Written questions by Snowden.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of adding Lancashire to the pilot of the VALOUR veteran support centres.

On 26 June 2025 I launched the VALOUR pilot in partnership with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire. There are a number of excellent support services available for veterans across this region, and across the UK. Through the enhanced coordination facilitated by VALOUR, the programme will promote a holistic approach to care by helping veterans access the full range of support services available to them. The pilot will serve as an opportunity to develop a comprehensive blueprint for the VALOUR network. While it is recognised that regional variations will be necessary to ensure the network meets the specific needs of local communities, the lessons learned from the pilot will form the basis for VALOUR across the country. We continue to move at pace, and VALOUR will be rolled out across the UK in 2026, so I am grateful for Lancashire's engagement and looking forward to working in the area soon.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60122 on Armed Forces: Buildings, if he will list the locations of his Department's seven sites in Fylde constituency.

The location of the seven sites in Fylde constituency, managed by the Ministry of Defence, can be found below: Blackpool Airport Air Traffic Control (ATC):Poulton le Fylde ATC:A building at Warton Aerodrome.Warton Service Family Accommodation (SFA)Warton ATCWeeton Barracks.Weeton Barracks SFA.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2025 to Question 60125 on Armed Forces: Buildings, how many of those properties are in Fylde.

The information is not held in the format requested and could only be provided by retrieving and interrogating large amounts of data which could only be completed at disproportionate cost.

What military support his Department provides to protect (a) buildings owned by and (b) personnel working for civilian defence contractors.

Contractor buildings and personnel located within the Defence Estate are covered by the security arrangements of the site at which they are situated. Depending on the outputs of the site this may include the use of military support to provide the security arrangements. For those contractor buildings and personnel not based on the Defence Estate, the Minstry of Defence (MOD) do not provide military support. Defence has well established mandated security policies and processes to ensure Defence Industry security controls and measures meet with MODs risk appetite.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2025 to Question 60125 on Armed Forces: Buildings, whether there is a standard process for vetting (a) tenants or (b) leaseholders of Ministry of Defence properties.

Before a lease is granted to a third party, their financial and general reliability is investigated by Ministry of Defence (MOD) Officials, via references from banks and, where possible, from a previous landlord, solicitors, or via a professional background checking service. In addition, as part of the vetting process for civilian sublet tenancies, the following checks are completed by a third party, Let Alliance, on behalf of MOD’s contractor, Pinnacle: the undertaking of an income, credit, a Right to Rent and Sanctions check and obtaining work references.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 June to Question 60125 on Armed Forces: Buildings, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing formal (a) criteria and (b) guidelines for leasing its properties to third parties.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has formal criteria and guidelines for the leasing of properties to third parties. Criteria and guidelines for Service Family Accommodation (SFA) leased to non-military personnel is set out in the MOD’s contract with Pinnacle Service Families. A separate process is in place for SFA that is utilised under the Afghan Resettlement Programme. The remaining leases criteria and guidelines are set out in Joint Service Publication 850.

How many complaints have been (a) received and (b) resolved from residents living in his Department's properties that are leased to third parties in the last 12 months.

The number of complaints received and resolved for third parties leasing Ministry of Defence properties in the last 12 months is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

What steps his Department is taking to help support the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

As set out in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Royal Charter, the six member countries contribute to the funding of the Commission in proportion to the number of graves maintained for each nation’s Armed Forces. The United Kingdom is the largest contributor, paying 79% of the Commission’s budget via quarterly payments. For this year, that equates to a UK contribution of £59 million. Given the scale of the UK contribution, the Secretary of State for Defence is the Chair of the CWGC. Additionally, the Defence Services Secretary represents Defence at the quarterly CWGC Commissioners’ meetings and the regular finance meetings where budgets are agreed and expenditure monitored. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) also work closely with the CWGC on selected commemorative events. Alongside this year’s landmark VE Day 80 and VJ Day 80 anniversaries, DCMS are leading Government assistance to the CWGC’s delivery of the ‘For Evermore Tour’, a programme of over 250 mobile exhibitions and events across the UK and at key global commemorative sites, to honour and share the stories of those who served in the Second World War. Questions related to that specific assistance should be addressed to DCMS.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme to include chronic primary pain as a compensable condition.

Under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, pain and suffering are already included in awards for all conditions, the aim being a holistic approach to compensation. How chronic pain could be better addressed under the Scheme is currently being considered by the Independent Medical Expert Group (IMEG) as part of their Forward Work Programme.

What support is available for veterans transitioning out of the armed forces in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country, no matter which community they are based in. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans, including those in Fylde and Lancashire, have access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need. For most Service Leavers, the successful transition into employment is the foundation of positive life outcomes. Consequently, as part of their resettlement process, all Regular Service Leavers are entitled to support and receive regular check in calls from the Ministry of Defence’s Career Transition Partnership (CTP). The CTP provides support through a range of career and employment support services, including skills development workshops, seminars, resettlement training advice, vocational training courses, and career consultancy. This has recently been changed to be an opt-out service, increasing attendance of Service Leavers. I recently announced VALOUR, a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. This will ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans across the UK. This regional approach, based on a network of VALOUR support centres, together with regional field officers, will ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of local communities. Please raise awareness of VALOUR and encourage organisations to sign up for updates here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/valour-information-and-next-steps. In England Op RESTORE provides specialist care to veterans who have physical health problems, and Op COURAGE, a mental health specialist service helps veterans and their families. Housing support is available across the United Kingdom via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway to connect veterans with help and support. Veterans can also access a range of tailored employment support, including the CTP and Op ASCEND, the employment pathway for veterans. I would also like to take the opportunity to highlight the Defence Transition Services (DTS) and the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), which provide additional support to Service Leavers and their families who are most likely to face challenges as they leave the Armed Forces, irrespective of their reason for discharge. In your constituency, VWS have a Regional Welfare Centre based in Blackpool (Norcross).

Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the (a) efficiency and (b) cost-effectiveness of its property management services.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) continues to drive for both improved performance and increased value for money from all its Estates Management contracts. The DIO has conducted a series of reviews to capture lessons learned from the delivery of the Future Defence Infrastructure Services Accommodation contracts and commissioned external audits of Industry Partners (IP)s performance. The Department also has the contractual right to withhold elements of profit for non-performance of Key Performance Indicators by its IPs, and continually assesses Property Management Contract Supplier performance. Performance is monitored on a monthly basis including oversight at Chief Executive level.

How much his Department has spent on (a) maintenance and (b) refurbishment of properties it manages in Fylde constituency in the last three years.

The Department has spent £22.38 million on maintenance and refurbishment of Service Family Accommodation and £1.8 million on Single Living Accommodation in the Fylde constituency, since 2022. The figures provided do not include the core maintenance costs of the Future Defence Infrastructure Services Accommodation contract as we are unable to break the costs down by constituency.

What the average (a) age and (b) condition ratings are for (i) all Ministry of Defence-managed residential properties and (ii) Ministry of Defence-managed residential properties in Fylde constituency.

The average age of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA) can be found in the table below: Ministry of Defence managed residential propertiesAverage AgeAll SFA64 YearsSFA in Fylde constituency68 YearsAll SLA46 YearsSLA in Fylde constituency40 Years The Government's Decent Homes Standard is the current benchmark for SFA condition used by the Ministry of Defence. This standard is currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Subsequently, the condition ratings for SFA will be revised in line with any new recommendations. The average condition ratings for SLA can be found in the table below: Ministry of Defence managed residential propertiesAverage condition ratingAll SLAGrade 3*SLA in Fylde constituencyGrade 3 *The information concerning the condition grading is only held for 46% of sites with SLA. All existing SLA within Weeton Barracks were built in 1985. A condition grading inspection for Weeton Barracks is currently underway and there are three new SLA blocks currently being constructed.

How many Ministry of Defence managed properties there are in Fylde constituency; and what proportion of those are (a) residential, (b) commercial, and (c) operational.

The Ministry of Defence manage seven sites in the Fylde constituency. Of these, three are operational, two are residential, one is commercial and operational, and one is residential, commercial and operational.

What steps he is taking to ensure the (a) safety and (b) security of (i) all properties and (ii) properties in operational use managed by his Department.

The safety and security of our sites is of the utmost importance, in order to protect both our people, and to safeguard national security. The Strategic Defence Review recognises that we are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for UK Defence. The Review sets out a vision to make Britain safer, secure at home and strong abroad, with specific direction to strengthen home defence and resilience and increased funding to defend Britain. While I am unable to comment on specific security arrangements, I can assure the hon. Member that we take this extremely seriously and have robust measures in place.

How many Ministry of Defence managed properties are currently leased to third parties; and what criteria are used to determine leasing arrangements.

The number of properties which are currently leased to third parties is not held in the format requested and could only be provided by retrieving and interrogating large amounts of data which could only be completed at disproportionate cost. There is no set criteria used by MOD to determine leasing arrangements.Leasing arrangements are dependent on various factors including the type of lease, the use of the property, its location, proximity to military infrastructure, the condition of the property and the proposed length of the agreement.

With reference to figure 4 on page 52 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether he considered including BAE Systems in Wharton in Fylde constituency in that map of the nationwide defence industry.

Figure 4 is an indicative map of the representation of the defence industry across the United Kingdom, intended to highlight a range of companies and organisations, equipment and technologies, and regional presence. The final examples of industrial and research sites were drawn from a long list of sites, including in Lancashire.

With reference to section 7.4.6 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 2 June 2025, which aircraft will replace the Typhoon.

The Government is committed to upgrading Typhoons and driving exports of Typhoons abroad. The Strategic Defence Review does not recommend reductions in fast jets for the RAF, but it confirms the Government's commitment to GCAP, to upgrade Typhoons and no reductions in the number of F35sBs and F35As.

What steps he is taking to encourage young people to sign up to cadet forces in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 June 2025 to Question 55115.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-05-30/55115

Whether he plans to purchase new Typhoon aircraft following the Strategic Defence Review.

The Strategic Defence Review does not recommend reductions in fast jets for the RAF, but it confirms the Government's commitment to GCAP and to upgrade Typhoons. It also says more F-35s could comprise a mix of F-35A and B models according to military requirements. The Government is committed to upgrading Typhoons and driving exports of Typhoons abroad.