which relate to all accounts since the beginning of the FHTB scheme. As at 31 December 2024, 14,333 regular Serving personnel were using the FHTB scheme. The following table shows engagement with the Forces Help to Buy scheme by Service as at 31 December 2024. ServiceForces Help to Buy total engagement by Service (regular personnel only)% of ServiceNavy3,29412.95Royal Marines82912.79Army6,7908.65RAF3,42011.26 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by rank as at 31 December 2024. NATO rankNumber of Service personnelOF1158OF22,001OF31,252OF4325OF561OF615OF72OR2752OR3663OR43,251OR62,949OR71,769OR8765OR9370Total14,333 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by marital status as at 31 December 2024. Marital status categoryNumber of Service personnelMarried or in a registered Civil Partnership6,455Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 1S*288Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Civil Servant81Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 5S*377Prime carer and provider for child401Separated providing support as a result of court order24Separated providing voluntary support914All other members of Armed Forces5,793Total14,333* Personal Status Categories (PStat Cats) are used to denote the entitlement to allowances and accommodation based on marital and service status. Specifically:PStat Cat 1S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 5S.PStat Cat 5S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 1S.These categories are important for administrative purposes within the Armed Forces as they affect the allocation of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA), as well as other allowances and entitlements. The following two tables show the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by age as at 31 December 2024. Age rangeAge as at 31 December 2024Number of Service personnel Number of Service personnel by age range18 - 2518[c]77719[c]201821352225923133242102532226 - 402644510,380275202859029700307553174932731337823483735790367303770738740397224058241 - 55415553,1434243143404443334532346250471754814549120501035187528453675439552756 - 6556153357858[c]59[c]60361[c]62[c]63-64-65[c]Figures fewer than 3 have been replaced with [c] to limit inadvertent disclosure of personal data.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37596 on Ammunition: Lost Property and Theft, for what reason 200 rounds were lost overboard in the Solent from a Navy vessel.

An investigation into the loss of 200 rounds of ammunition from a Royal Navy vessel in 2024 concluded that the most likely cause was due to equipment failure. Appropriate measures have been put in place to prevent recurrence following an Immediate Ship's Investigation.