Written questions by Akehurst.

When the Kyiv Business Centre will be fully operational; and if he will set how UK SMEs will be able to access its services.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he plans to apply the Project Octopus model of manufacturing Ukrainian-designed systems in the UK to other capability areas, including electronic warfare and marine autonomy.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the defence technology export mechanism recently approved by the Government of Ukraine on UK defence companies; and what steps he is taking to support UK companies establish co-production arrangements with Ukrainian manufacturers under the mechanism.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the UK/EU-Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor Parliamentary Roundtable held on 23 June 2026, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) procurement speed, (b) technology transfer between the UK and Ukraine and (c) SMEs.

Awaiting answer.

What support his Department provides to Ukrainian defence technology companies seeking to establish production facilities in the UK, including through initiatives including the UK/EU-Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the Defence Investment Plan published on 30 June 2026, what milestones have been set for the delivery of counter-drone and electromagnetic warfare capabilities.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of future UK production of the Patria 6x6 armoured vehicle on the economy; and when such production could begin.

The Department’s assessment of the Finnish led Common Armoured Vehicle System Programme and the suitability of its Patria 6x6 platform in meeting the UK’s Heavy Protected Mobility requirements is still underway. As such, it would be premature to comment o...

Whether his Department has assessed the potential effectiveness of using acoustic and ultrasound technology to detect drones.

Within the UK, there is now a thriving drones and autonomous systems ecosystem which enables spiral development, flexibility and modularity. The Department continually considers and develops improvements to the Integrated Air and Missile Defence systems a...

Whether his Department remains committed to the acquisition of 12 additional F-35A aircraft.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty) on 10 June 2026 to Question 6574.

Whether he expects the proportion of the defence resource budget allocated to service and civilian staff pay to increase between now and 2029-30.

The balance of investment will be set out as part of the Defence Investment Plan. This will take into account the Strategic Defence Review recommendations to halt the decline of the Armed Forces and reduce civil service costs by 10% by 2030.

What the total value of financial penalties incurred by defence companies holding Ministry of Defence contracts has been as a result of delays, cost overruns, or non-delivery, broken down by (a) UK-owned companie

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

What the status is of the RAF E-7 Wedgetail AWACS programme.

At the end of May 2026, the Wedgetail programme saw the arrival of the first aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth where it will undergo its full ground and flight test programme. Aircraft two is due to commence test activities soon and modification of aircraft thr...

What steps his Department is taking to reduce delays and overspend in Ministry of Defence contracts awarded to foreign contractors.

The MOD reduces delays and overspend in contracts, including those with foreign suppliers, by applying strong, proactive contract management throughout the contract lifecycle. This includes clearly defining performance requirements and KPIs in contracts, ...

What assessment his Department has made on the impact of delays to the Defence Investment Plan, including funding for the Global Air Combat Programme, on UK defence-industrial co-operation with Italy and Japan.

This Government remains committed to strengthening sovereign industrial capability and modernising frontier industries. Ministers and senior officials engage regularly with industry stakeholders and Defence has continued to work with suppliers on the Glob...

What assessment he has made of the threat posed by hostile drone activity to UK critical national infrastructure, what steps his Department is taking to develop (a) drone jamming and (b) electronic signal disrupt

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 April 2026, to Question 125978.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-04-10/125978

Whether any Ministry of Defence procurement has been adversely impacted by delays in the delivery of USA-manufactured weapons as a result of the conflict in Iran.

While the conflict in Iran has resulted in changes to delivery schedules of some munitions, Ministry of Defence teams work continuously with US partners to assess and adapt procurement programmes to ensure support to operations. We cannot comment further ...

What funding has been allocated from the up to £1 billion announced for UK air and missile defence specifically to counter-drone technologies; and what proportion of that funding is directed toward industry-led i

Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Reviews recommendations, including the proposed distribution of the allocation for Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the economic benefits from the Ukraine drone package are distributed across all regions of the United Kingdom, including the North East of England; and what

In April 2026, the Department announced the biggest ever drone package for Ukraine, delivering at least 120,000 drones for Ukraine this year. Most of this spending will be with UK companies, several of which were selected through open and fair competition...

What assessment he has made of whether the UK/EU–Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor could help UK drone manufacturers benefiting from the Ukraine drone package to develop longer-term co-production and technology

The UK continues to assess the strategic landscape across Europe for opportunities that contribute to our collective defence and military industrial resilience. This has included officials meeting representatives of the UK/EU–Ukraine Defence Innovation Co...

What discussions his Department has had with UK (a) SMEs and (b) early-stage defence technology companies on developing (i) counter-drone and (ii) electronic warfare capabilities informed by lessons from Ukraine.

Procurement teams along with the National Armaments group routinely engage with Industry, including subject matter experts, to deliver the capability requirements of UK Armed Forces. These are informed by the current threat picture as well as lessons lear...