Written questions by Akehurst.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of gender dysphoria clinics in the North East of England.

NHS England is committed to supporting people who need these specialist gender services and commissions three adult gender dysphoria clinics in Newcastle, Sheffield, and Leeds. While they are regionally commissioned to meet the demand of the local population, these services are accessed by patients from across the country and this has an impact on waiting times.In some areas, general practices (GPs) are also supporting stabilised patients by prescribing their treatment locally with specialist support, ensuring the care and treatment needs of these individuals are met locally when appropriate.NHS England has now completed its review of adult gender services, which looked at how to overcome the challenges that some individuals continue to face in accessing services in a timely manner. The review includes 20 recommendations and NHS England, in full partnership with regions and the Department, will now lead the next stage of the system-wide response.A National Portfolio Board is being established to build and develop a full implementation plan, which will address each of the recommendations in turn and be aligned with the ambitions of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/10-year-health-plan-for-englandImmediate priorities include working with professional bodies to establish a new professional role of GP with an Extended Role in Gender Medicine, to provide support to those who have completed their care within the adult gender service clinics and to provide leadership and knowledge sharing with primary care in every neighbourhood.

How many people are currently on the waiting list for gender dysphoria clinics in i) the North East of England and ii) nationally.

The number of adult patients who are registered with a general practice in the North East and Yorkshire region and who are on a waiting list for an adult gender dysphoria clinic is 5,966 at the date of 31 January 2026.The total number of adult patients on a waiting list for an adult gender dysphoria clinic is 44,579 at the date of 31 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to assess the number of people who are not able to access a social home due to pre-tenancy affordability checks.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 98397 on 17 December 2025.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the £80 million funding announced for children’s hospices in October 2025 on the (a) availability and (b) sustainability of community-based social palliative care services for children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses.

Children’s hospices often provide holistic care, wrap-around services and additional support to children and their families that extend beyond core healthcare provision. This, for example, includes complementary therapies, respite care, and short breaks. The £80 million of revenue funding should help give children’s hospices the stability they need to plan ahead and will help them to continue to offer social palliative care services, such as respite care and short breaks, for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, as well as their families.We see children’s hospices and children’s social palliative care services as playing an important role in neighbourhood health and the shift to community. Achieving our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service will rely critically on strong partnership working between health and social care, also working closely with wider local government services and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way.We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. Our aim is to have a Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.

What assessment he has made of the potential role of community-based social palliative care services for children in the context of his policy on shifting care from hospital to community settings.

Children’s hospices often provide holistic care, wrap-around services and additional support to children and their families that extend beyond core healthcare provision. This, for example, includes complementary therapies, respite care, and short breaks. The £80 million of revenue funding should help give children’s hospices the stability they need to plan ahead and will help them to continue to offer social palliative care services, such as respite care and short breaks, for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, as well as their families.We see children’s hospices and children’s social palliative care services as playing an important role in neighbourhood health and the shift to community. Achieving our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service will rely critically on strong partnership working between health and social care, also working closely with wider local government services and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way.We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. Our aim is to have a Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.

Whether the Department is considering Project GRAYBURN as the anchor for a longer-term strategic supplier relationship covering wider dismounted close combat weapons and associated support.

Project GRAYBURN seeks to establish a strategic relationship with industry to deliver, manage, spirally develop and support the weapons portfolio. In time, this could be extended to the wider dismounted close combat weapons portfolio.

What plans he has to help ensure increased investment in defence innovation and supply chains arising from lessons learned in Ukraine for regional areas including North Durham.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has established UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) which represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) approaches innovation.Learning lessons from Ukraine as well as other international partners UKDI will act and operate differently, ruthlessly prioritising to focus on the areas with most potential, with significant freedoms to contract with speed, simplicity, and flexibility, harnessing and bolstering the competitiveness of the UK’s tech sector. UKDI has established Regional and Devolved Authorities Engagement Teams across the UK to systematically identify and nurture dual-use innovation from SMEs, mid-tier companies, and academic spin-outs. The core mission of the Regional and Devolved Authorities Engagement Teams is to deliver targeted outreach, support business development, foster supply chain collaboration, and accelerate the commercialisation of emerging technologies aligned with Defence and National Security priorities. These teams will facilitate regional access to defence-focused loans, investors, and venture builder services, while gathering critical market intelligence for MOD and National Security stakeholders.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for (a) his Department’s policies and (b) the Strategic Defence Review of Ukraine’s use of rapidly developed battlefield technologies, particularly in relation to accelerating UK capability development.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 31 March 2026 to Question 123249 to the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Holden).

What assessment the Department has made of the industrial lead times associated with establishing UK small arms manufacturing capacity for Project GRAYBURN, including facilities, specialist machinery, and workforce requirements.

Project GRAYBURN is in the formal concept phase and therefore the scope, timeline and complexity are yet to be determined. Project GRAYBURN will deliver against the Defence Industrial Strategy and our strategic partnership with industry will generate new long-term skilled jobs, including in STEM, and increase our industrial capacity and resilience.

What assessment the Department has made of the operational risks of replacing the SA80 service weapon without including modern optics within the scope of Project GRAYBURN.

Project GRAYBURN is in the Concept Phase during which the requirements for modern optics will be defined.

Whether his Department plans to engage with early-stage initiatives such as the UK/EU–Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor to support collaboration on defence innovation and capability development.

Ministry of Defence officials met representatives of the UK/EU-Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor in March 2026 and advised on how any proposal could best align with existing UK-Ukraine defence engagement. We will keep early‑stage initiatives under review. Regarding helping UK companies exporting to Ukraine, building on our seventh and largest Trade Mission programme to Ukraine in March 2026; we are opening a Business Centre in Kyiv later this year, as we move to a permanent presence in Ukraine. This will help UK firms identify collaboration, partnership, and future export opportunities, for the UK and Ukraine's mutual benefit.

What steps his Department is taking to assess the potential for UK companies to access future partnership and export opportunities arising from the UK/EU–Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor.

Ministry of Defence officials met representatives of the UK/EU-Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor in March 2026 and advised on how any proposal could best align with existing UK-Ukraine defence engagement. We will keep early‑stage initiatives under review. Regarding helping UK companies exporting to Ukraine, building on our seventh and largest Trade Mission programme to Ukraine in March 2026; we are opening a Business Centre in Kyiv later this year, as we move to a permanent presence in Ukraine. This will help UK firms identify collaboration, partnership, and future export opportunities, for the UK and Ukraine's mutual benefit.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on UK air and missile defence of Ukraine’s approach to air defence, including the role of trained personnel and real-time coordination.

The UK Armed Forces are drawing key lessons from Ukraine, particularly the need for a much faster ‘learn and adapt’ cycle to accelerate developments in our capabilities, doctrine, and tactics. Lessons from both Ukraine and the Middle East are already being applied to deliver cost-effective air defence solutions for the UK and its partners. The Strategic Defence Review announced up to £1 billion for UK air and missile defence. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Reviews recommendations, including on Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

What the proposed timeline is for Project GRAYBURN, including the anticipated date of contract award; and what assessment his Department has made of the principal risks to delivering the first 10,000 new weapons into service by 2030.

Project GRAYBURN is currently in the concept phase with the aim of identifying and understanding requirements. As the exact delivery schedule will be determined in due course, I am unable to provide further detail at this stage.

What assessment the Department has made of the potential strategic benefits of restoring sovereign UK capability for the manufacture, maintenance and through-life support of small arms used by the British Armed Forces.

The potential strategic benefits of restoring sovereign UK capability for the manufacture, maintenance and through-life support of small arms include greater strategic resilience, operational independence, skilled jobs, export opportunities and the development of a strategic partner relationship between the Ministry of Defence and industry. This could contribute to the wider ambition of the Defence Industrial Strategy to deliver a resilient UK industrial base and make Defence an engine for growth. Project GRAYBURN is in the Concept Phase. As such, it is considering the potential strategic benefits of restoring sovereign UK capability for the manufacture, maintenance and through-life support of small arms used by the Ministry of Defence.

What steps his Department is taking to incorporate lessons from Ukraine into the development of UK air and missile defence capabilities, including counter-drone systems and electronic warfare.

The UK’s Armed Forces are learning much from the war in Ukraine, particularly the need for a much faster ‘learn and adapt’ cycle to accelerate developments in our capabilities, doctrine, and tactics. More broadly, the Strategic Defence Review considered all aspects of Defence, including the capabilities required by the UK to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the twenty-first century. Integrated Air and Missile Defence investments will be prioritised appropriately against the assessed threat picture as part of the future Integrated Force. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on Integrated Air and Missile Defence, drones and electromagnetic warfare will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2026 to Question 117978 on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, how many registrations have been entered on the enhanced tier since the scheme's inception; and which countries have been identified on the enhanced tier.

The Foreign Influence Registration scheme came into force on 1 July 2025 with Russia and Iran specified on the enhanced tier.The Government do not intend to provide details of registrations beyond those that appear on the public Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) register, as doing so could identify information not intended to be published and undermine the scheme’s objectives. Registrations under the enhanced tier are not published unless they relate to political influence activities; there are also circumstances in which publication will not occur, for example where publication could create a risk to the safety or interests of the UK.An annual report on the operation of FIRS will be laid before Parliament. This will include, among other things, the number of registrations under both tiers, the number of information notices issued, and the number of people charged and prosecuted for failing to comply with the scheme’s requirements. The first report will be published as soon as practicable after 30 June 2026.

What assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of delays to Challenger 3, Boxer, RCH155 and the Protected Mobility fleet on the British Army’s war‑fighting ability.

The ability to conduct high-end warfighting remains the core of the British Army, including being able to deploy a lethal warfighting Division that is fit for the modern battlefield. The Department conducts an annual Capability Audit to assess our ability to meet Defence commitments and policy objectives. This process considers the impact of any changes or delays across all major programmes. While detailed assessments cannot be shared for operational security reasons, we continue to monitor these programmes closely and manage any associated risks.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of converting Type 31 frigates into air‑defence or land‑attack variants through installation of Mk41 Vertical Launch Systems.

The Type 31 frigate has been designed with flexibility and adaptability in mind, including provision within its baseline design to accommodate a range of future capability enhancements as required.As part of routine capability planning, the Ministry of Defence keeps potential upgrades to all Royal Navy platforms under regular review.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the difference in time horizons between venture capital of three to four years, and defence procurement cycles that exceed a decade, on private investment in the domestic defence sector.

Venture capital is only a sub-section of the capital available to support defence and our transition to warfighting readiness; venture capital is most suited to innovative, high-growth potential companies, not the large defence programmes with the longest timelines and procurement cycles. Through Procurement Segmentation, as announced in the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy, we are establishing a ‘rapid commercial exploitation’ segment and distinct acquisition pathways which will enable a time-to-contract of three-months for innovative technologies, more closely aligning the timelines between investors and defence. This will drive the investability and bankability of the defence sector, in parallel to the support offered by the newly established UK Defence Innovation and wider public financial institutions (for example, the British Business Bank). The Defence Finance and Investment Strategy, to be published in Spring, will provide a comprehensive view of the measures to increase the available capital to improve warfighting readiness while also driving growth.