Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89778 on Prisons: Construction, on what date did ISG Construction Limited cease on-site work at the planned new prison in Buckinghamshire.

ISG Construction Limited ceased work on all Ministry of Justice sites on the date of their administration, 20 September 2024. This included the expansions at HMP The Verne and HMP Guys Marsh.Although the sites at HMP Kirklevington Grange, HMP Warren Hill, and the new prison in Buckinghamshire were due to be completed by ISG, the projects were still in their design stage at this time and on-site works had not yet started before the company went into administration.

Pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2026, to question 119557 on RAF Wyton: NATO, whether the infrastructure at RAF Wyton is in scope for the Defence Investment Plan.

The Defence Investment Plan will cover investment in infrastructure. It will be published as soon as possible.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89778 on Prisons: Construction, on what date did ISG Construction Limited cease on-site work at HMP Guys Marsh.

ISG Construction Limited ceased work on all Ministry of Justice sites on the date of their administration, 20 September 2024. This included the expansions at HMP The Verne and HMP Guys Marsh.Although the sites at HMP Kirklevington Grange, HMP Warren Hill, and the new prison in Buckinghamshire were due to be completed by ISG, the projects were still in their design stage at this time and on-site works had not yet started before the company went into administration.

Pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2026, to question 118321 on Ajax Vehicles: Procurement, what investigations into Ajax are still ongoing.

As I confirmed to the House during Defence Oral Questions on 16 March 2026, we have received the final Army safety investigation report, and work is ongoing to agree next steps. The department continues to engage with General Dynamics on the report and next steps, as we have since Exercise TITAN STORM. I will update the House after Easter recess to outline next steps.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of procuring BAE Maritime’s Littoral Strike Craft for the Royal Navy.

The Strategic Defence Review considered all aspects of Defence, including the capabilities required by UK Defence to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the twenty-first century. The plan for implementing the Review’s recommendations for the Integrated Force will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

How many offenders released on licence since 5 July 2024 and recalled to custody had not been returned to custody by the end of December 2025.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Once an offender’s licence has been revoked, it falls to the Police to apprehend the offender and return them to prison custody.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of domestic weapons integration advantages of the F-35I over the British F-35B.

Israel procures F-35 directly from the US. This is a matter between the Israeli and US Governments.

What is the Royal Navy’s contribution to the Aspides naval mission.

The Royal Navy does not make a direct contribution to Operation ASPIDES.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on mitigations to the impact on food supply in the event that the Strait of Hormuz’s closure becomes critical to fuel availability.

Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. At present, there are no significant impacts to the supply of food to consumers, and we do not expect any short-term disruption. The department will continue to monitor the situation and take all necessary steps including holding discussions with Cabinet colleagues as necessary.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89778 on Prisons: Construction, on what date did ISG Construction Limited cease on-site work at HMP The Verne.

ISG Construction Limited ceased work on all Ministry of Justice sites on the date of their administration, 20 September 2024. This included the expansions at HMP The Verne and HMP Guys Marsh.Although the sites at HMP Kirklevington Grange, HMP Warren Hill, and the new prison in Buckinghamshire were due to be completed by ISG, the projects were still in their design stage at this time and on-site works had not yet started before the company went into administration.

Pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2026, to question 118321 on Ajax Vehicles: Procurement, by what date does he expect all current ongoing investigations into Ajax to have concluded.

As I confirmed to the House during Defence Oral Questions on 16 March 2026, we have received the final Army safety investigation report, and work is ongoing to agree next steps. The department continues to engage with General Dynamics on the report and next steps, as we have since Exercise TITAN STORM. I will update the House after Easter recess to outline next steps.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89778 on Prisons: Construction, on what date did ISG Construction Limited cease on-site work at HMP Warren Hill.

ISG Construction Limited ceased work on all Ministry of Justice sites on the date of their administration, 20 September 2024. This included the expansions at HMP The Verne and HMP Guys Marsh.Although the sites at HMP Kirklevington Grange, HMP Warren Hill, and the new prison in Buckinghamshire were due to be completed by ISG, the projects were still in their design stage at this time and on-site works had not yet started before the company went into administration.

Pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2025 to question 73557 on Navy: Dockyards, what progress he has made in delivering the NSIGN Projects to enable the Ministry of Defence to contract for Submarine and enabling Naval Base services delivered through Clyde and Devonport in March 2026.

Good progress has been made on both programmes. Contract placement is on track to extend the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) to cover the period from April 2026 up to October 2028. The extension will ensure a smooth transition to the Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) Programme, which will continue the maritime support transformation started by the FMSP. Supplier negotiations for the NSIGN programme continue.

Pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2025 to question 73557 on Navy: Dockyards, what progress he has made in delivering the extension of the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) where required, for the period March 2026 to October 2028.

Good progress has been made on both programmes. Contract placement is on track to extend the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) to cover the period from April 2026 up to October 2028. The extension will ensure a smooth transition to the Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) Programme, which will continue the maritime support transformation started by the FMSP. Supplier negotiations for the NSIGN programme continue.

By when will his department answer question 113295, published on 12 February 2026.

The total value of the air defence package announced by the Defence Secretary at the most recent Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting, is £540 million. This is funded through the UK’s annual commitment of military aid to Ukraine and Ukrainian funding underwritten by UK Export Finance.

What assessment he has made of the level of deployability of HMS Duncan prior to completion of its Power Improvement Project upgrade.

The Royal Navy manages the availability and readiness of its ships on a rolling basis, ensuring that vessels are deployed only when they are safe, capable, and endorsed for tasking.

What steps has she taken to remove the tree guards from dead saplings along the A14.

As part of its planned maintenance activities including replanting new trees, adding nutrients to the soil and grass cutting, National Highways will begin removing both redundant biodegradable and plastic tree guards adjacent to A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme. National Highways has scheduled this work to start this month (March 2026).

If he will make an assessment of the potential vulnerability of (a) Taiwan and (b) the first and second island chain following the deployment of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit from Okinawa to the Arabian Gulf.

The MOD does not comment on assessments conducted on the military capabilities of other states for reasons of operational security.

What assessment has he made of the requirement to replace the minehunting capability of HMS Middleton in the Arabian Gulf.

We inherited a plan from the previous government for a drawdown of crewed minehunting capabilities. The Royal Navy remains committed to sustaining mine countermeasures capability in the Arabian Gulf. The UK is transitioning to modern autonomous minehunting systems under the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme, and operational requirements in the region are kept under constant review.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on the Dedicated Schools Grant allocation for Cambridgeshire with regards to SEND reform.

The department is exploring the implications of all local government reorganisation proposals, including those for Cambridgeshire. When decisions have been made, we will assess the impact of those plans on future dedicated schools grant allocations, and on the allocations of other grants designed to deliver the reforms outlined in our current special educational and disability (SEND) reform consultation.