Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ben Obese-Jecty this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 2,061–2,080 of 2,264 · Ministry of Defence
What multi-spectral camouflage capabilities are currently (a) in service and (b) undergoing testing with land forces.
I hope the hon. Member will understand that this information is being withheld as it would prejudice the capability, security and effectiveness of UK Armed Forces, and could provide tactical advantage to hostile forces.
What the total size is of the Royal Marines advertising budget in the 2025-26 financial year.
The Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the RAF advertising budget for FY 2025-26 has not yet received final Cabinet Office approval so is unable to be confirmed at this time. This differs from the British Army, who have a different recruitment contract with ‘Capita’, which has already gained Cabinet Office approval.
Which company is contracted to deliver recruitment advertising for the Royal Marines.
Recruitment advertising is procured through the Pan Government contract with Manning Gottlieb (MG) Omni Media Group.
How the military aid allocated to support Ukraine through the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, announced on 11 April 2025, will be spent.
At the 27th Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) on April 11, co-chaired by the Defence Secretary, allies pledged an additional €21 billion (£18 billion) in military support to Ukraine.The £450 million announced jointly by the UK with Norway will be spent on a package which includes radar systems, anti-tank mines, hundreds of thousands of drones, worth over £250 million. It also includes £160 million to support the repair and maintenance of essential battlefield vehicles and equipment.The UK Ministry of Defence published the official press release on the April UDCG on the gov.uk website.
What is the maximum number of non-British service personnel that can be recruited each year in (a) the British Army, (b) the Royal Navy excluding the Royal Marines, (c) the Royal Air Force and (d) the Royal Marines.
An annual Basic Training Start limit for Commonwealth citizens is applied across the Armed Forces. This is currently set at 1,350 individuals per annum and distributed accordingly: a) 1,000 Army, b) 300 Royal Navy (there is no separate allowance for the Royal Marines), and c) 50 Royal Air Force.
How much financial support has the UK contributed to Ukraine through the Ukraine Defence Contact Group since 5 July 2024.
Since taking a leadership role in the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) in February, the UK Ministry of Defence has published official press releases on the February and April UDCG meetings on the gov.uk website announcing UK commitments. In February, the UK announced a £150 million military support package to Ukraine and a further £450 million for a rapid surge in military support was announced on the 27th UDCG on April 11.Whilst the UK has not done formal press releases for previous UDCGs, since July 2024, the UK has publicly committed over £3 billion in equipment in support of Ukraine, including £1.6 billion through United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF).
If he will publish a list of the vehicles gifted to Ukraine.
The UK continues to work with our Ukrainian partners to identify the capabilities they need to counter Russian aggression. I hope the hon. Member will understand that we will not provide further details of vehicle or equipment due to security classification.
How much each country within the Coalition of the Willing has contributed to the £450m funding package announced on 11 April 2025.
The £450 million package was announced at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on 11 April 2025. This is separate from the Coalition of the Willing.Of the £450 million, £350 million is being provided by the UK with further funding being provided by Norway via the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine.
What estimate he has made of the amount of 5.56mm ammunition required in order to ensure all Army Cadets are able to complete all annual shooting training requirements.
The Army’s Cadets branch has conducted a review of the ammunition allocation for Training Year 2025-26 and has confirmed that there is sufficient 5.56mm ammunition to support delivery of the Army Cadet syllabus and both regional and national shooting competitions. The 5.56mm allocation for all Army Cadets (ACF and CCF) was as follows; 2023 – 24: 5,604,740 rounds.2024 – 25: 5,740,744 rounds.2025 – 26: 5,586,780 rounds.
What the ammunition allocation was for the Army Cadet Force in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-25.
The Army’s Cadets branch has conducted a review of the ammunition allocation for Training Year 2025-26 and has confirmed that there is sufficient 5.56mm ammunition to support delivery of the Army Cadet syllabus and both regional and national shooting competitions. The 5.56mm allocation for all Army Cadets (ACF and CCF) was as follows; 2023 – 24: 5,604,740 rounds.2024 – 25: 5,740,744 rounds.2025 – 26: 5,586,780 rounds.
How much his Department has spent on the procurement of hearing protection via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency since 2015.
The Ministry of Defence has spent a total of approximately £11 million on hearing protection via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency since 2015, for the procurement of equipment to supply the Tactical Hearing Protection System programme.
What the budget is for the Personal Hard Armour Framework.
The Ministry of Defence has issued a Prior Information Notice outlining plans to establish a new framework agreement for the procurement of Personal Hard Armour to support British Armed Forces personnel. The agreement, which will be managed by Defence Equipment and Support and is scheduled to run from 31 October 2025 to 30 October 2033, could be worth up to £250 million including VAT, over an eight-year period.
For what reason (a) The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and (b) RAF Cranwell are not rated by Ofsted.
Both the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Royal Air Force Officer Training Academy (at Cranwell) were inspected by Ofsted using the Ministry of Defence Inspection Framework (care and welfare) during the 2022-23 academic year. Both training establishments were graded as Good (Level 2) for Overall Effectiveness and the full reports can be found in the Ofsted Annual Report for 2022-23 which can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-and-duty-of-care-in-armed-forces-initial-training/welfare-and-duty-of-care-in-armed-forces-initial-training-2022-to-2023#establishments-inspection-historyOfsted conduct approximately a dozen inspections of Ministry of Defence training establishments per year. It is expected that both Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Royal Air Force Officer Training Academy (Cranwell) will be inspected in the next academic year 2025-26.
How old the stock of L7A2 machine guns are held by his Department across all branches of the armed forces.
Further analysis of the information held is required in order to provide an answer. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as practical and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
How many L7A2 machine guns his Department holds.
Further analysis of the information held is required in order to provide an answer. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as practical and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
What steps he is taking to tackle fake veterans’ charities set up as Community Interest Companies.
Charities are independent from Government and are regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland depending on location. Community Interest Companies are regulated by the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies. Specific services provided by charities are subject to other regulators as appropriate, such as the Care Quality Commission or the Fundraising Regulator.The Office for Veterans’ Affairs works closely with many Armed Forces charities and organisations who play a vital part of the wider support system for veterans, and I am also actively exploring ways of simplifying and cohering access to Government support, working in partnership with the charity sector.We advise anyone who wishes to support our veterans through charitable donations, to check the legitimacy of organisations and charities claiming to raise money for veterans. We are grateful for the generosity of the public and urge supporters to seek out official Service charities.Any Community Interest Company must adhere to a Code of Practice and is regulated by the Fundraising Regulator.
How much his Department has spent on fpv drone (a) development and (b) procurement since 5 July 2024.
Uncrewed systems are changing the character of warfare at pace, and this Government is adapting our approaches to acquisition, regulation and operation. In support of the conflict in Ukraine the Ministry of Defence has procured over 30,000 First Person View Drones spending circa £35 million and utilised the lessons to inform the Department's approach to FPV Drone capabilities.
What plans his Department has to procure fpv drones.
Uncrewed systems are changing the character of warfare at pace, and this Government is adapting our approaches to acquisition, regulation and operation. In support of the conflict in Ukraine the Ministry of Defence has procured over 30,000 First Person View Drones spending circa £35 million and utilised the lessons to inform the Department's approach to FPV Drone capabilities.
What fpv drones have been procured by his Department since 5 July 2024.
Uncrewed systems are changing the character of warfare at pace, and this Government is adapting our approaches to acquisition, regulation and operation. In support of the conflict in Ukraine the Ministry of Defence has procured over 30,000 First Person View Drones spending circa £35 million and utilised the lessons to inform the Department's approach to FPV Drone capabilities.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of contracting a single advertising agency to deliver all Armed Forces recruitment advertising.
The Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) contract has recently been awarded to Serco, with a contract commencement date of 1 April 2025. The Recruiting Service will transition to a full-service implementation by October 2027, replacing the separate schemes operated by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force. Serco will collaborate with HQ Armed Forces Recruiting to deliver focused tri-Service marketing campaigns using an omni-channel, digital and social first approach. Partnering with TMP Worldwide, a leader in innovative and strategic marketing solutions, Serco aims to attract proactive candidates and engage those not initially considering Defence as a potential opportunity, expanding and diversifying the applicant pool. The use of TMP Worldwide as the sole marketing agency aims to boost efficiency and coherence whilst building an in-house team with deep Armed Forces marketing expertise. Subcontracting to top-tier agencies remains an option to access specialised skills as needed.