Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

With reference to page 36 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, whether he has made recent progress on developing capability under the defence partnership with India.

Defence Partnership India was formally launched in India at Aero India in February 2025. Since its inauguration there have been advancements in a range of capability areas across the air, maritime and land domains, as can be seen through the recent announcements from the Prime Minister’s visit to India earlier this month. For example, the Indian Army will procure THALES Lightweight Multirole Missiles through a Government-to-Government arrangement between our countries and both Prime Ministers were pleased to confirm the intent to finalise the Inter-Governmental agreement on cooperation in developing maritime electric propulsion systems to Indian Naval Platforms.

With reference to page 31 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, whether he made progress on enhancing the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force with France at the France-UK summit in July 2025.

The July 2025 UK-France summit saw a complete overhaul of the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) into the Combined Joint Force (CJF) with significant changes to structure, focus, coordination mechanisms and leadership. This is outlined in the Lancaster House 2.0: Declaration on Modernising UK-French Defence and Security Cooperation press release of 10 July 2025.

How many life jackets given to people illegally crossing the English Channel by French authorities have been returned to those authorities since 5 July 2024.

The information requested is not held in a reportable format and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual trawl of case records to retrieve.

What assessment he has made of the impact of the abolition of NHS England on the Integrated Single Financial Environment programme.

As would be expected with such significant reform, we have been carefully assessing the impact of the organisational change across the range existing systems and processes that includes the continued use of systems such as the Integrated Single Financial Environment (ISFE).The ISFE is, and will continue to be, critical to the delivery of ongoing National Health Service functions, and we are committed to ensuring that we maximise the value of the investment made in this system in the new integrated organisation.

With reference to page 87 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what progress he has made on establishing the Home Defence Programme.

The Home Defence Programme was established in August 2024 to build the UK’s resilience to any potential escalation to conflict. It is an evolving and enduring programme of work which provides defence, security and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK, informed by and reflecting the recommendations from government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.

With reference to page 27 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what recent progress he has made on establishing a new network of national biosecurity centres.

The Network of Biosecurity Centres will strengthen and formalise the strong existing collaborations between the UK Health Security Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It will ensure we are better prepared for a crisis, can respond more effectively when an incident does happen, and deliver a more holistic, One Health and National Security approach to biological research.The Network will support the Centres’ development and operation, with investment in the laboratory facilities of more than £1bn over the next four years to ensure we have the capabilities we need. Initial steps will include agreeing collaboration priorities, such as operation standards and skills development.The Cabinet Office oversees implementation of the UK Biological Security Strategy. That includes ensuring we have the capabilities across government to protect the public from a spectrum of biological risks, no matter how they occur and no matter who or what they affect. Funding to tackle specific biological risks is based on the UK ‘Lead Government Department (LGD)’ model. Designated LGDs are responsible for leading work to identify serious risks, and ensuring that the right planning, response and recovery arrangements are in place - including the prioritisation of departmental spending to ensure the right capabilities are in place to mitigate risks, within allocated budgets. The UK Biological Security Strategy is clear that a thriving life sciences sector is key to our biological security. The government has committed £380 million to engineering biology and £2bn to life sciences over the spending review period. At the publication of the UK Biological Security Strategy in June 2023, we committed to update Parliament annually on the progress made to implement the Strategy. The government published its first UK Biosecurity Strategy Implementation report in July 2025, which sets out the range of short term commitments delivered. The report is available here.

With reference to page 90 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, whether UK plans are coherent with NATO planning.

The UK’s Home Defence planning is closely aligned and coherent with our obligations associated with NATO plans. The government takes a NATO first approach to defence planning and remains committed to our responsibilities in the alliance. Further details are set out in the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.

With reference to page 90 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what progress has he made on codifying civilian assistance to military authorities in crisis and conflict.

Developing plans for civilian assistance to the military in a time of conflict is a key component of the Cabinet Offices Home Defence Programme (HDP). Working with the MoD and across Whitehall departments, the HDP will set a baseline understanding of the requirements of support that defence would need and how positions and roles may need to be backfilled in a conflict scenario. This work is ongoing.

With reference to page 39 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what measures are contained within each pillar of the Strategic Framework in order to bolster overall security with respect to China.

The three pillars of the National Security Strategy 2025 set out comprehensive measures on how we will bolster the UK's overall security. Our approach to China, as a country that poses both a series of threats to UK national security and significant economic opportunities, necessarily cuts across all three pillars. From pillar one's focus on measures to bolster our security at home, to pillar two's emphasis on direct and high level engagement with China in support of UK interests to pillar three's focus on our international competitiveness and reducing our dependence on others.

With reference to page 25 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, how much funding was provided to the Counter Terrorism Operations Centre in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

The Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre (CTOC) is the flagship of the UK's CT capability, bringing together expertise and resource across police, the intelligence agencies and the criminal justice system, enabling us to better identify and disrupt emerging threats from terrorism.We do not publish a breakdown of funding for national security reasons.

With reference to page 25 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, when she plans to introduce new powers to help tackle state threats.

As the previous Home Secretary set out in her oral statement on 19 May 2025, the Government is committed to taking forward legislation to implement all of the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC, Independent Reviewer of State Threats Legislation, in his review of legislation to address state-based security threats to the UK.One of the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC, was to create a State Threats Proscription-Style Tool which will more appropriately tackle threats from state-linked entities, and which will provide operational partners with enhanced capabilities to disrupt the activities of the most egregious organisations. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

With reference to page 26 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what her planned timetable is for implementing the recommendations of the Independent Reviewer of State Threat Legislation.

As the previous Home Secretary set out in her oral statement on 19 May 2025, the Government is committed to taking forward legislation to implement all of the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC, Independent Reviewer of State Threats Legislation, in his review of legislation to address state-based security threats to the UK.One of the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC, was to create a State Threats Proscription-Style Tool which will more appropriately tackle threats from state-linked entities, and which will provide operational partners with enhanced capabilities to disrupt the activities of the most egregious organisations. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

With reference to the news story entitled Live Facial Recognition technology to catch high-harm offenders, published on 13 August 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using live facial recognition vans to identify people involved with hare-coursing.

The Government is committed to equipping police forces with the tools they need to tackle serious crimes, locate offenders and bring them to justice.As part of this commitment, the Home Office has funded the roll-out of ten live facial recognition (LFR) vans to seven host police forces, with access available to all forces across the country.Hare coursing is a serious criminal offence that causes harm to rural communities. Police forces across the UK have launched Operation Galileo, a national initiative aimed at tackling hare coursing through increased patrols, surveillance and tougher legal penalties. The Government takes this issue very seriously and will continue to support police efforts to tackle it.While LFR technology has proven effective in locating individuals wanted for high harm offences, the government has made no formal assessment regarding its potential use in addressing hare coursing. LFR deployment decisions rest with individual police forces, and any future consideration of its use must be intelligence-led and compliant with the legal framework.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2025 to Question 74067 on Primates: Imports, how many import licences have been issued for macaques since 5 July 2024; and for what purposes each import licence was issued.

This information is not available in the public domain.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has she made on renewing the New START Treaty before its expiration in February 2026.

The New START Treaty is a bilateral agreement between the United States and Russian Federation; any replacement treaty is a matter for the US and Russia. The UK regularly raises issues related to strategic risk reduction, including arms control with the USA and Russia through the expert-level P5 process. Genuine and verifiable strategic arms control among the largest Nuclear Weapons States can be a positive step for global security. However, following Russia's decision to suspend participation in New START verification measures in 2023, future approaches need to be based on concrete, and verifiable actions.

With reference to recommendation 22 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on strengthening Europe’s collective industrial base.

The UK recently launched its Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) which reaffirms our belief that close cooperation with our European allies is essential. We remain clear that, in order to effectively deter and defence against increased aggression, we need to strengthen our shared defence industrial base to ensure Europe is able to secure the critical capabilities needed at the necessary speed, scale and value for money. As part of these efforts, we have set out our ambition to explore the potential for enhanced cooperation through the EU’s SAFE instrument. We have also re-set our bilateral relationships with France, helping to strengthen the European complex weapons industrial base through Lancaster House 2.0, and with Germany, strengthening the land combat industrial sector, through the Trinity House agreement. While the new UK-Norway defence partnership, including the Type 26 procurement, will sustain 4.000 jobs in the UK.

With reference to page 39 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, whether she plans to place China on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

As set out in the National Security Act 2023, the Secretary of State may make a specification under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) where they consider it is reasonably necessary to do so to protect the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.On China, no decision has been made in relation to specifying this country on the enhanced tier of FIRS.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of abolishing (a) NHS England and (b) some integrated care boards on (i) veteran-focussed services provided by NHS England and (ii) veteran-tailored healthcare provision.

Following the announcement on the abolition of NHS England, work is progressing to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilities from NHS England to the Department.The Department is committed to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, and these ongoing assessments will inform the programme as it progresses. NHS England will continue to undertake its statutory functions until parliamentary time allows for legislative changes to be made.Whilst this transformation takes place, the Department will ensure that it continues to evaluate impacts and work collaboratively to ensure continuity of care within veteran focussed services.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the guidance entitled Digital ID scheme: explainer, published on 26 September 2025, when she plans to publish the consultation on digital IDs.

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs involved and savings - while accounting for the outcomes of the consultation.The Government will work closely with expert stakeholders to make the programme as effective, secure and inclusive as possible, including taking insights from previous IT projects where appropriate. We will also take best practice from other countries.Inclusivity is central to our thinking as we design this. The Government will deliver a comprehensive inclusion programme to ensure everyone eligible is able to access the new digital ID. This will include targeted support for those who may struggle to access or engage with digital services.

With reference to page 27 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, how his Department plans to allocate funding to help tackle biological (a) incidents, (b) accidents and (c) attacks.

The Network of Biosecurity Centres will strengthen and formalise the strong existing collaborations between the UK Health Security Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It will ensure we are better prepared for a crisis, can respond more effectively when an incident does happen, and deliver a more holistic, One Health and National Security approach to biological research.The Network will support the Centres’ development and operation, with investment in the laboratory facilities of more than £1bn over the next four years to ensure we have the capabilities we need. Initial steps will include agreeing collaboration priorities, such as operation standards and skills development.The Cabinet Office oversees implementation of the UK Biological Security Strategy. That includes ensuring we have the capabilities across government to protect the public from a spectrum of biological risks, no matter how they occur and no matter who or what they affect. Funding to tackle specific biological risks is based on the UK ‘Lead Government Department (LGD)’ model. Designated LGDs are responsible for leading work to identify serious risks, and ensuring that the right planning, response and recovery arrangements are in place - including the prioritisation of departmental spending to ensure the right capabilities are in place to mitigate risks, within allocated budgets. The UK Biological Security Strategy is clear that a thriving life sciences sector is key to our biological security. The government has committed £380 million to engineering biology and £2bn to life sciences over the spending review period. At the publication of the UK Biological Security Strategy in June 2023, we committed to update Parliament annually on the progress made to implement the Strategy. The government published its first UK Biosecurity Strategy Implementation report in July 2025, which sets out the range of short term commitments delivered. The report is available here.