Written questions by Dinenage.

If he will list the Royal Naval Establishments with a UIN in the Portsmouth area.

Awaiting answer.

How many bed spaces were available in Fort Blockhouse in the last year of its operation at full capacity.

410 Single Living Accommodation bedspaces were available in Fort Blockhouse until the sites closure in December 2021.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for War Pension Scheme reviews to be completed.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently managing a high volume of War Pension Scheme (WPS) cases, which has resulted in longer processing times. We remain fully committed to improving performance and reducing delays in claim processing. To address these challenges, the Department has implemented a range of targeted measures: Flexible resource management: Teams now have the ability to reallocate resources as needed, while staff are being trained in multiple skillsets to enhance efficiency and build greater resilience across operations. Accelerated processing: Overtime and weekend working have been introduced to expedite the clearance of outstanding claims. Increased capacity: Additional administrative and caseworker staff have been recruited to strengthen processing capabilities and improve overall throughput. Process and IT optimisation: a dedicated Taskforce team has been established to support improved delivery, including initiatives such as developing access to primary healthcare reports and introducing Straight Through Processing.The MOD places the highest priority on claims from terminally ill individuals, ensuring they are fast-tracked at every stage.

What steps he is taking to support service children with SEND to maintain consistent standards of education.

Awaiting answer.

How much is the Royal Navy spending on private a) private rented accommodation b) hotels for service personnel serving in the Portsmouth Harbour area in each of the last three financial years.

Royal Navy spending on private rented accommodation and hotels for Service personnel serving in the Portsmouth Harbour area, in each of the last three financial years, is not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

How he is working with the DSMA to prevent the inadvertent disclosure of information from HMNB Portsmouth by the media which would improve an adversary’s knowledge and understanding of the UK’s military plans.

The Ministry of Defence has frequent contact with the Defence and Security Media Advisory Committee during which specific matters are discussed in confidence, with impartial advice provided to the Department and to the media.

What the readiness category is of (a) RFA Lyme Bay, (b) RFA Mounts Bay, (c) RFA Cardigan Bay, (d) RFA Argus, (e) RFA Fort Victoria, (f) RFA Tidespring, (g) RFA Tiderace, (h) RFA Tidesurge and (i) RFA Tideforce.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

How many Royal Navy personnel are at (a) R1, (b) R2, (c) R3, (d) R4, (e) R5, (f) R6, (g) R7, (h) R8, (i) R9, (j) R10 and (k) R11.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

What the readiness category is of (a) HMS Glasgow, (b) HMS Belfast and (c) HMS Cardiff.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

How many Royal Navy vessels are at (a) R1, (b) R2, (c) R3, (d) R4, (e) R5, (f) R6, (g) R7, (h) R8, (i) R9, (j) R10 and (k) R11.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

What steps he is taking to ensure that military memorials are kept in good condition.

Responsibility for military memorials is split between several organisations, depending on the type and location of the memorial. Across the globe, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains 23,000 war memorials and war cemeteries commemorating 1.7 million commonwealth casualties who died during the First and Second World Wars. During the Financial Year 2024-25, the Ministry of Defence contributed £56.3 million Grant in Aid funding to support this core commemoration to a high standard, sometimes in inhospitable locations. Additionally, there are many military memorials, both within the UK and abroad, which have been established, and are owned by institutions such as local authorities, charities, churches, museums, schools, businesses and private individuals. The care and maintenance of such memorials are the sole responsibility of the owner.

What steps are being taken to (a) clear the backlog of unclaimed Armed Forces pensions and (b) prevent the accumulation of unclaimed pensions in future.

There is currently no backlog for unclaimed deferred pensions.The Ministry of Defence continues to conduct tracing exercises 60 working days after the pension due date to establish the member's address and invite them to claim; we continue to explore additional mechanisms to identify individuals who qualify for an unclaimed deferred pension.

How many Royal Navy vessels were at (a) High, (b) Very High and (c) Extremely High readiness in each year since 2022.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service Personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure the long-term financial sustainability of and continued public access to the Old Royal Naval College.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with parties who have an interest in the Old Royal Naval College. In exercising his power to grant leases on the Old Royal Naval College, the Secretary of State gives regard to the suitability of occupants to maintain the site, and to public access. Under the terms of their lease, responsibility for heritage conservation, maintenance, and repair rests with the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College. Public access is a matter for all tenants, and employment is a matter for individual employers on site.

What assessment he has made of the potential risks to employment, public access and heritage conservation at the Old Royal Naval College.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with parties who have an interest in the Old Royal Naval College. In exercising his power to grant leases on the Old Royal Naval College, the Secretary of State gives regard to the suitability of occupants to maintain the site, and to public access. Under the terms of their lease, responsibility for heritage conservation, maintenance, and repair rests with the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College. Public access is a matter for all tenants, and employment is a matter for individual employers on site.

What support his Department is considering to address capital works required at the Old Royal Naval College.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with parties who have an interest in the Old Royal Naval College. In exercising his power to grant leases on the Old Royal Naval College, the Secretary of State gives regard to the suitability of occupants to maintain the site, and to public access. Under the terms of their lease, responsibility for heritage conservation, maintenance, and repair rests with the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College. Public access is a matter for all tenants, and employment is a matter for individual employers on site.

What discussions his Department has had with Greenwich Hospital, Royal Museums Greenwich and the Greenwich Foundation on a coordinated plan to secure the future operations of the Old Royal Naval College.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with parties who have an interest in the Old Royal Naval College. In exercising his power to grant leases on the Old Royal Naval College, the Secretary of State gives regard to the suitability of occupants to maintain the site, and to public access. Under the terms of their lease, responsibility for heritage conservation, maintenance, and repair rests with the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College. Public access is a matter for all tenants, and employment is a matter for individual employers on site.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays in GPs providing medical records on armed forces recruitment.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration, and this Government is focused upon improving Armed Forces recruitment, modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract the best possible talent. Defence is committed to reducing the time taken for candidates to pass through Armed Forces recruitment processes and enter service. Access to medical records is one of the main frictions in current Armed Forces recruitment processes, adding time into candidates’ progress through their application journey. To reduce this friction we are actively taking steps to optimise relevant processes working with the Department for Health and Social Care. This is already delivering results with shorter wait times.

What steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for the Defence Medical Service to release veterans’ medical records to their GP.

When an individual leaves the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the importance of facilitating the transfer of healthcare information to their civilian healthcare provider(s). On leaving Defence Medical Services (DMS) care, Service personnel are provided with a medical care summary, known as an FMed133, and advised to register with an NHS GP and provide them a copy of their FMED 133. If a patient’s full DMS health record is required, this is provided on request from their NHS GP. Given this and that some records are never requested, no accurate estimate can be made of the average time from discharge to the receipt of the medical records by the NHS GP. To improve the transfer of healthcare information, DMS is working towards the greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from DMS to NHS GPs and expects to implement changes over the next 1-2 years.

What the average time taken is for the Defence Medical Service to release a veteran’s medical record post discharge from the Armed Services.

When an individual leaves the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the importance of facilitating the transfer of healthcare information to their civilian healthcare provider(s). On leaving Defence Medical Services (DMS) care, Service personnel are provided with a medical care summary, known as an FMed133, and advised to register with an NHS GP and provide them a copy of their FMED 133. If a patient’s full DMS health record is required, this is provided on request from their NHS GP. Given this and that some records are never requested, no accurate estimate can be made of the average time from discharge to the receipt of the medical records by the NHS GP. To improve the transfer of healthcare information, DMS is working towards the greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from DMS to NHS GPs and expects to implement changes over the next 1-2 years.