Written questions by Rosindell.

If he will expand the nuclear capabilities of the Royal Navy.

There are no plans to expand the existing nuclear capabilities of the Royal Navy beyond those announced in the Strategic Defence Review published on 2 June 2025.

What steps he has taken to improve the air-to-air refuelling capabilities of the Royal Air Force.

I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave to Question 63066 on 4 July 2025 to the hon member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty).

Whether his Department plans to enter into an association agreement with the EU on (a) UK participation in (i) the European Defence Agency, (ii) the European Defence Fund and (iii) Permanent Structured Cooperation and (b) other defence matters.

As agreed in the Security and Defence Partnership, the EU and UK will regularly exchange on defence initiatives. Implementation discussions will begin shortly, exploring the possibility of establishing an Administrative Arrangement between the UK and the European Defence Agency, as well as cooperation in individual PESCO projects. Currently participation in the European Defence Fund (EDF) is open only to industry located in European Union Member States and those members of the European Economic Area associated with the EDF (Norway). Any UK commitment – financial or otherwise – will ensure value for taxpayers and support defence goals.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of UK participation in EU defence industrial programmes on (a) the AUKUS agreement and (b) other existing defence procurement partnerships.

As the Strategic Defence Review recognised, international partnerships are crucial for the UK’s security and prosperity. The UK remains firmly committed to the AUKUS partnership and is working closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which AUKUS presents for our three nations. The new Security and Defence Partnership with the EU is complementary to our existing work and the full range of our defence partnerships.

What steps his Department is taking to help support (a) UK and (b) allied operations aimed at disrupting cocaine trafficking networks operating (i) through Venezuela and (ii) in the wider Caribbean region.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 February 2025 to Question 26446. A Royal Navy ship maintains a persistent presence in the Caribbean Sea where it contributes to regional security through the conduct of counter-illicit trafficking operations. Defence maintains close relationships with independent states throughout the region and works in partnership with Canada, France, the Netherlands and the United States to align and conduct joint activity.

Whether the proposed Security Pact with the EU will be based on the 2018 EU template for third-country participation in EU defence and foreign policy structures.

At the UK-EU Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU agreed a unique and bespoke Security and Defence Partnership. The Partnership has been designed to complement our core bilateral security partnerships and support this Government’s commitment to NATO, which remains the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security. The partnership documents frames cooperation through dialogues, information exchange and identification of collaborative opportunities including case-by-case involvement in EU initiatives.

What steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve the maritime defence of British Exclusive Economic Zones.

The primary role of the Royal Navy is to defend and protect the UK, whilst enhancing its resilience. As part of this core task, it monitors, tracks and responds to any potential threats in the UK EEZ, through frequent patrolling by British warships, monitoring and shadowing warships in UK waters, and use of the Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) programme, among other activity and capabilities. The Government has also been clear on its readiness and willingness to respond decisively to any maritime threat to the UK and its interests. The Strategic Defence Review has highlighted the enduring requirement to secure the UK maritime zone, and the steps needed to ensure the Royal Navy are equipped to respond to the changing nature of threat in this domain. The Government has accepted the review’s recommendations in full.

What steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve British fixed undersea surveillance capabilities.

The recent Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 has set out strategic initiatives in the Maritime domain in terms of undersea surveillance capabilities to protect critical infrastructure and monitor threats. The SDR also advocates AI and machine learning to improve sonar algorithms and enhance data analysis for underwater surveillance. We will also continue our close collaboration with allies to monitor subsea threats and protect critical infrastructure.

What steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve defence co-operation with Singapore.

I am pleased to report positive momentum on our defence co-operation with Singapore. The Secretary of State for Defence met with the previous Singaporean Defence Minister in October 2024. Between March and May 2025, the Commander of UK Strategic Command, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Minister for the House of Lords and Chief of the Defence Staff met with their Singaporean counterparts to discuss means to enhance cooperation. The Strategic Defence Review highlights the importance of our investment in the Five Power Defence Arrangements including Singapore to promote cooperation in the region. We have sought to deepen interoperability with Singapore including through shared logistics and support to enable the persistent deployment of our two offshore patrol vessels in the Indo Pacific. In May, we welcomed the RSS Formidable to London, the first Singaporean ship to the UK in 25 years. Looking ahead, the UK's Carrier Strike Group will visit Singapore as its first port call in the region, during which time the Minister for the House of Lords and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff will visit.

What steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve the defence of the maritime infrastructure of British Overseas Territories.

The UK is responsible for the defence and security of all British Overseas Territories and takes these responsibilities incredibly seriously. The Ministry Of Defence routinely monitors for hostile activity and will take appropriate action in response to any legitimate threat, including providing high readiness maritime, land and air assets to deter and respond to threats as required. This includes defending our people, our territory, and our infrastructure, as necessary.

Whether the UK has been invited to participate in the Regional Security System in the Caribbean; and whether his Department plans to support its operations.

The UK has not been invited to participate in the Regional Security System. The Ministry of Defence works closely with our partners and allies in the Caribbean, including directly with the Regional Security System. This has included the provision of capacity building and key leader engagement with Caribbean Chiefs of Defence and the Regional Security System Executive Director.

What discussions his Department has had with his (a) US counterpart and (b) counterparts in the Caribbean Community on countering Chinese strategic influence in the region.

This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. The UK recognises that deepening our cooperation with partners is needed to strengthen collective security and push back against behaviour that undermines international law or seeks to coerce or create dependencies. The Ministry of Defence has had a number of productive conversations with the US and partners in the Caribbean Community.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) piracy, (b) terrorism, (c) proxy activity by state adversaries and (d) other security threats in the Indian Ocean; and what steps he is taking to ensure UK forces on Diego Garcia are prepared to help tackle those threats.

The UK actively contributes to initiatives that counter security threats in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This is achieved bilaterally through Maritime Domain Awareness programmes and counter terrorism activities, and multilaterally through organisations such as the Combined Maritime Force, which actively support Maritime Security operations, including counter-piracy and counter-terrorism. Although dislocated geographically from the main threat areas, the base on Diego Garcia could be used as a logistics hub or staging area to support such activities.Under the agreement with Mauritius we will retain full control over Diego Garcia with robust provisions to keep adversaries out. These include unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US; a buffer zone around Diego Garcia; a comprehensive mechanism to ensure no activity in the other islands threatens base operations; and a ban on the presence of any foreign security forces. This will ensure the long term secure and effective operation of the base well into the next century.

What steps he is taking to help prevent personnel reduction in the armed forces.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration. We have made a series of announcements to improve Armed Forces recruitment and retention since July 2024. To increase recruitment into the Armed Forces, recent policies have included a 35% pay increase for new recruits; one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel; scrapping over 100 outdated medical policies; the implementation of a new military direct-entry cyber pathway; and setting an ambition to make a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days, and a provisional training start date within 30 days. These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces. To support retention of Armed Forces personnel, the Armed Forces pay increase represents a significant investment in our people, and we have gone further in announcing a £30,000 financial incentive to a cohort of tri-Service Air Engineers as well as an £8,000 retention payment for a cohort of Army personnel. These measures support the retention of key skills and personnel in Defence through appropriate financial recognition. Furthermore, in recognising the significant sacrifices that our military families make in serving our nation, we have protected the integrity of the Continuity of Education Allowance, repurchased the Service Family Accommodation estate from Annington Homes and extended Wraparound Childcare to families serving overseas which will potentially save up to £3,400 annually for Service families.

What steps he has taken to increase co-operation between (a) British armed forces and the (b) Italian armed forces.

Italy remains one of the UK’s most critical partners for European defence and security. The UK has a valuable and longstanding partnership with Italy built on deep tri-service links and historic cooperation in the combat air and weapons sectors. Through annual 2+2 meetings between our Foreign and Defence Secretaries, our bilateral High-Level Military Dialogue, and regular interaction through other groupings such as NATO and E5 Defence Ministers Group, we continuously explore how our nations can better work together to address issues of shared strategic interest. The closeness of our relationship is exemplified by our commitment to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Alongside Italy and Japan, we have made great progress delivering GCAP, achieving Treaty Ratification between all partner nations in December 2024 and establishing the GCAP Headquarters, based in Reading. This programme will not only deliver a cutting-edge combat aircraft but will foster closer defence cooperation between the three nations while also strengthening each country’s defence industry, creating jobs and fostering economic growth. Outside of GCAP, the bi-annual Senior Armaments Export Group meeting brings together Government and industry to understand how we can best work together to pursue opportunities for deeper collaboration on defence programmes and exports. In February 2025, British and Italian capability directors signed a Statement of Intent focusing on complex weapons cooperation, adding more structure to this relationship. Operationally our relationship is strong. We continue to deepen interoperability between our Carrier Strike Groups. As the only other European nation with carrier-capable F-35B aircraft, the Italian Armed Forces are providing a crucial contribution to the UK’s 2025 Carrier Strike Group deployment, Op HIGHMAST.

Whether his Department has taken recent steps to increase naval co-operation between the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy.

The Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy have strengthened their naval cooperation through joint exercises, personnel exchanges, and collaborative projects such as the deployment of HMCS Ville de Quebec with the Carrier Strike Group and the development of the Global Combat Ship platform.

Whether he is taking steps to reduce the procurement time of new surface fleet assets for the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy are committed to accelerating the pace of procurement. In a period of ever-increasing technological advancement, the ability to harness new capabilities and leverage innovation at pace is critical to the Navy as a credible, modern and capable force. Accelerating procurement is recognised across Defence, forming an important outcome within the Defence Industrial Strategy, and is being considered as part of the Security Defence Review. The establishment of the National Armaments Director Group as part of Defence Reform also seeks to energise the military-industrial relationship to drive pace into procurement.

What steps he has taken to increase security of subsea infrastructure between the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and the Government are committed to maintaining and enhancing their security. This is a whole-of-Government effort including the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside industry and international partners. The Royal Navy plays a critical part in this RFA Proteus. the UK's first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROS), is now operational and using its leading-edge technology to monitor underwater infrastructure in areas of UK sovereign interest.

Whether he has taken steps to create a sovereign hypersonic missile capability.

Building on previous research and development, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has established a Programme Team - Team Hypersonics (UK) - to cohere MOD, industry and academia around the development of a sovereign hypersonic offensive strike capability. Team Hypersonics (UK) has established the Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework (HTCDF). This bespoke £1 billion Commercial Agile Route to Market is the mechanism to facilitate a spiralled approach to technology development through to a sovereign capability. Over 120 suppliers including defence primes, small and medium enterprises (SME) and academic institutions are now signed up. Hypersonics is included in UK contribution to AUKUS Pillar 2, collaborating trilaterally to increase the pace of innovation alongside our allies as part of the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experiment Project Arrangement (HyFLiTE). With these enablers in place, the testing of critical sovereign-designed and manufactured missile sub-system technologies continues, including a novel hypersonic propulsion system. Several contracts have been awarded and several invitations to tender have been released to develop a range of technologies. These contracts and future ITTs will allow the development of technical demonstrators and onwards into a capability.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the security of subsea infrastructure between the UK and Canada.

Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and the Government are committed to maintaining and enhancing their security. This is a whole-of-Government effort including the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside industry and international partners. The Royal Navy plays a critical part in this RFA Proteus. the UK's first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROS), is now operational and using its leading-edge technology to monitor underwater infrastructure in areas of UK sovereign interest.