Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

With reference to page 34 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what the scope is of mechanisms within the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership to help tackle irregular migration.

The Government pledged in its manifesto to pursue a new relationship with the EU to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO. The recently released Strategic Defence Review (SDR) further reiterates this commitment and recognises that international partnerships are crucial for the UK’s security and prosperity. The Government delivered on this commitment at the UK-EU Summit on 19 May where we agreed a new and ambitious Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). Implementation of the SDP is a joint effort with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and is progressing. Since May, my Rt Hon Friend, Defence Secretary John Healey has held discussions with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, where they discussed their ambition to explore the potential for enhanced UK-EU cooperation under SAFE. In October, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary will both meet with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, for the first UK/EU foreign and security policy dialogue under the SDP. In addition, Ministers and officials from across Government have held consultations with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including but not limited to, tackling irregular migration and hybrid threats. We continue to work with EU counterparts to strengthen dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation across the range of issues covered in the SDP, including maritime and space security. As the Defence Secretary has previously said to this House, this Government will ensure that any UK commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value for the UK taxpayer and supports our defence goals. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy.

With reference to page 106 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what recent progress he has made in developing a global decision support system for the Royal Navy.

The Global Decision Support System will transform the Royal Navy’s world leading Maritime Domain Awareness capability, by integrating existing, novel, and commercial data sources to improve situational awareness and deliver decision advantage to commanders. While concept, development and capability planning activities are progressing, the establishment of a funded project remains dependant on Defence investment prioritisation, which is ongoing.

With reference to page 34 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what the scope is of mechanisms within the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership to help improve space security.

The Government pledged in its manifesto to pursue a new relationship with the EU to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO. The recently released Strategic Defence Review (SDR) further reiterates this commitment and recognises that international partnerships are crucial for the UK’s security and prosperity. The Government delivered on this commitment at the UK-EU Summit on 19 May where we agreed a new and ambitious Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). Implementation of the SDP is a joint effort with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and is progressing. Since May, my Rt Hon Friend, Defence Secretary John Healey has held discussions with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, where they discussed their ambition to explore the potential for enhanced UK-EU cooperation under SAFE. In October, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary will both meet with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, for the first UK/EU foreign and security policy dialogue under the SDP. In addition, Ministers and officials from across Government have held consultations with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including but not limited to, tackling irregular migration and hybrid threats. We continue to work with EU counterparts to strengthen dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation across the range of issues covered in the SDP, including maritime and space security. As the Defence Secretary has previously said to this House, this Government will ensure that any UK commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value for the UK taxpayer and supports our defence goals. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy.

With reference to page 34 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what the scope is of the agreement with Poland on reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank.

The UK is committed to deepening its defence collaboration with Poland through a new UK-Poland Defence and Security Treaty and Bilateral Defence Plan. These agreements will strengthen our partnership in the areas of military cooperation including joint exercising and training, broaden our military capability development and industrial cooperation, support Ukraine, and bolster our role in NATO.

With reference to Recommendation 43 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what tasks are in scope for the active reserve that qualify as being able to be (a) delivered well and (b) with value for money.

The Army Reserve will support home defence and warfighting. It will also be the training engine for regeneration and reconstitution. Specific tasks within these functions are subject to ongoing work.

With reference to page 120 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what the future structure of the Air and Space Warfare Centre will be.

There are no plans to change the structure of the Air and Space Warfare Centre.

With reference to page 117 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what progress he has made on developing the resilience of UK military space systems.

This Government is taking decisive steps to enhance the UK’s ability to deter threats in space and, if necessary, protect our systems. The Strategic Defence Review reinforced this Government's commitment to increasing defence spending and strengthening the UK's space capabilities, with clear recommendations to invest in nationally separable capability to control the domain at a time and place of our choosing, global decision advantage, and space-based sensors to understand and act. Owing to the sensitive nature of UK Space Command’s mission and work, we cannot disclose details on its capabilities or assessments on the resilience of UK military space systems.

With reference to page 127 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what progress he has made on maximising the intelligence capabilities of UK Special Forces J2.

It is the longstanding policy of successive Governments not to comment on the details of the activity, personnel or capabilities of the UK Special Forces.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled AI action plan for justice, published on 31 July 2025, what progress he has made with with the Online Procedure Rule Committee to ensure that AI-enabled digital justice services are (a) coherent, (b) user-centred and (c) legally robust.

The Online Procedure Rule Committee is responsible for making rules governing the practice and procedure for specific types of online court and tribunal proceedings across the Civil, Family and Tribunal jurisdictions. These rules will ensure that those court and tribunal digital services are coherent, user-centred and legally robust.The Committee published a consultation on 11 July 2025 on its draft Inclusion Framework and Pre Action Model. This sought views on a wide variety of subjects including how to ensure digital justice services that aren’t provided by government, including those that use generative artificial intelligence, are delivered in a safe, transparent and accountable way across the Civil, Family and Tribunal jurisdictions.The consultation closed on 19 September 2025, and the committee plans to set out next steps in early 2026.

With reference to page 126 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on enhancing Special Forces.

It is the longstanding policy of successive Governments not to comment on the details of the activity, personnel or capabilities of the UK Special Forces.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled AI action plan for justice, published on 31 July 2025, what progress he has made in exploring new funding mechanisms to support AI adoption.

The Ministry of Justice is working with existing suppliers to leverage their AI capabilities to support the delivery of services and will continue to explore the opportunities available in the supplier market that will support the delivery of the AI Action Plan. Through Procurement framework including Crown Commercial Services Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Spark DPS frameworks and leveraging the benefits of Memorandums of Understanding in place between HMG and supplier in the marketplace, the Ministry of Justice will develop AI capabilities for the future. The Department is also exploring funding mechanisms for AI and digital with the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology.

Whether (a) projects and (b) programmes have been added to the Government Major Projects Portfolio since 5 July 2024.

Projects and programmes joining after 5th July 2024 and before end of March 2025 are included in the annual report 24/25. Any projects and programmes joining after March 2025 will be published in Summer 2026 in the annual report 25/26.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been allocated from the Affordable Homes Programme to (a) Huntingdonshire District Council and (b) Cambridgeshire since the establishment of that programme.

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

When work to implement the European Train Control System on the East Coast Mainline between Huntingdon and Kings Cross will be completed.

1) There are no current plans to construct a new East Coast Main Line (ECML) station at Alconbury Weald. The Department recognises the importance of the ECML and is starting work with Network Rail and industry stakeholders on development of a long-term strategy of investment for the route. 2) The following progress has been made on the East Coast Digital Programme. In May 2025, the first phase of the scheme was complete with the removal of conventional lineside signals, and all services using digital signalling on the Northern City Line (NCL) between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. This is the first no signals commuter railway in the country, and first of any kind since the early Cambrian Line pilot in 2011. 100,000 services have now operated on NCL using digital signalling. The infrastructure between Welwyn and Hitchin has been upgraded for the first European Train Control System (ETCS) section on the ECML. In line with the approach taken on NCL, the Welwyn to Hitchin section will initially operate as an overlay (i.e. able to operate with both conventional and digital signalling) to facilitate driver conversion training. The work is being led by Network Rail who, subject to the necessary assurances and regulatory processes, anticipate being able to begin driver train using digital signalling through that section from summer 2026. 3) Work to implement the ETCS on the East Coast Mainline between Huntingdon and Kings Cross is scheduled to be completed in the early 2030s.

When access to the capabilities environment of the Tackling Organised Exploitation programme will be available to police forces.

As part of the response to the Casey Independent Audit of Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse the government has recently provided £426,000 of new funding to the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX). The new funding will enable TOEX to extend access to its suite of cutting-edge investigative apps and digital tools, stored within its secure capabilities environment, to all Home Office police forces in England and Wales.In total, the Home Office is providing TOEX over £9 million this year to increase law enforcement’s capability to respond to organised exploitation, including by providing dedicated intelligence, analytical and technical expertise. This includes child sexual exploitation, alongside other organised exploitation crimes including modern slavery, organised immigration crimes, and criminal exploitation.The additional funding will allow for the expedited roll out of the TOEX Capabilities Environment, to ensure all police investigators in England and Wales have access to the full array of TOEX’s AI-enabled and time-saving tools.The TOEX programme contacted all forces in England and Wales to provide information on how they can access the TOEX tools following the Minister’s announcement is August. In addition to the 15 police forces which are already utilising TOEX tools, a further 12 forces are currently onboarding. TOEX are continuing to engage with further forces to support the expansion.

With reference to page 53 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many meetings of the Defence Growth Board she has chaired in 2025 to date.

The Chancellor has chaired one meeting of the Defence Growth Board in 2025 to date. The Defence Industrial Strategy, published on 8 September 2025, details how this government is making Defence an engine for growth, and the Chancellor and Defence Secretary are working closely to turn the strategy into action.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has he made in delivering the Livestock Information Transformation Programme.

Defra's Livestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP) is delivering significant progress towards modernising England's livestock traceability systems. LITP will enable faster response to animal disease outbreaks, provide data to help improve animal health and welfare, give further assurances on food safety, support productivity, and facilitate trade. LITP has completed the initial design and development phase for the new Livestock Information Service (LIS), which will replace outdated species-specific systems with a single, multispecies platform capable of near real-time movement reporting. The pilot phase for the new cattle service will begin in December 2025 with selected cattle keepers, with wider availabillity to all cattle keepers across England planned over 2026. Livestock traceability data from England, Wales and Scotland will continue to be integrated, enabling Chief Veterinary Officers to track livestock locations and movements across the UK. This ensures we maintain a robust biosecurity management, providing a more efficient system for both Government and industry. Following cattle implementation, additional species will be added on to LIS, with timelines to be confirmed once cattle rollout is complete. This programme represents the Government’s commitment to modernising livestock traceability and will deliver enhanced disease control capabilities, improved animal welfare monitoring, and stronger support for trade and the country’s farmers.

Media and Sport, what recent progress she has made on heritage high street regeneration programmes.

This year the government launched new funding for heritage which will benefit high streets and beyond.The £15m Heritage at Risk Capital Fund which enables individuals and organisations in the most deprived neighbourhoods in England to rescue and repair at-risk historic sites and buildings that bring people together, like shops, pubs, parks and town halls. In August 2025, funding was announced for 37 much-loved historic buildings and sites, many of which are located on high streets and in town centres.Alongside this, the £4.85m Heritage Revival Fund has a particular emphasis on town centres and helps to rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings in England, enabling community organisations, charities and social enterprises to take ownership and repurpose sites such as theatres, department stores and former banks.These funds will support the government’s Pride in Place Strategy, announced by the Prime Minister on 25th September 2025, to tackle local issues in 339 of the UK's most disadvantaged communities.

With reference to recommendation 47 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, when will Protector be integrated with Type-26 frigates.

The exploration of the Maritime capability for Protector is being considered as part of the Defence Investment Plan to take onboard the Review's vision and recommendations and turn them into a delivery plan. We will ensure that this Plan is affordable, considers infrastructure and people, alongside capabilities and maximises the benefits of defence spending to grow the UK economy.

What the full scope is of Operation Beaconport.

The National Police Operation, launched in response to the Casey Independent Audit of Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, has been named Operation Beaconport. The Operation is being set up to, as Baroness Casey recommended, ensure that past failures are addressed, justice is delivered, best practice is shared, and that we equip the system to deal with complex cases effectively.The Operation is bringing together, for the first time, local and national policing partners and will be overseen by the NCA. Terms of Reference are being set and details of the Operation will be announced in due course. However, work is not standing still and phase one of the review of closed group-based child sexual exploitation cases is underway with over 1,200 cases identified, of which 216 have been prioritised. The Operation is in its early stages therefore no arrests and prosecutions have been made.