Written questions by Dhesi.

If he will list the media organisations given advance sight of the Strategic Defence Review prior to its publication.

As the hon. Member will be aware, the Secretary of State for Defence has been determined to reset the relationship between Parliament and the Ministry of Defence, increasing transparency and openness. The Department sought to reflect this determination for the publication of the Strategic Defence Review, and to build on the approach made for previous defence reviews. On the day of the launch, we offered embargoed copies of the Strategic Defence Review to key stakeholders, including the House of Commons Defence Committee, media organisations and others. This was done in good faith, reflecting the contribution by stakeholders to the first-of-its-kind review. We therefore invited the Defence Correspondents Association and several additional outlets to cover UK national media.

What steps he is taking to increase the provision of real time information on a) civilian and b) emergency services air traffic to military jets during low altitude training exercises.

The primary measure in open airspace remains airmanship and the 'see and avoid' principle. There are a range of measures already in place to provide additional real time information on civilian air traffic during low level training. This includes communication with Air Traffic Control and the Low Flying Booking Service, datalinks, information from aircraft transponders and increasingly sophisticated on-board sensors and surveillance equipment.

If he will list the private sector organisations given advance sight of the Strategic Defence Review prior to its publication.

As the hon. Member will be aware, the Secretary of State for Defence has been determined to reset the relationship between Parliament and the Ministry of Defence, increasing transparency and openness. The Department sought to reflect this determination for the publication of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), and to build on the approach made for previous defence reviews. On the day of the launch, we offered embargoed copies of the SDR to key stakeholders, including the House of Commons Defence Committee, certain industry representatives and others. This was done in good faith, reflecting the contribution by stakeholders to the first-of-its-kind review. The list of industry representatives that read the SDR in this manner is below:Group 1MBDA ThalesLeidos Rolls-RoyceAirbus Defence & Space BAE SystemsLeonardo BabcockLockheed Martin ADSBoeing Defence UK techUKQinetiQ MakeUK Group 2Adarga Ltd Lockheed MartinADS Make UKAirbus MDBAAnduril MicrosoftAsia Group MitreAtlas-Elektronik Newton EuropeBabcock NortalBAE Systems Northrup GrummanBoeing PalantirCallen-Lenz QinetiQCapewell RaytheonCGI RheinmetallChemring Rolls RoyceDecision Analysis Services SAABDXC SercoElbit Systems Society of Maritime InstitutesFujitsu Spirit AerosystemsGeneral Dynamics TechUKGinkgo Bioworks Tetra TechHanwha ThalesHelsing AI The MTCHVM Catapult UK DSCL3 Harris Ultra MaritimeLeidos Leonardo

Whether any military officers have been sent to Israel for the purposes of monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza.

No. A small number of UK planning officers have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), including a 2* deputy commander, to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.

How many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.

In this instance, ‘disciplinary process’ has been defined as a misconduct and discpline case and ‘officials’ as Civil Servants. The table below shows the total number of misconduct cases over the last five years. Financial YearNumber of Misconduct cases2020-211512021-221512022-232092023-243042024-25334 The total numbers of misconduct cases that had full investigations is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

What steps he is taking to improve systems for delivering oxygen to battlefield trauma casualties without making use of pressurised cylinders; and what estimate he has made of when this will be available for frontline use.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) deploys oxygen concentrators under certain circumstances to deliver oxygen without pressurised cylinders. The Defence Investment Plan will set out any further funding available to support the wider roll out of oxygen concentrators to deliver oxygen to battlefield trauma casualties.

What recent progress his Department has made on exhaust emissions tests on in-service helicopters.

The Ministry of Defence has previously conducted multiple sampling surveys on the, now out of service, Sea King helicopter between 1999 and 2015. These previous surveys found no conclusive evidence to suggest that aircrew were subject to exposure levels above UK and international safety standards. In response to recent concerns regarding the emissions of out of service helicopters, including the Sea King and Wessex, the Ministry of Defence has commenced a programme a programme of exhaust emission substance sampling for its in-service helicopter fleet. Modern helicopters and their engines are developed and certified to recognised standards with stringent emissions requirements and there is no current evidence to suggest personnel are at risk from current in-service helicopters. We are proactively conducting this work to ensure we are meeting our legal duty of care to our people. It is vital we can reassure them of their safety while at work. The testing programme commenced in February 2025 and is ongoing. Throughout, we are balancing the need to conduct testing with the operational requirements and availability of the aircraft.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of in-service helicopters' exhaust emissions that have been tested in the last five years.

The Ministry of Defence has previously conducted multiple sampling surveys on the, now out of service, Sea King helicopter between 1999 and 2015. These previous surveys found no conclusive evidence to suggest that aircrew were subject to exposure levels above UK and international safety standards. In response to recent concerns regarding the emissions of out of service helicopters, including the Sea King and Wessex, the Ministry of Defence has commenced a programme a programme of exhaust emission substance sampling for its in-service helicopter fleet. Modern helicopters and their engines are developed and certified to recognised standards with stringent emissions requirements and there is no current evidence to suggest personnel are at risk from current in-service helicopters. We are proactively conducting this work to ensure we are meeting our legal duty of care to our people. It is vital we can reassure them of their safety while at work. The testing programme commenced in February 2025 and is ongoing. Throughout, we are balancing the need to conduct testing with the operational requirements and availability of the aircraft.

Whether he is taking steps to increase domestic steel production capabilities for products required by the UK defence industry.

The UK steel sector provides vital support to the UK’s defence capabilities. Steel used in our major Defence programmes is sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, as programmes may often have requirements for specialist steel which cannot be sourced in the UK. The amount and origins of steel procured for Defence programmes is included in the Department for Business and Trade’s annual Steel Public Procurement report which can be found on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/steel-public-procurement The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is developing a Defence Industrial Strategy that will align this Government’s national security and economic priorities. This will include a review of the UK’s approach to critical supply chain elements, such as steel, alongside reviewing and reconfirming the areas where the UK needs to retain sovereign production capacities onshore. The Government will also bring forward a new cross Government Steel Strategy which will establish a long-term vision for the industry, promoting long-term growth, that aligns with wider priorities, including the trade strategy, Strategic Defence Review and the upcoming Modern Industrial Strategy.

What estimate he has made of the proportion of British-made steel procured by the UK defence industry in the last year.

The UK steel sector provides vital support to the UK’s defence capabilities. Steel used in our major Defence programmes is sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, as programmes may often have requirements for specialist steel which cannot be sourced in the UK. The amount and origins of steel procured for Defence programmes is included in the Department for Business and Trade’s annual Steel Public Procurement report which can be found on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/steel-public-procurement The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is developing a Defence Industrial Strategy that will align this Government’s national security and economic priorities. This will include a review of the UK’s approach to critical supply chain elements, such as steel, alongside reviewing and reconfirming the areas where the UK needs to retain sovereign production capacities onshore. The Government will also bring forward a new cross Government Steel Strategy which will establish a long-term vision for the industry, promoting long-term growth, that aligns with wider priorities, including the trade strategy, Strategic Defence Review and the upcoming Modern Industrial Strategy.

What the average waiting time was to resolve urgent repairs requested for service family accommodation in the last 12 months.

The average response time to resolve urgent repairs requested for Service Family Accommodation from April 2024 to March 2025 is below: MonthAverage Response Time In HoursApril 202438.48May 202437.99June 202433.50July 202438.10August 202440.43September 202438.35October 202440.98November 202438.26December 202436.30January 202540.86February 202536.05March 202538.39 Please note, the Department can only provide data up to the last quarterly period which ended in March 2025.

If he will review Indefinite Leave to Remain visa fees for family members of non-UK armed forces personnel.

This Government is committed to removing visa fees for non-UK veterans who have served our country for four or more years, and their dependents. The Ministry of Defence is actively working with the Home Office to take this forward.

If he will provide an update on surveillance flights over Gaza in the last month.

Since December 2023 the Ministry of Defence has conducted surveillance flights within the airspace over Israel and Gaza, solely for the purpose of locating hostages. I am unable to comment further on detailed intelligence matters.

Whether his Department has provided military assistance to Israel since March 2025.

The Ministry of Defence has provided military assistance to Israel since March 2025 for the sole purpose of rescuing hostages in Gaza.

What estimate he has made of the number of animals used for Defence Science and Technology Laboratory research in 2024.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) remit to provide safe and effective countermeasures for UK Armed Forces could not currently be achieved without some use of animals. The Ministry of Defence does not conduct animal experiments for the development or testing of offensive weapons. Dstl is committed to the principles of Reduction, Replacement and Refinement (3Rs) in its use of laboratory animals, and only use animals where no feasible alternative methodologies exist. In 2024, Dstl used 679 animals in procedures regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).

What recent discussions he has had with defence manufacturers on skills levels in that sector.

The Ministry of Defence is working closely with the defence industry to ensure we have the skilled workforce we require across the defence sector and this is an important focus in the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy. We will continue working with industry, including through the newly established Defence Industrial Joint Council, to ensure the sector has access to the skilled workforce it requires now and into the future.

Whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within the defence sector.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the UK with over 25,000 apprenticeships across the Armed Forces and Civil Service in 2024. The MOD is working closely with the Department for Education and with the defence industry to ensure we have the skilled workforce we require across the defence sector. This is an important focus in the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

What assessment he has made of the stability of the semiconductor supply chain for the UK defence industry.

The Department is actively engaged in de-risking critical defence supply chain vulnerabilities, including for semiconductors, working collaboratively with industry and our international partners to mitigate risks. We aim to identify critical pinch points in our supply chains, for example, critical components, to enable us to make informed decisions around how and if to intervene. The Strategic Review and Defence Industrial Strategy will restate the importance of robust and resilience supply chains to ensure the delivery of critical defence outputs and keep the UK safe and secure.

What recent discussions he has had with SMEs on barriers to defence procurement.

As part of our development of the Defence Industrial Strategy I have attended a series of Roundtable events with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the United Kingdom. These events provide an opportunity to engage with SMEs across the defence supply chain, and to receive feedback on their experiences of doing business with defence, including the challenges which they encounter. In addition to this, planning for a new SME Support Centre for SMEs has started. Officials have held multiple consultation events with SMEs and defence industry to ensure that the new service meets defence SMEs needs. We will be holding more consultation events in the coming weeks.

Whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on an unified security clearance system across the (a) Ministry for Defence, (b) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and (c) Home Office for prospective suppliers in the defence sector.

I can confirm that there is a unified security clearance system for His Majesty's Government, provided by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), which is part of the Cabinet Office. UKSV is the single government vetting provider of National Security Vetting, including for suppliers, or prospective suppliers, where personnel require a national security clearance. I am meeting cross government colleagues shortly to continue His Majesty’s Government co-ordination of our vetting efforts.