Written questions by Francois.

Whether there have been any amendments to the (a) duration, (b) remuneration and (c) other contractual terms of the six additional senior-level experts added to the Strategic Defence Review team since the commencement of their appointments.

The six leading figures supporting the external reviewers continue to support the delivery of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The SDR-which will be published in the Spring-will ensure the United Kingdom is both secure at home and strong abroad, now and for the years to come.

Whether the Strategic Defence Review will be published before the Comprehensive Spending Review on the 11th June.

As the Prime Minister explained in his Defence and Security statement to the House of Commons, the Strategic Defence Review is in an advanced state. The Review will be published in the Spring, and will set strategic direction for Defence for the next decade.

When he plans to respond to Question 36052 on Strategic Defence Review: Contracts, tabled on 6 March 2025 by the Rt hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford.

I responded to the right hon. Member on 3 April 2025.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of retiring HMS Northumberland on the Royal Navy’s operational capacity; and what steps he is taking to support the Royal Navy until the Type 26 frigates are delivered.

I refer the right hon. Member to the response provided by the Minister for the Armed Forces (Luke Pollard) to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) on 10 December 2024 to Question 17147.

What steps he is taking to help mitigate potential delays in the Challenger 3 programme achieving Initial Operating Capability by 2027.

The Armour Main Battle Tank programme has been impacted by some delays within the supply chain. Additional resources have been directed towards resolving these issues and the next phase of trials will start in Quarter 2 2025. Progress will be monitored carefully and any impact on the delivery of Initial Operating Capability will be continually assessed.

What recent progress has been made on the development of the Enhanced Kinetic Energy round for the Challenger 3; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure its lethality matches that of the depleted uranium rounds used with the Challenger 2.

The qualification of selected Enhanced Kinetic Energy ammunition has already started under a bilateral UK-Germany programme. This ammunition will deliver a significant enhancement to the lethality provided by the current ammunition of Challenger 2.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the Challenger 3 remains competitive against (a) Russia’s T-14 Armata and (b) other emerging threats; and whether he plans to upgrade the (i) firepower and (ii) protection systems of the Challenger 3 beyond existing specifications by 2030.

The Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank will deliver a significant improvement in capability over its predecessor, the Challenger 2. Enhancements include a digitalised turret fitted with the latest 120mm smoothbore gun paired with the most lethal ammunition available; world-class UK-designed armour and an Active Protection System; and improved automotive performance. New advanced sighting systems, sensors and processing capabilities will improve situational awareness and interoperability with other units. We are confident that Challenger 3 will continue to match potential threats throughout its lifecycle, but we will continually review the performance of its specification to ensure that it remains world-leading.

What recent estimate he has made of the total cost of the Challenger 3 programme which include budget increases due to (a) technical challenges or (b) inflation; and how this aligns with the original £800 million contract awarded to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land in 2021.

There have not been any increases to the total budget for the Armour Main Battle Tank programme due to technical challenges or inflation. The Approved Budgetary Level for the programme remains £1.9 billion and includes the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land contract.

Whether Parliament will be provided with an updated briefing on the Chagos deal’s implications, in the context of the reported U.S. military build-up at Diego Garcia and its potential to extend operations.

Details of the Treaty agreed between the UK and Mauritius will come before Parliament for scrutiny in the usual manner following its signature. The joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia plays a crucial role in regional and international security. The Treaty will secure the long-term, effective operation of the base.

With reference to paragraph 1.2.of the Office for Budget Responsibility's report entitled Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published on 26 March 2025, what assessment he has made of the (a) affordability and (b) achievability of increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027.

The Government is committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP in 2027, with an ambition to increase to 3% in the next Parliament as fiscal and economic conditions allow. The increase to defence spending is fully funded. ODA is being reduced to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI to fund the additional spend required to ensure we reach 2.5% of GDP on defence spending in 2027-28.

Whether any portion of the £2.2 billion spending uplift for the Ministry of Defence in the 2025-26 financial year is allocated to cover costs associated with the Chagos agreement.

The Diego-Garcia military base agreement is still being finalised, once the treaty is finalised it will be put before Parliament for scrutiny in the usual way.

Whether the annual payment for the lease of Diego Garcia under the proposed Chagos Islands agreement will be funded from the defence budget; and what impact this will have on the Government’s commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.

The funding arrangements for the treaty are still being finalised and no decision has been made at this time.

What approvals process is required for the Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Programme; and what the timescale is for that process.

The Royal Navy’s Merlin helicopter Out-of-Service Date Extension Programme, to retain the capability in service from 2029-30 until 2040, is currently underway through standard Ministry of Defence processes. The Outline Business Case was approved in October 2023. A Review Note was approved in December 2024. Departmental Spend Control Approvals are currently considering whether to commit expenditure for this Programme in 2025-26. The forecast for a Full Business Case submission is in early 2027.

What role the Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Programme has in support of the Continuous At Sea Deterrent.

The Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Programme supports the Continuous At Sea Deterrent by extending the operational life of the Merlin helicopter fleet until 2040. These helicopters provide essential anti-submarine warfare capabilities, ensuring the security and readiness of the Royal Navy's deterrent patrols.

When he plans to approve the Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Programme.

The Royal Navy’s Merlin helicopter Out-of-Service Date Extension Programme, to retain the capability in service from 2029-30 until 2040, is currently underway through standard Ministry of Defence processes. The Outline Business Case was approved in October 2023. A Review Note was approved in December 2024. Departmental Spend Control Approvals are currently considering whether to commit expenditure for this Programme in 2025-26. The forecast for a Full Business Case submission is in early 2027.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of verification interactions using the Digital Veterans ID card on the safety of veterans; and whether he has developed mitigations for potential risks.

The Digital Veteran Card will be launched this year as the first digital credential in the GOV.UK Wallet. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has robust governance arrangements in place overseeing its effective design and delivery, including ethical and security considerations. The Digital Veteran Card continues this Government’s commitment to veterans, giving them swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with health, housing and employment to access to retail offers. It is in addition to the existing physical Veteran Card already held by over 250,000 former Service personnel across the country. The digital card will be entirely optional for our veterans. It may also be helpful to further explain that the Digital Veteran Card is being developed jointly by the MOD and the Government Digital Service (GDS). It will use GOV.UK One Login which already allows users to securely prove their identity online to access Government services. The Digital Veteran Card will be saved securely in the GOV.UK Wallet, allowing veterans to show it to organisations on their smartphones and prove their eligibility to access services. The GOV.UK Wallet follows industry standards for security, and further technical standards will be adhered to in order to ensure interoperability. The Veteran Card credential will enable a veteran to prove they are a veteran to an organisation without disclosing unnecessary information. This can reduce the sensitive information organisations might otherwise collect and therefore avoid unnecessary data sharing. The security of our veterans, including those who served in sensitive operations, remains paramount. In designing the Veteran Card, The MOD has engaged across the sector, including veteran charities, associations and with veterans themselves. This shaped how the service is designed and what information is held on the Veteran Card; it will not include sensitive service history.

What (a) governance structure and (b) ethical oversight mechanisms have been established for the Digital Veterans ID card.

The Digital Veteran Card will be launched this year as the first digital credential in the GOV.UK Wallet. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has robust governance arrangements in place overseeing its effective design and delivery, including ethical and security considerations. The Digital Veteran Card continues this Government’s commitment to veterans, giving them swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with health, housing and employment to access to retail offers. It is in addition to the existing physical Veteran Card already held by over 250,000 former Service personnel across the country. The digital card will be entirely optional for our veterans. It may also be helpful to further explain that the Digital Veteran Card is being developed jointly by the MOD and the Government Digital Service (GDS). It will use GOV.UK One Login which already allows users to securely prove their identity online to access Government services. The Digital Veteran Card will be saved securely in the GOV.UK Wallet, allowing veterans to show it to organisations on their smartphones and prove their eligibility to access services. The GOV.UK Wallet follows industry standards for security, and further technical standards will be adhered to in order to ensure interoperability. The Veteran Card credential will enable a veteran to prove they are a veteran to an organisation without disclosing unnecessary information. This can reduce the sensitive information organisations might otherwise collect and therefore avoid unnecessary data sharing. The security of our veterans, including those who served in sensitive operations, remains paramount. In designing the Veteran Card, The MOD has engaged across the sector, including veteran charities, associations and with veterans themselves. This shaped how the service is designed and what information is held on the Veteran Card; it will not include sensitive service history.

What formal agreements have been established with (a) the Department for Work and Pensions, (b) NHS England and (c) local housing authorities on the (i) acceptance and (ii) integration of the Digital Veterans ID card for priority service access; what technical standards will be used to ensure interoperability; and when it will become operational for those services.

The Digital Veteran Card will be launched this year as the first digital credential in the GOV.UK Wallet. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has robust governance arrangements in place overseeing its effective design and delivery, including ethical and security considerations. The Digital Veteran Card continues this Government’s commitment to veterans, giving them swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with health, housing and employment to access to retail offers. It is in addition to the existing physical Veteran Card already held by over 250,000 former Service personnel across the country. The digital card will be entirely optional for our veterans. It may also be helpful to further explain that the Digital Veteran Card is being developed jointly by the MOD and the Government Digital Service (GDS). It will use GOV.UK One Login which already allows users to securely prove their identity online to access Government services. The Digital Veteran Card will be saved securely in the GOV.UK Wallet, allowing veterans to show it to organisations on their smartphones and prove their eligibility to access services. The GOV.UK Wallet follows industry standards for security, and further technical standards will be adhered to in order to ensure interoperability. The Veteran Card credential will enable a veteran to prove they are a veteran to an organisation without disclosing unnecessary information. This can reduce the sensitive information organisations might otherwise collect and therefore avoid unnecessary data sharing. The security of our veterans, including those who served in sensitive operations, remains paramount. In designing the Veteran Card, The MOD has engaged across the sector, including veteran charities, associations and with veterans themselves. This shaped how the service is designed and what information is held on the Veteran Card; it will not include sensitive service history.

Which veteran organisations representing people who served in sensitive operations were consulted during the discovery phase of the Digital Veterans ID card; how their feedback was incorporated; and what design changes resulted.

The Digital Veteran Card will be launched this year as the first digital credential in the GOV.UK Wallet. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has robust governance arrangements in place overseeing its effective design and delivery, including ethical and security considerations. The Digital Veteran Card continues this Government’s commitment to veterans, giving them swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with health, housing and employment to access to retail offers. It is in addition to the existing physical Veteran Card already held by over 250,000 former Service personnel across the country. The digital card will be entirely optional for our veterans. It may also be helpful to further explain that the Digital Veteran Card is being developed jointly by the MOD and the Government Digital Service (GDS). It will use GOV.UK One Login which already allows users to securely prove their identity online to access Government services. The Digital Veteran Card will be saved securely in the GOV.UK Wallet, allowing veterans to show it to organisations on their smartphones and prove their eligibility to access services. The GOV.UK Wallet follows industry standards for security, and further technical standards will be adhered to in order to ensure interoperability. The Veteran Card credential will enable a veteran to prove they are a veteran to an organisation without disclosing unnecessary information. This can reduce the sensitive information organisations might otherwise collect and therefore avoid unnecessary data sharing. The security of our veterans, including those who served in sensitive operations, remains paramount. In designing the Veteran Card, The MOD has engaged across the sector, including veteran charities, associations and with veterans themselves. This shaped how the service is designed and what information is held on the Veteran Card; it will not include sensitive service history.

How many RAF personnel were awaiting flying training on 10 March 2025.

As of 3 March 2025, there were 35 RAF Aircrew who had completed their initial non-role specific RAF training and were awaiting commencement of formal flying training; consisting of 21 Officers and 14 Non-Commissioned Aircrew.