Written questions by Doogan.

What comparative assessment he has made of the level of funding his Department makes in the defence industry in Scotland compared to the south of England.

In 2024-25, the Ministry of Defence’s expenditure in Scotland per capita was £390. In comparison, the expenditure per capita was £1,120 in the South West, £810 in the South East, and £330 in London. The Defence Industrial Strategy will support further investment into the defence industry in Scotland through initiatives such as the Defence Growth Deals, alongside other programmes such as the Type 26 Warship partnership with Norway, the biggest ever warship export deal by value, creating over 2000 jobs in Glasgow. We also signed the landmark Unity defence contract in January, creating at least 200 jobs in Scotland.

How many jobs will be created in Scotland as a result of the Defence Industrial Strategy in each of the next five years.

It is not possible to estimate the number of jobs being created in Scotland as a result of the Defence Industrial Strategy, as decisions on future investments in Scotland or assessments of its impact have not yet been made.However, the defence sector is a significant employer in Scotland – MOD spending with industry supported 11,800 jobs in Scotland in 2023-24 – and we expect the Defence Industrial Strategy to contribute significantly to this over the next five years through initiatives such as the Scotland Defence Growth Deal.

How much of the ringfenced UKDI budget will be allocated to Scotland.

As we have set out in our Defence Industrial Strategy (UKDI), the Government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of defence investment are felt in every nation and region of the UK. Decisions over future UKDI spending will be confirmed through the Defence Investment Plan.

With reference to the Defence Industrial Strategy, what additional support his Department will give to Scottish businesses in the light of the new approach to defence exports.

The Defence Industrial Strategy set out how the Ministry of Defence will launch new Defence Growth Deals. One of these will be in Scotland and will be developed in partnership with the Scottish Government. Norway’s recent decision to equip itself with the Type 26 Frigates, proudly built in Scotland, will support over 2,000 jobs and 103 businesses there and demonstrates this Government is committed to ensuring the ‘defence dividend’ benefits communities across the United Kingdom, including Scotland.

What was the total value of bonds sold by, or on behalf of, the Development Company for Israel in the UK in the most recent year for which data is available.

The government does not hold this information.

What is the cumulative value of orders his Department has placed with Scottish defence contractors for new equipment.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not centrally maintain data specifically on the country of ownership of its suppliers. Therefore, contracts awarded to Scottish suppliers have been identified using the primary supplier site postcode of the contract and matching this with a reference list of Scottish postcodes. This does not guarantee that suppliers are Scottish registered businesses or that work for the contracts are conducted in Scotland.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Glasgow South West during Prime Minister's Questions on 3 September 2025, Official Report, column 291, what his evidential basis is for the statement that the First Minister has not welcomed the deal.

I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister's words on 3 September 2025, Official Report, column 291.

Whether the (a) Bank of England and (b) Financial Conduct Authority have a role in the (i) authorisation and (ii) regulation of bond sales (A) by and (B) on behalf of the Development Company for Israel in the UK.

The government does not comment on individual firms.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent non-governmental body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. The FCA is responsible for authorising and supervising regulated firms, in line with their objectives, and for taking enforcement action where necessary.This includes responsibility for the UK Prospectus Regime which sets out requirements firms must follow for the public issuance or admission of securities – including debt securities – on UK regulated markets.

Whether he plans to review the recruitment of under 18s into the armed forces.

Young people from the age of 16 are eligible to join our Armed Forces and we are immensely proud of the apprenticeship and education opportunities available to those who choose a career in Defence. The Armed Forces provide a positive career choice (with ongoing trade training) for those leaving school at 16. As part of our duty of care to our recruits no young person under the age of 18 years may join our Armed Forces without the formal written consent of their parent or guardian, nor do they deploy on operations until they reach 18 years of age. The Armed Forces do not intend to phase out the recruitment of personnel who are under the age of 18. Our policies on under-18s in Service are robust and comply with national and international law.

How many armed forces personnel have been convicted of (a) violent and (b) sexual offences against other personnel since 2000; how many received custodial sentences; and how many returned to service following release.

Official statistics produced by the MOD from 2015 show information on the prosecution of sexual offending, and murder and manslaughter from 2021. However, they do not show which cases relate to other personnel. The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Court Martial results from the Military Court Service are available back to 2010 in a searchable format at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-martial-results-from-the-military-court-centres

How much his Department has spent on private finance initiatives in each of the last five years.

Details of Ministry of Defence Private Finance Initiatives are published on PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of level of consumer information via (a) television and (b) other media outlets by (i) Ofgem and (ii) energy companies of the Radio Teleswitch (RTS) switch off; and whether he has considered the potential merits of instructing Ofgem to increase their media campaign to ensure consumers are aware of the importance of updating obsolete RTS meters.

The Department agrees that extensive public communications on RTS must be sustained. I continue to meet with Ofgem on a fortnightly basis where the progress of the phase out is discussed, including assessment of communications to consumers. Suppliers should have already contacted all RTS customers. In advance of any phase out activity in their area, they will contact affected households and businesses, through multiple methods, including door-knocking where necessary, to inform them well ahead of time to arrange a replacement. We expect suppliers to take sufficient action to have confidence that consumers are aware of the consequences of not replacing their RTS meter.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the media campaign to ensure consumers are informed about the end of the Radio Teleswitch Service.

None. The public information campaign on the closure of the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is a matter for Ofgem.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the time taken to process compensation claims by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority; and if she will introduce measures to help ensure timely decisions for people awaiting compensation.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the 2012 Scheme) does not prescribe a time limit for applications to be decided.The majority of applications are decided within 12 months. Each application must be considered on its own facts and assessed based on the information available. In almost all cases, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) needs to get information from third parties such as the police and medical authorities to assess applications.Some applications will by necessity take longer to decide. This could be where information is not available due to ongoing criminal proceedings, where CICA needs time to assess the long-term impacts of complex injuries (e.g. brain injuries), or where there is an application for loss of earnings which requires at least 28 weeks of loss. CICA has continued to uplift staff numbers in line with funding and identify operational efficiencies to ensure applications are decided as quickly as possible.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Centre for Media Monitoring's review of the BBC's reporting on the conflict in Gaza, published on 16 June 2025.

The Government has not carried out a formal assessment of the potential implications of this report for its policy.The Government’s position is that editorial decisions are ultimately for the BBC, and that its editorial independence from Government is vital. This principle protects the BBC from political interference so that it can report impartially, hold all politicians to account and be a trusted source of information for everyone.The BBC’s duty to provide accurate and impartial information is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive issues such as the conflict in Gaza. As the external independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring BBC coverage is duly impartial and accurate under the Broadcasting Code and BBC Charter.

Whether the planned increase of £13.4 billion in annual defence spending by the 2027-28 financial year includes previously announced funding of (a) £150 million for national security and (b) £4.5 billion for the Single Intelligence Account in the 2025-26 financial year.

The Prime Minister announced in February 2025 that NATO-qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.6% in 2027. This will be achieved through an increase in funding from a reduction in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget from 0.5% to 0.3% Gross National Income, and, in line with practice among our allies, recognising the contribution of our intelligence and security services to the defence of our nation. The inclusion of other departmental spending that falls under NATO qualifying defence spending definitions will continue to be periodically reviewed in line with NATO guidance.

Whether he plans to extend his definition of national security to include (a) airport infrastructure, (b) broadband, (c) food, (d) energy and water infrastructure and (e) climate security.

The National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June, sets out the UK’s approach to national security. It states that we will enhance the resilience of our critical national infrastructure, as well as how we continue to address the challenges of a changing climate. The definition of national security used by the Government is necessarily broad to ensure an appropriate response to the evolving threats faced by the British people.

With reference to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 59132 on Intelligence Services: Finance, whether the provision of 2.5% of GDP on defence spending includes spending on the increase to the Single Intelligence Account.

The Prime Minister announced in February 2025 that NATO-qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.6% in 2027 through a reduction in ODA funding, and, in line with practice among our allies, recognising the contribution of our intelligence and security services to the defence of our nation. The SIA budget will be fully NATO qualifying from 27-28. The inclusion of departmental spending that falls under NATO qualifying defence spending definitions will continue to be periodically reviewed in line with NATO guidance.

How many spouses of deceased armed forces personnel have been contacted for repayment after accidental overpayments of their spousal armed forces pension.

In line with most pension schemes, it is often unavoidable that an overpayment may occur following the death of a pension recipient. This is due to the timing of the individual's passing and the understandable delay in the pension scheme authority receiving the notification of death. Such overpayments are common and are typically recovered either directly from the recipient's bank account or from the estate of the deceased. Requests for repayment can be initiated by a family member, a friend of the deceased, the deceased's legal representative, or neighbour who has completed the Gov.uk 'Tell Us Once' online form. In the last Financial Year (2024-25), 1,003 outstanding 'Late Notification of Death' cases were raised under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. However, whether the beneficiary of an estate is a spouse or other recipient is not centrally recorded and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

How much of the UK Defence Innovation fund will be spent on Scottish based companies.

The exact amount of funding to be awarded to Scottish based companies by UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) cannot be determined as UKDI is yet to be launched. Historically, Scottish based companies have been significant contributors to defence innovation. We expect this trend to continue with the establishment of UKDI, which aims to foster economic growth throughout the UK as a core objective.