Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

With reference to page 71 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what recent progress he has made on establishing a career education pathway.

Respective Military Commands are responsible for reviewing their career education pathways as they have differing requirements on the front line. The Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) will oversee these reviews during 2026 and consider where greater coherence would yield benefits to the development and delivery of an Integrated Force that can fight and win in multi-domain operations. By April 2026, MSHQ will ‘own’ funding and will both direct and influence Military Commands to concentrate on Joint and NATO-first education.

With reference to page 71 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what recent progress he has made on reforming (a) training and (b) education policy.

Defence is progressing its review of training and education policy; work is ongoing to meet this intent by January 2026. We aim to generate a more digestible Joint Service Publication (JSP) 822 (Defence Direction and Guidance for Training and Education), increased responsiveness of training to operational changes, and enhanced organisational learning – with training being based on emergent front-line requirements. A pan-Defence forum will be held in November 2025 to showcase the revised draft JSP 822 and gain 1-star level stakeholder endorsement from across the Military Commands.

With reference to page 71 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what civilian (a) qualifications and (b) standards are in scope to be adopted.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is undertaking a comprehensive review of military training to confirm appropriate alignment with civilian qualifications and standards, while ensuring operational readiness and the capacity to scale up training to meet warfighting requirements. This work is part of the Defence Accreditation Review, which aims to cohere, simplify, modernise and improve existing accreditation frameworks. The review encompasses qualifications on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, apprenticeships, professional certifications, and industry standards. Progress includes an assessment of current qualifications, the identification of data gaps, and the trialling of artificial intelligence to enhance training development and accreditation. We are formulating recommendations for accreditation policy and exploring the role of the Defence Awarding Organisation in this context. This work demonstrates our commitment to maintaining operational readiness and the professional development of our personnel, ensuring they are prepared for both the demands of war and their future civilian careers.

With reference to page 70 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what his planned timetable is for making these day-to-day processes easier.

The Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan (which is part of our Defence Investment Plan) to be published in the autumn, will include initiatives that will deliver automation across Human Resources, Finance and Commercial functions, driven through Corporate Services Modernisation that will deliver improved processes through new automated tools and systems across the functions. The specific automation savings and timelines across all workforces are currently being defined in detail to meet the Strategic Defence Review recommendations. The benefits and associated financial savings with these initiatives along with the timelines to deliver this are subject to the outcome of the Defence Investment Plan. The automation of HR, Financial and Commercial processes will enable Defence to redeploy Armed Forces Personnel from administrative roles to Front Line roles.

With reference to page 43 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress he has made on establishing UK Defence Innovation.

UK Defence Innovation launched on 1 July 2025 and expects to be fully operational by July 2026. Work continues at pace on implementing, transitioning, and operationalising the full system. The Strategic Defence Review set out clear priorities for defence, with a strong emphasis on the need for rapid delivery of innovation. The launch of UK Defence Innovation will help to deliver a modern, resilient, and technologically advanced force by accelerating innovation, supporting strategic autonomy, and driving collaboration across defence, industry, and academia.

With reference to page 42 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, how much of the £10 billion contingency for the Dreadnought programme he estimates will be spent this Parliament.

To date £3.37 billion contingency has been utilised with the remainder allocated to future years including beyond the current Parliament. Dreadnought contingency spend is reported to Parliament via the Defence Nuclear Enterprise Annual Update, once final outturn figures are confirmed.

With reference to page 71 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what recent progress he has made on developing a two-way secondment programme.

The Ministry of Defence currently has provisions in place for formal inward and outward secondments, which are used successfully across the Armed Forces and Civil Service. We are now exploring options for developing a similar, less formal arrangement, reviewing its potential benefits for Defence and evaluating our capacity to adapt and manage the workforce effectively.

With reference to page 90 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on exploring the development of a new force modelled on the reserves which connects local communities with defence.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 September 2025 to Question 70739 to the hon. Member for Gravesham (James Cartlidge).

With reference to page 91 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on reinvigorating the strategic reserve.

The Military Strategic Headquarters, in partnership with the Military Commands, is leading work to plan the reinvigoration of the Strategic Reserve. This includes scoping how to increase engagement through annual training opportunities, exercises and exploring a digitised approach to Reserves management.

With reference to page 71 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to help tackle barriers to education for people within his Department.

Defence officials continue to work closely with colleagues in the Department for Education to ensure consistency of educational frameworks, standards and outcomes. We work hard to remove barriers to learning for our personnel and provide tailored support for those with Specific Learning Differences. Support is provided through English and Maths Functional Skills training, promotion of GCSE attainment, industry-recognised apprenticeships that accredit trade training, and schemes like Standard and Enhanced Learning Credits. Our leadership and management development programmes, using professional partners, as well as allowances for further and higher education, also provide opportunities for continued learning and development.

With reference to box 12 page 105 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, updated on 8 July 2025, what progress he has made in developing acoustic detection systems (a) powered by artificial intelligence and (b) integrated into the digital targeting web.

Atlantic Bastion is a portfolio of programmes to secure the North Atlantic for the UK and in support of NATO against a range of underwater threats. It will develop a range of capabilities that enhance existing systems and deploy new platforms into the North Atlantic. It is separate from Baltic Sentry, which is a NATO led activity in the Baltic Sea to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure. The Royal Navy will be able to learn from Baltic Sentry and be able to share lessons from Bastion programmes with NATO allies. Through AUKUS Pillar 2, the nations are working together on an algorithm to support Maritime Patrol Aircraft processing systems. This work will inform future capability development of Bastion systems powered by AI to enhance acoustic detection. Capability options under Atlantic Bastion are submitted for consideration in the Defence Investment Plan. Options for capabilities that would be deployable from the Type 26 Frigate Force are included in these options.

With reference to page 113 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what progress he has made in increasing RAF reserves by 50%.

The RAF continues to make positive progress toward increasing its Reserves by 50% by focusing on recruitment activity, structural reform and strategic alignment. The RAF is prioritising the growth of the Part Time Volunteer Reserves, who are the reserve of first choice for operational support, while also enhancing the management and training of the Strategic Reserve to maximise the skills and experience of ex-Regular personnel.

With reference to page 112 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what assessment he has made of the level of challenge to the primacy of crewed aircraft.

The safety of aircrew and the survivability of crewed platforms remain paramount. The Strategic Defence Review sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence and make the UK stronger both at home and abroad. The Government endorses the Review's vision and accepts all 62 recommendations. The implementation of the Review's recommendations is underway; this will be priority business and will be executed through a whole of UK Defence effort. Our Defence Investment Plan (DIP) which will be published in due course, will set out how we intend to deliver the Review's recommendations. The DIP will be affordable, consider infrastructure and people, alongside capabilities and enable flexibility to seize new technological opportunities maximising the benefits of defence spending to grow the UK economy.

With reference to page 106 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what assessment he has made of the use of commercial vessels to augment the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fleet Solid Support Ships in non-contested environments.

The Ministry of Defence continues to assess options for augmenting Fleet Solid Support capabilities in non-contested environments. Commercial vessels are being considered for low-risk logistical roles, offering potential benefits in cost and flexibility. Work is underway to establish assured access to UK-based shipping through strategic frameworks, supported by industry engagement via the Shipping Defence Advisory Council. These efforts aim to ensure readiness through identified vessels, trained crews, and secure communications infrastructure.

With reference to recommendation 35 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what progress he has made on developing mechanisms for the enhanced parliamentary scrutiny of the UK’s nuclear deterrent spending.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 September 2025 to Question 70759 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge).

With reference to page 113 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what air-to-air refuelling capability does the RAF contribute to NATO plans in the Euro-Atlantic.

The RAF Voyager Force contributes to NATO Integrated Air Defence and NATO Enhanced Air Policing. In addition, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the right hon. Member for Liverpool Garston (Maria Eagle) gave to him on 4 July 2025 to Question 63066.

With reference to recommendation 34 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what recent progress he has made in determining what the post-Dreadnought nuclear deterrent would be.

This Government is fully committed to the United Kingdom’s independent nuclear deterrent, underpinned by our triple lock commitment to continue to build the four new Dreadnought Class submarines, maintain our continuous at sea deterrent and deliver all the required upgrades, including the replacement warhead. The Government has accepted all of the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations, including the need to start to define the requirement for the post-Dreadnought nuclear deterrent within this Parliament, and is currently working to progress this.

With reference to page 130 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on conducting organisational reform of medical services within defence.

In response to the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, and as part of Defence Reform, the Defence Medical Services (DMS) will be empowered as the Lead Command for medical within the Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC). Work is ongoing to establish and implement the Lead Command model across the Armed Forces.

With reference to page 131 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, updated on 8 July 2025, what progress he has made in ensuring Front Line Commands retain sufficient (a) capacity and (b) expertise to implement technical direction from Defence Medical Services.

A key recommendation of the Strategic Defence Review is rebuilding medical capacity and capability, together with the NHS, to ensure our Armed Forces remain fighting fit in peacetime and are prepared to meet operational demands when at war. With allies, through the NATO Medical Action Plan we are focused on addressing priority challenges in workforce; mass casualty planning; patient evacuation; and medical logistics. We will look to address legislative and regulatory barriers to effective care. The Defence Investment Plan will set out how the Ministry of Defence and will deliver the vision of the Strategic Defence Review over the next 10 years, including to ensure that the Defence Medical Services and the NHS together have capacity to meet Defence medical needs, including in the most extreme circumstances.

With reference to page 131 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on developing specialist clinical capability in support of the Integrated Force (a) in crisis and (b) at war.

A key recommendation of the Strategic Defence Review is rebuilding medical capacity and capability, together with the NHS, to ensure our Armed Forces remain fighting fit in peacetime and are prepared to meet operational demands when at war. With allies, through the NATO Medical Action Plan we are focused on addressing priority challenges in workforce; mass casualty planning; patient evacuation; and medical logistics. We will look to address legislative and regulatory barriers to effective care. The Defence Investment Plan will set out how the Ministry of Defence and will deliver the vision of the Strategic Defence Review over the next 10 years, including to ensure that the Defence Medical Services and the NHS together have capacity to meet Defence medical needs, including in the most extreme circumstances.