Written questions by Bowie.

If he will take steps to improve access to market for small and advanced modular reactors outside of the down-selection process.

New nuclear power stations will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. As the government has already demonstrated, it will consider measures to break down barriers to delivery of clean energy, including nuclear, and support this country becoming a clean energy superpower.

What his Department's policy is on the deployment of nuclear technology at Oldbury.

Nuclear can play an important role in helping to achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of skilled jobs. As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, and is now owned by Great British Nuclear, Oldbury can play an important role in new nuclear in the UK, and we will set out our plans for the site in due course.

What steps his Department plans to take to support the roll-out of small modular reactors.

Great British Nuclear, the Department’s arm’s-length body responsible for helping deliver the government’s nuclear programme is currently running a small modular reactor technology selection process for UK deployment. This is a live procurement and is on-going. The window for submitting tenders has now closed and Great British Nuclear is currently evaluating bids. We look forward to providing further information in due course.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the value of the Scotch whisky industry to the economy.

According to research published by the Scotch Whisky Association, the Scotch Whisky industry contributed £7.1 billion to the UK economy in 2022, supporting 66,000 jobs across the UK. Scotch Whisky is also the UK’s leading food and drink export, with exports valued at £5.6 billion in 2023. My department continues to support this economically vital industry by opening new markets, tackling trade barriers and challenging unfair trade practices around the world to maximise international opportunities.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Civil nuclear roadmap to 2050, published in January 2024, whether he plans to meet the target of producing 24GW of energy by nuclear by 2050.

The Government supports new nuclear and believes there is a strong role for it in making this country a clean energy superpower. We want to see Hinkley Point C operational this decade and extensions to the currently operating fleet, and we are working at pace to reach a Final Investment Decision for Sizewell C, in which the Government is the majority shareholder. Furthermore, Great British Nuclear is continuing to deliver the SMR technology selection process, with bids now being evaluated.

What steps he is taking to support exports of small modular reactor technologies to Poland.

The UK has established strong civil nuclear relationships with Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and is working closely to coordinate and drive collaboration, including on critical enabling policy such as regulation, financing, operator capabilities, fuels, supply chains, and waste management. We want the UK to be a clean energy superpower, delivering net zero and industrial decarbonisation at home and overseas, so we are pleased to support the nuclear supply chain, including UK Small Modular Reactor (SMR) vendors, seeking to export to responsible nuclear nations, including across Europe.

What steps he is taking to help ensure better provision of mental health support for veterans.

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am leading work across Government and with Civil Society to look at the best ways to ensure veterans and their families get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need. NHS England offers Op COURAGE: the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, which provides a broad range of specialist mental health and wellbeing care and support for service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families. More information and contact details on Op COURAGE can be found here:www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/armed-forces-community/mental-health/veterans-reservists. As health is devolved, I am also looking forward to working with counterparts in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments on this important issue.

What steps he plans to take to help increase exports from companies in the north east of Scotland.

My department continues to work with Scottish Government and Scottish Development International to boost exports across Scotland. We specifically work with Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, North east and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to support export growth from the north east.This Government recognises that the north east is well placed to play a key role in sectors including energy and food and drink. DBT Scotland has dedicated specialists covering these areas in addition to technology, finance and professional business services, and life sciences to take advantage of the DBT offer and increase exports from the north east of Scotland. In addition, the UK Wide Export Champions programme is uniquely operated in Scotland as a mutually appointed partnership with Scottish Development International and the Scottish Government.

What assessment he has made of the potential economic impact of proceeding with the construction of a GW scale reactor at Wylfa.

As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, and is now owned by Great British Nuclear, Wylfa can play an important role in new nuclear in the UK, and we will set out our plans for the site in due course. The Government has not yet carried out an assessment of the economic impact any future project would have at that location. However, according to EDF, Hinkley Point C is supporting up to 12,000 jobs during construction and will support 900 permanent jobs during its 60 years of operation.

Where the office of Armed Forces Commissioner will be based.

The Armed Forces Commissioner is the first in a series of steps that will be taken by the new Government to improve Service life and renew the contract between the nation and those who serve.The Armed Forces Commissioner will be a direct point of contact for Service personnel and their families to raise issues which impact on service life.The Armed Forces Commissioner will have the power to investigate individual complaints and to proactively launch independent reviews into issues affecting Service personnel and their families more widely, and to lay those reports before Parliament. The new Commissioner will have a right of access to information, sites and personnel in order to fulfil their role. The Commissioner will incorporate the functions currently undertaken by the Service Complaints Ombudsman.The Armed Forces Commissioner will strengthen Parliamentary oversight of issues facing our Armed Forces personnel and their families. The Commissioner will be subject to pre-appointment scrutiny by the Defence Select Committee and will report directly to Parliament, not ministers, via an annual report.There will be opportunities to debate all aspects of the role, remit and operation of Armed Forces Commissioner when the Government brings forward the Legislation outlined in the King’s Speech. Details on budget, pay, grade, staffing and office location will be set out in due course.

What the salary will be of the Armed Forces Commissioner.

The Armed Forces Commissioner is the first in a series of steps that will be taken by the new Government to improve Service life and renew the contract between the nation and those who serve.The Armed Forces Commissioner will be a direct point of contact for Service personnel and their families to raise issues which impact on service life.The Armed Forces Commissioner will have the power to investigate individual complaints and to proactively launch independent reviews into issues affecting Service personnel and their families more widely, and to lay those reports before Parliament. The new Commissioner will have a right of access to information, sites and personnel in order to fulfil their role. The Commissioner will incorporate the functions currently undertaken by the Service Complaints Ombudsman.The Armed Forces Commissioner will strengthen Parliamentary oversight of issues facing our Armed Forces personnel and their families. The Commissioner will be subject to pre-appointment scrutiny by the Defence Select Committee and will report directly to Parliament, not ministers, via an annual report.There will be opportunities to debate all aspects of the role, remit and operation of Armed Forces Commissioner when the Government brings forward the Legislation outlined in the King’s Speech. Details on budget, pay, grade, staffing and office location will be set out in due course.

When he plans to appoint the Armed Forces Commissioner.

The Armed Forces Commissioner is the first in a series of steps that will be taken by the new Government to improve Service life and renew the contract between the nation and those who serve.The Armed Forces Commissioner will be a direct point of contact for Service personnel and their families to raise issues which impact on service life.The Armed Forces Commissioner will have the power to investigate individual complaints and to proactively launch independent reviews into issues affecting Service personnel and their families more widely, and to lay those reports before Parliament. The new Commissioner will have a right of access to information, sites and personnel in order to fulfil their role. The Commissioner will incorporate the functions currently undertaken by the Service Complaints Ombudsman.The Armed Forces Commissioner will strengthen Parliamentary oversight of issues facing our Armed Forces personnel and their families. The Commissioner will be subject to pre-appointment scrutiny by the Defence Select Committee and will report directly to Parliament, not ministers, via an annual report.There will be opportunities to debate all aspects of the role, remit and operation of Armed Forces Commissioner when the Government brings forward the Legislation outlined in the King’s Speech. Details on budget, pay, grade, staffing and office location will be set out in due course.

What steps he is taking to improve support for veterans in Northern Ireland.

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who have served our country. I am leading work across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans and their families get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need, across the whole of the United Kingdom. In Northern Ireland, the Veterans Welfare Service provides information and practical support to veterans and their families, including timely physiotherapy and psychological therapies to eligible veterans. The Defence Medical Welfare Service pilot supports veterans’ health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland and provides insight that will improve our understanding of veterans’ health needs. Veterans in need of housing advice can contact the Government's single housing support pathway, Op FORTITUDE, where a dedicated team of advisers work to assist veterans across the UK.

What steps he is taking to tackle the (a) risks and (b) challenges arising from their service that military personnel can face to their mental health.

Ensuring veterans have access to the mental heath support they need is a priority for this Government. I am leading work across Government and with Civil Society to look at the best ways to ensure veterans and their families get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need The MOD delivers a number of existing initiatives that firstly aim to prevent mental ill-health through adopting healthy practices and awareness training, and subsequently to provide support to those who may be struggling. For those personnel requiring medical intervention the Defence Medical Services (DMS) provide a responsive, flexible, accessible, and comprehensive treatment service, through its mental health clinical professionals who have extensive experience in treatment of mental health problems and psychological injury. In addition to the specialist diagnosis and treatment, there is a range of other options for mental health support for Service Personnel including on-demand digital resources, and in-person welfare establishments. Pre and post deployment briefing is provided to all personnel (whether Regular or mobilised Reservists) to ensure that the availability of support is highlighted at times when stressors may be heightened.

What funding he plans to provide to support the Veterans Welfare Service in Northern Ireland.

The Veterans Welfare Service (Northern Ireland) became the responsibility of Defence Business Services on 1 April 2023. Budgets are allocated within Defence Business Services at the delivery of veterans' services level, and it is not normally possible to break this information down to individual services. As part of the transfer of responsibility, funding of £805,000 for Financial Year 2024-25 was transferred to Defence Business Services to cover the pay and ongoing contract costs of the Veterans Welfare Service (Northern Ireland).

What steps he is taking to improve support for female veterans.

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am leading work across Government and with Civil Society to look at the best ways to ensure all veterans, including women veterans, and their families get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need.

If he will fund further research relating to suicide amongst (a) serving personnel and (b) veterans.

As the responsible Minister for leading the work on the mental health of all our serving and former Serving personnel, I take this matter extremely seriously.The Ministry of Defence continues to monitor the long-term impact of operational deployments. A study mapping the mortality rates and causes of death, including suicide, of military personnel who served since 2001, including those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is underway. The focus of this study is to understand the long-term impact of military service. It will compare findings with the general population. The Defence Suicide Register has also been launched. This is an ongoing Defence-led project to provide an evidence-base specific to Serving personnel by better understanding circumstances surrounding individual deaths. It draws together information from multiple data sources across Defence, enabling internal analysis across organisational boundaries to inform evidence-based prevention, intervention, and postvention activity. Research suggests that the risk of suicide in our veteran population as a whole is no higher than that in the general population. However, it suggests that certain younger cohorts of veterans may be at a higher risk. The Office for Veterans’ Affairs is working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans have access to the health support they need.

If he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of his policy on granting new North Sea exploration licences on employment levels in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeenshire.

This Government will ensure a phased and responsible North Sea transition. We will manage the North Sea in a way that does not jeopardise jobs. The Government is taking action to coordinate our approach to ensure a just transition, which would allow offshore oil and gas workers to benefit from the economic opportunities arising from the net zero transition, particularly in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire We will share more details on our plans for oil and gas in due course. Any future legislative changes would follow the relevant processes, including an impact assessment where appropriate.

Whether he has met with the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.

Whether he is taking steps to seek new investors for Sizewell C.

Discussions with potential investors participating in the equity raise process are ongoing. We cannot comment further on the process, as it is commercially sensitive. We are committed to Sizewell C, which with other new nuclear projects will play an important role in the Government’s vision for achieving energy independence, lowering consumers’ bills, and securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. Work continues at pace to secure a final investment decision.