Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

How much of the Renewal and Retrofit Programme's funding will be spent on schools in the Huntingdon constituency.

The Renewal and Retrofit Programme, backed by £710 million to 2029/30, will be launched from April 2026 to improve the condition of school and college buildings and increase resilience to climate change so that buildings can last for decades and are net zero ready. This funding will also help protect more schools from flooding. The Programme will start with schools in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the South East, and will be expanded from 2027 to other regions in England. The department will set out further details in due course on how schools and colleges can join the Programme from 2027.We are providing £325 million in additional targeted investment for digital connectivity until 2029/30, including expanding the Connect the Classroom programme. To date, almost £600,000 of Connect the Classroom funding has been provided to schools in the Huntingdon constituency. Through 2026/27, Connect the Classroom will continue to support schools on the regional improvement for standards and excellence programme, with additional selection criteria to be announced in the summer.

With reference to the press release titled “10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child”, published on 11 February 2026, what is the estimated total cost of establishing an inclusion base in every secondary school.

On Wednesday 11 February, the department set out our ambition that, in time, every secondary school will have an inclusion base.Where new places are needed, this can be supported by the £3.7 billion in high needs capital that we are investing between 2025/26 and 2029/30. This funding is allocated to local authorities, who know their schools and will determine how best to spend funding to meet local need. £740 million of this funding has already been allocated, and allocations for 2026/27 will be published in the spring.

When was the last end-to-end review of the medical discharge process undertaken.

Tri-Service Medical Policy (Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950) sets out the standards and guidance for assessing medical conditions across the Armed Forces. Whilst JSP 950 provides consistency across the Services in terms of procedures and governance, each Service applies these standards according to its own operational demands given that personnel may find themselves subject to significantly different environments and roles. This includes medical boards which have the authority to recommend medical categories that may result in a Service Person’s discharge from the Armed Forces. Defence recognises that discharge for medical reasons can have implications for financial stability, housing, and wellbeing. The discharge process is therefore designed to mitigate these risks through coordinated case management, warm handovers to civilian services, and the provision of compensation where eligible, based on a structured timeline of actions commencing nine months prior. Actions include final medical and dental reviews, resettlement interviews, pension and administrative preparation, and tailored support for those who are wounded, injured, or sick. All personnel discharged for medical reasons are automatically referred to Veterans Services to ensure that they and their families can continue to access tailored support with health, housing, employment, and welfare as they transition into civilian life. Feeback is collected from those using Veterans Services, as well as the Career Transition Partnership, both of which routinely capture insight on the challenges encountered during discharge and subsequent transition to civilian life. This feedback informs continuous improvement work within both Defence medical pathways and transition policy. We recognise the need to develop a cohered Occupational Health Service to simplify policy and processes, improve patient experience, and better support the retention of Armed Forces personnel. The new Joint Defence Termination check list, being created in conjunction with the single Services aims, in particular, to protect those leaving Service earlier than they expected by ensuring all safeguarding steps are completed.

Pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2026 to question 111934 on Armed Forces: Parachuting, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the focus on a single battalion group on the number of All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection courses run each year.

The Strategic Defence Review position on military parachuting capabilities represents no change to the current Defence parachuting provision. Therefore, there is no anticipated change to the number of All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection courses or the Basic Parachute Course.

Pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2026 to question 111934 on Armed Forces: Parachuting, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the focus on a single battalion group on the number of Basic Parachute Courses available to Parachute Regiment soldiers.

The Strategic Defence Review position on military parachuting capabilities represents no change to the current Defence parachuting provision. Therefore, there is no anticipated change to the number of All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection courses or the Basic Parachute Course.

With reference to the Times Radio interview with preventative analytics advisory panel lead Professor Mark Mon Williams at 0727 on 16 February 2026, what children’s health data will be shared with a) schools and b) police forces as part of the preventatives analytics programme.

The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.

With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, what personal data will be accessed by the Ministry of Justice preventative analytics programme “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.

The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.

With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, what permissions do the Government require in order to access personal data for use in preventative analytics “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.

The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.

With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, how will individual’s personal data be used in preventative analytics “to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime”.

The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.

With reference to the comments by the Minister for Youth Justice in the Sunday Times on 15 February 2026, by what date he plans to establish the advisory panel on preventative analytics for youth justice.

The Government is in the process of establishing a Preventative Analytics for Youth Justice Advisory Panel. As the Panel has not yet been established, no recommendations have been made on specific data sources or the sharing of data with youth justice partners for the purposes of support and safeguarding. At this early stage, we are not able to state the specific datasets which will be accessed. Exploratory work is required to identify what data would be useful for the purposes of prevention, where it is held, and how to use it responsibly, ethically, and legally. However, it is anticipated that the programme will draw on data already held by government departments, local youth justice services, and local authorities. This may include information about a child’s contact with the youth justice system, education, health services, social care, or other relevant services. Where data is shared between public authorities, we expect this will take place under established legal gateways for example the Digital Economy Act or the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Where additional permissions are required (e.g. due to the terms of a privacy notice), then such permissions will be sought. The Department will ensure appropriate governance arrangements are made and documented (e.g. through Data Protection Impact Assessments and Data Sharing Agreements). At this stage, we are not able to describe how the data will be used in the sense of defining specific processing techniques. The purpose of the advisory panel is to guide the development of these techniques in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. That said, the programme will not make automated decisions about individual children or replace professional judgement; rather it will provide evidence-based insights to help practitioners identify where interventions may be most effective. Strong safeguards will be sought to ensure fairness, transparency and protection against bias. The Government intends to establish the Advisory Panel on preventative analytics for youth justice by spring. Work is already underway and further details will be set out in due course.

With reference to the press release titled “10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child”, published on 11 February 2026, by when does the government expect every secondary school to have an inclusion base.

On Wednesday 11 February, the department set out our ambition that, in time, every secondary school will have an inclusion base.Where new places are needed, this can be supported by the £3.7 billion in high needs capital that we are investing between 2025/26 and 2029/30. This funding is allocated to local authorities, who know their schools and will determine how best to spend funding to meet local need. £740 million of this funding has already been allocated, and allocations for 2026/27 will be published in the spring.

How many meetings his Department has had with Leonardo since 1 January 2026.

Leonardo is one of Defence’s key suppliers and therefore Ministers and officials have consistently met with representatives from the company since 1 January 2026. The Department continues to have conversations at every level regarding current programmes and wider business interests across the UK, though the total number of meetings is not centrally recorded.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2026 to question 109652 on Artificial Intelligence, what progress she has made on scaling onshore compute.

Compute is a critical enabler for AI development and scientific research. This Government is committed to scaling this essential infrastructure to accelerate innovation, drive economic growth and better support our public services.We are investing up to £2 billion in public compute through to 2030. This will deliver a new national supercomputer in Edinburgh and expand our AI Research Resource twentyfold by 2030 providing free access to compute for researchers, SMEs and the public sector.The UK has also established five AI Growth Zones, including the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone, announced this January. We will continue to work with these zones to secure them as the UK's AI powerhouses, as well as identifying new sites around the UK with the potential to become AI Growth Zones.

How many medically discharged personnel have been referred to (a) Op COURAGE, (b) Op RESTORE and (c) Op VALOUR in each of the last five years.

Op COURAGE and RESTORE are both NHS initiatives; to date Op COURAGE has received 35,000 referrals, whilst over 1,000 veterans have used the Op RESTORE service.VALOUR is a programme which will give veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support available to them. There are three components of VALOUR. VALOUR Recognised Centres will facilitate access to multiple services for veterans, and will connect local, regional, and national services. A network of VALOUR Field Officers will bring together charities, service providers, and local government to improve collaboration and coordination, enabling data-driven policy and service development. Finally, a VALOUR HQ, within the MOD, will gather data and insight, working with policy and research teams to ensure services are designed to meet local needs.

What he plans to commit to NATO’s Task Force X Baltic.

The UK is fully committed to NATO’s broader deterrence posture in the Baltic region, demonstrated through our significant contributions across air, maritime, and land domains. This includes our Forward Land Force commitment in Estonia, regular participation in NATO exercises, and involvement in maritime operations. We continue to work closely with our NATO Allies to regularly review and assess how best to allocate resources to ensure the greatest possible deterrent effect and to uphold the security of the Alliance.

Pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2026 to question 111934 on Armed Forces: Parachuting, what roles across the Armed Forces are defined as specialists.

Within the Armed Forces there are two levels of parachute specialisation: Low Level Para and High Altitude Para.

How many extradition requests have been a) received and b) accepted, from Category 2 Type B countries since 5th July 2024.

Between 5th July 2024 until today’s date UK Central Authority (UKCA) in the Home Office received 64 extradition requests from Category 2 Type B countries.We have understood your request in relation to having been ‘accepted’ as how many cases have been certified under s70 of the Extradition Act 2003 (the ‘Act’). Of the 64 requests received, 56 have been certified to date. Once a request has been certified it is sent to the courts, after which the request is subjected to a largely judicial process.Please note that all figures are from local management information and have not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such they should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed strike action by Royal Fleet Auxiliary seafarers on Royal Navy operations.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary remains essential in supporting operations alongside the Royal Navy and our global allies. They continue to meet their operational commitments, and we are dedicated to resolving this dispute through ongoing dialogue with their trade unions.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact on UK security of the inclusion of BYD Company Limited on the recent update to the “Entities Identified as Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States in Accordance with Section 1260H of the William M. (“Mac”) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283)1".

As part of the National Security Strategy the Government is implementing new measures to make the UK a harder target for actors who seek to exploit our open, democratic society. This includes bolstering our cyber and economic security defences.For example, the national security powers in the Procurement Act 2023 allow the Government to exclude suppliers from public sector procurement, terminate their public contracts and debar them from future ones. These powers target risk from individual suppliers—not specific countries—and will be used proportionately based on the threat posed.

With reference to the press release entitled UK announces urgent new air defence package for Ukraine worth over half a billion pounds, published on 12 February 2026, what is the a) total value of the package announced and b) from which budget will the funding be taken.

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.