Written questions by Lockhart.

What arrangements exist between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for the interception of unidentified or hostile aircraft in Irish airspace.

Access to Irish airspace is managed through extant diplomatic channels as per international norms with clearance being requested and granted for state aircraft under set conditions. UK Military aircraft do not enter the sovereign airspace of Ireland for operational purposes, without the express prior agreement of the Irish Government. Questions on sovereign airspace access and associated regulations are for individual nations to answer, therefore any questions on Irish airspace should be directed to the Irish Government.

What steps his Department is taking to promote opportunities for young people in Northern Ireland to volunteer for the Armed Forces.

We are committed to improving recruitment and retention through a range of targets, initiatives and measures and we are making a positive impact. The figures in the latest reporting period highlight that for the first time since early 2021, Armed Forces intake is now greater than outflow. In the 12 months preceding 1 October 2025 there was an increase of 13% in people joining the Armed Forces compared to the previous 12-month period. At the same time there was a decrease of 8% in people leaving the Armed Forces. In addition to this, the Armed Forces continue to see increased numbers of applications. These trends are very welcome, but we recognise that there is still more to do. In addition to the existing national recruitment campaigns including online material, the Services conduct recruitment that is tailored to Northern Ireland (NI). The Services use Outreach stands to facilitate face-to-face recruitment and attend recruitment fairs such as the UK Careers Fair Belfast and the NI Graduate Recruitment Fair. They also attend local events such as the Portrush Airshow and the NI Armed Forces Day.

Whether he plans to expand opportunities for defence-related apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we announced a £182 million skills package that includes initiatives which will support apprentices in the defence sector in Northern Ireland. We will work with the Northern Ireland Executive, industry and other key stakeholders to ensure we maximise such support.

Whether he has plans to invest in (a) new and (b) upgraded defence infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland in the next five years.

The UK Government, through the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), will make defence an engine for growth ensuring that our defence spending boosts prosperity, jobs and security for working people across all nations and regions. The SDR outlines the need for infrastructure recapitalisation, recommending a single Infrastructure Recapitalisation Plan that establishes a holistic assessment of Defence infrastructure requirements over the next decade, including Northern Ireland. This plan is due to report by February 2026.

What steps his Department is taking to promote careers in the Armed Forces among young people in Northern Ireland.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration. Since July 2024 we have taken decisive measures to redress the recruitment crisis, to attract and recruit more from across the United Kingdom including Northern Ireland, as well as maximise the number of applicants that successfully enter and remain in Armed Forces employment. Policies have included one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel, slashing the time it takes to access medical records from weeks to hours and restructuring the Army’s recruitment organisation. These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces, wherever they are from across the United Kingdom. The results are clear: year on year inflow is up 19%, outflow is down 7%, the Navy’s yearly recruiting target has been exceeded, the RAF’s applications are up 34% compared to early 2024, and the Army is seeing a seven-year high in applications. In addition to the existing national recruitment campaigns including online material, the Services conduct recruitment that is tailored to Northern Ireland. The Services use Outreach stands to facilitate face to face recruitment and attend recruitment fairs such as the UK Careers Fair Belfast and the NI Graduate Recruitment Fair. They also attend local events such as the Portrush Airshow and the Northern Ireland Armed Forces Day.

With reference to the Strategic Defence Review 2025, whether he plans to locate a munitions factory in Northern Ireland.

The Strategic Defence Review committed £1.5 billion investment for an "always on" pipeline for munitions and to build at least six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK. Feasibility studies are already underway to explore potential manufacturing sites across all four nations. Accordingly, the Ministry of Defence will work closely with cross-Government partners to identify locations for manufacturing sites.

Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential role Northern Ireland-based industries might play in helping support the UK’s nuclear (a) deterrent and (b) wider defence supply chains.

Northern Ireland plays a crucial role in the defence of the United Kingdom, with a defence industrial base that is at the forefront of advanced manufacturing and our enduring support to Ukraine. The UK Government will set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy how we will make defence an engine for growth, ensuring that our defence spending boosts prosperity, jobs and security for working people across all the nations and regions of the UK, including in Northern Ireland.

What role Northern Ireland will play in the implementation of the Strategic Defence Review 2025.

The SDR sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence and make the UK stronger both at home and abroad. The implementation of the Review’s recommendations will be a whole of UK Defence effort. We will publish a new Defence Investment Plan in the autumn set out our approach in detail. All nations and regions across the UK play an important role in SDR implementation, driving jobs and prosperity through a new partnership with industry and our commitment to back UK business and use defence spending to grow the UK economy. Faster and more flexible procurement will create more opportunities for innovative businesses of all sizes to invest, grow skills, and put the UK and our Armed Forces at the forefront of civil and military technology. The Defence dividend will benefit every nation and region in the UK, with Northern Ireland benefitting from, and contributing to, this national effort. We will support localised ecosystems and defence-related industries aligned to our national security priorities. We will work with local and devolved governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) expanding RAF operations at the Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove and (b) re-establishing RAF Aldergrove at Belfast International Airport.

The RAF continually assesses its basing footprint based on operational need and the demands of its future activity. While the RAF is embarking on a significant programme of investment across its Estate, the increased use of Aldergrove Flying Station or the movement to Belfast International Airport does not currently feature within the RAF's plans. Should operational demands change, the RAF will ensure all options are considered as part of any future review.

What steps his Department is taking to improve housing options for veterans in Northern Ireland.

On 26 June 2025, I was delighted to announce £300,000 of funding for wraparound housing support for veterans in Northern Ireland. This will sit alongside VALOUR, the Government's new UK-wide initiative to ensure easier access to essential care and support. This regional approach, based on a network of VALOUR support centres providing multiple services in one place, together with regional field officers coordinating the provision of local services, will ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2005 to Questions 50084 on Defence: Space Technology, what role Northern Ireland will play in the delivery of a refreshed Defence Space Strategy.

As the Strategic Defence Review highlights, Space is critical for the UK’s national infrastructure and central to future defence operations. In line with the Government’s wider industrial strategy, Defence is collaborating closely with partners across Government, industry, academia, and civil society to build a strong and resilient UK space sector.Northern Ireland contributes significantly to the UK’s space technology sector through its advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity capabilities. These strengths contribute to the UK’s capacity for space innovation, security, and industrial excellence.The forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will highlight capabilities deemed critical to national security, supply chain resilience, and economic growth for the UK more broadly. Space has been identified as an important area of strategic interest to Defence.

Whether his Department plans to expand (a) Army, (b) Navy, and (c) Air Cadet programmes in Northern Ireland.

Given the fantastic benefits which can be gained from the Cadet experience this Government is committed to getting more young people to become Cadets. The Strategic Defence Review has recommended an expansion of in-school and community-based Cadet Forces across the country by 30% by 2030. Expanding the Cadet Forces, which provide skills and qualifications to young people from diverse backgrounds across the country, and support economic growth, will benefit all four nations of the UK including Northern Ireland. Planning for this expansion is currently underway, and more detail will be provided in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the effective implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland; and whether he plans to take steps to improve access to veteran support services in the UK.

The Government has committed to extending the Covenant Legal Duty to cover UK Government Departments and the Devolved Governments, including Northern Ireland. We anticipate that the Duty extension will increase awareness of the Covenant, drive further improvements for the Armed Forces community, and help mitigate and tackle disadvantage. The Government has announced VALOUR, a new programme to establish the first ever UK-wide approach to veteran support services. A network of new regional field officers will work with local organisations to coordinate local delivery and ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities. The detailed structures and processes that will underpin VALOUR will be designed in collaboration with these local partners and others, with further details to be announced in due course. In Northern Ireland, veterans can access holistic support from the Veterans' Welfare Service Northern Ireland which provides a range of information and practical support to both veterans and their families. This includes access to timely physiotherapy and psychological therapies to eligible veterans. Veterans in Northern Ireland who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can also access the UK Government's single housing support pathway, Op FORTITUDE. Funding has also been made available via the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to support the health and wellbeing of veterans in Northern Ireland, including via the Thrive Together programme and Defence Medical Welfare Service pilot.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of consulting (a) veterans (i) generally and (ii) on their lived experiences and (b) veterans’ organisations in Northern Ireland in the (A) design and (B) delivery of the VALOUR (1) policy framework and (2) programme.

The Government understands the importance of consulting widely with veterans and veteran organisations to ensure that their voices are heard and their needs and experiences are understood. Officials are working with key statutory and voluntary sector stakeholders in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom to develop VALOUR. We have launched a VALOUR guidance page on GOV.UK website where individuals and organisations can register for updates and veterans can sign up to take part in research and focus groups.

If he will set out how the proposed introduction of regional field officers under the VALOUR programme will strengthen existing (a) statutory and (b) voluntary support networks for veterans in Northern Ireland.

VALOUR is a new programme to establish the first ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. A network of new regional field officers will work with local organisations to coordinate local delivery and ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities. In Northern Ireland, we will build on the effective collaborative between the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner’s Office. This will include enhancing partnerships with the wider veteran support system, including the Thrive Together programme led by Brooke House. The detailed structures and processes that will underpin VALOUR will be designed in collaboration with a range of relevant partners, including these local partners, with further details to be announced in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential role of the Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland in (a) shaping and (b) delivering the VALOUR programme to take account of (i) regional needs and (ii) existing collaborative practice.

VALOUR is a new programme to establish the first ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. A network of new regional field officers will work with local organisations to coordinate local delivery and ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities. In Northern Ireland, we will build on the effective collaborative between the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner’s Office. This will include enhancing partnerships with the wider veteran support system, including the Thrive Together programme led by Brooke House. The detailed structures and processes that will underpin VALOUR will be designed in collaboration with a range of relevant partners, including these local partners, with further details to be announced in due course.

What recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the UK’s capability to respond to (a) hybrid and (b) cyber threats.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with Government partners to monitor, understand and respond to cyber and hybrid threats to the UK from hostile states. The Strategic Defence Review 2025 underscores the UK's commitment to responding to cyber and hybrid threats, establishing the Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to ensure a coherent and consistent approach to force development, force generation and operations in the domain. We are enhancing integration across Defence and wider Government, as well as with allies, partners, and industry to respond to these threats effectively.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the VALOUR programme (a) works with and (b) complements existing veterans’ organisations in Northern Ireland.

VALOUR is a new programme to establish the first ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. A network of new regional field officers will work with local organisations to coordinate local delivery and ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities. In Northern Ireland, we will build on the effective collaborative between the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner’s Office. This will include enhancing partnerships with the wider veteran support system, including the Thrive Together programme led by Brooke House. The detailed structures and processes that will underpin VALOUR will be designed in collaboration with a range of relevant partners, including these local partners, with further details to be announced in due course.

What recent steps his Department has taken to help support the mental health of veterans in Northern Ireland; and what support his Department is providing to affected veterans.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 28 May 2025 to Question 53212.

What recent steps his Department has taken to support the mental health needs of veterans in Northern Ireland.

This Government is committed to ensuring that veterans can access the appropriate support wherever they live in the UK. We recently announced VALOUR, a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support to ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans. This regional approach, based on a network of VALOUR support centres providing multiple services in one place, together with regional field officers coordinating the provision of local services, will ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of local communities. Specialist statutory support for veterans who reside in Northern Ireland is delivered by the Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland (VWS NI) to ensure effective and enduring support is available. In April, the VWS NI renewed and expanded its unique medical contracts, providing psychological therapies and physiotherapy to eligible veterans, namely those with conditions attributable to their service. Veterans who are resident in Northern Ireland can also access a range of UK-wide support, while Government funding via the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust supports the Thrive Together Programme, which operates across the UK.