Written questions by Reed.

What steps he is taking to simplify procurement processes to enable (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-sized companies to compete more effectively for defence contracts.

The Procurement Act 2023 introduces reforms intended to make it easier for small businesses to access public sector procurements, including a requirement for contracting authorities to consider barriers to participation and whether they can be removed or reduced. UK industry partners of all sizes, including SMEs, are at the heart of our One Defence approach and we recognise the vital contribution they make in driving economic growth and strengthening our national security. The Defence Industrial Strategy will set the conditions to unlock the full potential of SMEs to innovate at pace and seize future opportunities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 17491 on National Security: Cybersecurity, whether there is a formalised process whereby his Department meets with the (a) Cabinet Office and (b) Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to discuss the (i) development and (ii) procurement of digital capabilities for national security.

Officials from the Ministry of Defence regularly meet with officials from the Cabinet Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology through a number of Cross Whitehall meetings and boards. These forums allow Defence to feed in and engage on broader digital and national security related matters including the development and procurement of digital capabilities.

What steps his Department is taking to support (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-sized technology companies in the early stages of development within the defence sector.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to supporting micro, small and medium-sized technology companies. Through the Defence Industrial Strategy the department will foster a more diverse community of suppliers, including non-traditional suppliers, through reducing barriers to entry and setting the conditions that unlock the full potential of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). One of the ways we are already doing this is through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) with its remit to find and fund suppliers to deliver innovative projects to meet UK defence and security challenges. DASA also supports funded SMEs with additional business services to help scale up and commercialise their innovative ideas.

What steps he is taking to help ensure defence primes’ commitments to (a) apprenticeships and (b) graduate recruitment (i) are geographically balanced and (ii) extend opportunities to (A) micro, (B) small, (C) medium-sized and (D) other businesses in regions with significant defence industry presence.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is taking steps itself to secure important skills in areas such as digital, cyber, STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), nuclear and space. As we tackle these challenges we will continue to work closely with industry partners of all sizes. Our strategic suppliers have identified SME Champions and there is now regular engagement between them and the department, focusing upon how industry and MOD should improve their practice to better support SMEs.We also work with other Government Departments and academia to ensure that we are growing and retaining these skills nationally. Through the Defence STEM Steering Group, Defence and their national strategic partners are actively promoting engineering as an inclusive career field, supporting teacher training, and coordinating outreach activities to maximise efficiency.

What steps his Department is taking to improve engagement with micro-sized technology companies through traditional prime contractors.

Micro, small and medium sized businesses make a vital contribution to economic growth and are a valuable source of technical innovation in defence. This is recognised in the recently published Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent. We work with our largest suppliers through a network of their SME Champions, trade associations and SME representatives to ensure that SMEs have fair access to opportunities in our supply chain and that our prime contractors are adopting policies, such as fair payment practices, that support small businesses working in defence. We are also engaging with our industrial partners of all sizes to develop a new SME Action Plan which will simplify and make more accessible opportunities to Defence contracts for smaller suppliers.

What his Department's planned timetable is for awarding contracts for the construction of multi-role support ships.

The Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) programme is in its Concept Phase. The Royal Navy and Defence Equipment and Support are conducting detailed work on key user requirements, conceptual designs, affordability, and exportability assessments. Alongside other shipbuilding programmes, they are maintaining engagement with all leading UK shipbuilding entities and the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) on the best commercial approach for UK to deliver for the Navy and the Nation. The Outline Business Case is due for submission mid-2025 which will detail the schedule for future contract award milestones.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 17483 on Type 32 Frigates, at what stage in its concept phase the Type 32 frigate programme is; and what stages of the concept phase have been completed.

The Type 32 frigate programme is in the concept phrase and has not yet reached the level of maturity to allow publication of a specific timetable for design and procurement. This is consistent with a programme of this size and complexity at this early stage in its development.All future designs of the Royal Navy will be part of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) so would be inappropriate to provide further detail until SDR decisions have been made.

What steps his Department is taking to improve its procurement processes to provide greater certainty for private sector defence investors.

This Government is committed to improving the UK Defence industrial base to ensure a robust Defence sector and provide greater certainty in procurement processes. The Statement of Intent for the Defence Industrial Strategy, published on 2 December 2024, set out a commitment to prioritise UK businesses for investment, provide certainty and stability and boost sovereign capacity. As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we will reform Mininstry of Defence procurement and acquisition processes to ensure we deliver the capabilities defence requires now and in the future, whilst reducing waste, supporting growth and ensuring compliance with our obligations under our international trade agreements.

With reference to the RUSI Lecture given by the Chief of the Defence Staff on 4 December 2024, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support high-risk, high-reward technology experimentation and (b) track the outcomes of such initiatives.

Defence invests in high-risk, high-reward technology experimentation from across the Defence enterprise. Defence’s core Science, Innovation and Technology budgets (e.g. Defence Science & Technology Programme and Defence Innovation Fund) are led from Head Office and are the main contributors to this. There are further investments from the Capability Portfolios of each Top Level Budget (e.g. Strategic Programmes, Single Service Commands) and utilise constructs such as the RAF’s Rapid Capabilities Office. Recent examples of such work include the Dragonfire Laser Directed Energy Weapon Demonstrator and the BriteCloud Expendable Active Decoy. Defence’s Research and Innovation programmes are run according to best practice Portfolio, Programme and Project management Processes which aim to deliver defined outcomes and benefits that are then tracked and monitored. The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking the Defence Reform programme, which will determine the delivery and exploitation mechanisms for any ‘high-risk, high-reward’ technologies. This builds on both the current S&T portfolio processes and the ‘Spearhead’ and ‘Gamechanger’ initiatives which are currently experimenting ways to improve delivery.”

What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to encourage young people to pursue careers in STEM fields within the defence sector.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is taking steps itself to secure important skills in areas such as digital, cyber, STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), nuclear and space. As we tackle these challenges we will continue to work closely with industry partners of all sizes. Our strategic suppliers have identified SME Champions and there is now regular engagement between them and the department, focusing upon how industry and MOD should improve their practice to better support SMEs.We also work with other Government Departments and academia to ensure that we are growing and retaining these skills nationally. Through the Defence STEM Steering Group, Defence and their national strategic partners are actively promoting engineering as an inclusive career field, supporting teacher training, and coordinating outreach activities to maximise efficiency.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 17481 on Multi-role Ocean Surveillance Ships, at what stage in its concept phase the Multi-Role Support Ships programme is; and what stages of the concept phase have been completed.

The Multi-Role Support Ship programme is progressing well through the Concept Phase. The Royal Navy (RN) and Defence Equipment and Support are conducting detailed work on key user requirements, conceptual designs, affordability, and exportability assessments, while working closely with leading UK shipbuilding entities and the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) on the best commercial approach for UK to deliver for the RN and the Nation.The Outline Business Case is due for submission in mid-2025 this will detail the schedule for shifting to the Assessment Phase in 2026.

With reference to the RUSI Lecture given by the Chief of the Defence Staff on 4 December 2024, what steps his Department is taking to (a) streamline decision-making and (b) reduce business case approval timelines.

Through the Defence Reform programme, we will improve procurement efficiency and secure better value for taxpayers, creating a simpler Defence focused on warfighting and deterrence. A key facet of this programme is to create a stronger Defence centre with clearer accountabilities through the Permanent Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff, National Armaments Director and Chief of Defence Nuclear. This, coupled with our work on our future governance structures, will ensure Defence is optimised to enable faster, streamlined decision making, approvals, and delivery of our outcomes so that we remain ahead of current and future threats.

What measures his Department is taking to help ensure the retention of UK STEM graduates within the highly skilled defence workforce.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is taking steps itself to secure important skills in areas such as digital, cyber, STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), nuclear and space. As we tackle these challenges we will continue to work closely with industry partners of all sizes. Our strategic suppliers have identified SME Champions and there is now regular engagement between them and the department, focusing upon how industry and MOD should improve their practice to better support SMEs.We also work with other Government Departments and academia to ensure that we are growing and retaining these skills nationally. Through the Defence STEM Steering Group, Defence and their national strategic partners are actively promoting engineering as an inclusive career field, supporting teacher training, and coordinating outreach activities to maximise efficiency.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 17490 on Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence: Artificial Intelligence, what the breakdown is between (a) public and (b) private sector involvement in the (i) development and (ii) deployment of (A) machine learning and (B) artificial intelligence technologies within the Armed Forces.

Many AI technologies, including machine learning, have dual uses and are developed across a broad technology ecosystem. Defence needs to leverage expertise from this ecosystem to solve critical military problems and maintain its edge. The Defence AI Centre (DAIC) and CommercialX are leading efforts to engage with technology suppliers through simplified processes and better cross-Ministry of Defence (MOD) coordination. Most Defence AI and ML projects will use both in-house and external expertise. Differentiating between public and private sector involvement at a pan-Defence macro level is challenging and not currently tracked. AI deployments within the Department must follow MOD's Responsible AI policy, as outlined in Joint Services Publication 936 (Dependable AI).

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 December to Question 17489 on Electronic Warfare: Training, what percentage of the Ministry of Defence's demand for personnel with cyber warfare skills is being met; and how many personnel have been trained to date to meet this demand.

This Government inherited a retention and recruitment crisis with every part of our Armed Forces not meeting their recruitment targets. Cyber is a key area for the military and we are seeking to expand the number of people working in cyber. The Defence Secretary announced a new direct entry route into cyber last year and this will be rolled out this year.

How much and what proportion of the £2.9 billion of additional total funding announced in Autumn Budget 2024 will be allocated towards covering (a) the recent 6 per cent pay rise for armed forces personnel and (b) proposed increases in employers National Insurance contributions.

The £2.9 billion increase in funding for the Ministry of Defence for financial year 2025-26 has not yet been allocated to any specific programmes or activities. His Majesty's Treasury has confirmed they will provide funding for the increased cost of National Insurance contributions for the Department.

What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the scale of Other Ranks regularly declining use of official catering facilities on camp.

Implementation of the first stage of the Defence Catering Strategy began in May 2024 with new menus and a change to our charging approach. The Strategy also aims to improve the dining environment, to vary opening times to suit local needs, and to enhance the dining experience through greater use of technology. Feedback on the new dining offer has largely been positive, including regarding the range and healthiness of choices, and the cost to the individual. This is a constantly evolving offer, with views gathered locally to ensure that the menus, continue to improve. This activity is taking place within existing arrangements whilst the process of securing the future of Soft Facilities Management contracts is ongoing. The health needs of our personnel will also inform the food elements of those new contracts. We are working to ensure that our people are routinely eating in our facilities and that the menus they choose from offer the balance that they need to be able to perform in their demanding roles.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 8456 on Strategic Defence Review, if he will redraft guidelines on (a) submissions, (b) the use of executive summaries and (c) bullet pointed-recommendations in the context of the deployment of artificial intelligence software as part of submissions auditing.

No need to change guidelines on submissions, executive summaries and bullet-point recommendations has been identified. The Strategic Defence Review is being led by the Reviewers, and supported by a wider team of external experts as well as drawing on the expertise of the Ministry of Defence. The vast majority of the Review has been carried out by humans. Al tools play a supporting role, enhancing the team’s ability to focus on high-value tasks, like in-depth reading and discussion of submissions, thereby facilitating a more comprehensive review, whilst being one part of the process.

What his Department’s policy is on reporting Unidentified Aerial Phenomena; and whether new material has been classified on the subject since the UK’s declassification programme.

Whilst we are aware of the differing approaches currently being undertaken by other countries and allies in the investigation of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) position on UAP remains unchanged, which is, that in over 50 years, no sighting reported to the Department has indicated the existence of any military threat to the United Kingdom. The MOD ceased to investigate reports of UFO or UAP in 2009 and has not classified any new material on the subject since. It has been deemed more valuable to prioritise MOD staff towards other Defence-related activities. For this reason, there are no current plans to create a dedicated team to investigate incidences of alleged sightings. All MOD files relating to UFOs that were created up until 2009 have been released to The National Archives (TNA).

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the condition of (a) former UK military sites and (b) monuments of registered historic importance in Hong Kong.

The maintenance of former UK public buildings and monuments, in Hong Kong, is a matter for the Hong Kong authorities. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission currently maintain a number of UK war graves in Hong Kong. They are unaware of any wider issues concerning former UK public and military infrastructure within Hong Kong.