Written questions by Reed.

What steps he plans to take to achieve £6 billion in new efficiencies within the defence budget during this parliament; and what the sources of these will be.

As set out in the SDR, we have identified £6 billion of new savings over the course of this Parliament, through efficiency and productivity savings, civilian workforce changes, structural simplification and contractual efficiencies.Alongside the Defence Investment Plan later this year, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will publish a Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan, which will provide further detail on the range of reforms across the MOD which will deliver these efficiencies.

What steps he is taking to replace the SA80 rifle.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 28 April 2025 to Question 45196 to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr Obese-Jecty) and on 14 May 2025 to Question 50537 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge).

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that Project Grayburn (a) supports economic growth, (b) strengthens UK-based supply chains and (c) creates skilled jobs across the United Kingdom.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 28 April 2025 to Question 45196 to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr Obese-Jecty) and on 14 May 2025 to Question 50537 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge).

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 23535 on Hawk Aircraft, what plans his Department has for the replacement of the Hawk T1 by 2030; and whether it is his policy to maintain a sovereign jet training capability in this process.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 December 2024 for Question 16460 to the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mark Francois).

What was the total cost to the public purse of training personnel on jet aircraft in (a) the UK and (b) overseas in each of the last five years; and what proportion of the total training budget each represents.

The UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) cost for the Fast Jet training element over the last 5 years was circa £500.4 million. That includes fixed and multiple variable costs such as fuel, instructor and trainee salary, infrastructure/accommodation upkeep, aerodrome operations and runway refurbishment. The cost detail for Fast Jet Outsourced Training over the last five years is being withheld to protect commercial confidentiality. Outsourcing services are negotiated Government to Government via Memorandums of Understanding and Technical Arrangements and therefore it is not appropriate to disclose specific cost detail. It is not possible to state what proportion of the total training budget this represents as the information is not held in this format and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

What the annual cost is to maintain the Hawk T1 fleet under the existing fleet maintenance contract.

There are two support contracts in place to support the Hawk TMk1 to its out of service date in March 2030 and the Hawk TMk2 to 2033. Specific terms and conditions are subject to commercial confidentiality. In the financial year from 2023-24 the value for solely the TMk1 aircraft maintenance was £27.7 million.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 23535 on Hawk Aircraft, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the high fatigue index in the remaining Hawk T1 fleet on the total number of available UK-based training hours for personnel.

Hawk T1 is not employed in a flying training role. The Hawk T1 airframes are solely allocated to sustaining the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows.As given in the answer to Question 23535, across all airframes we have retained more than sufficient overall remaining available fatigue life to ensure all Red Arrows tasking until 2030 as planned.

How many UK personnel have been trained on jet aircraft in (a) the UK and (b) overseas in each of the last five years; and in which countries overseas training has taken place.

In the last five years there have been 82 UK personnel trained on fast jet (FJ) aircraft in the UK and 22 UK personnel trained on fast jet aircraft overseas. Overseas training has taken place in the USA and Italy. Financial Year2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25TOTALFJ Pilots trained in the UK2428571882FJ Pilots trained overseas0078722

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 17476 on Amphibious Vehicles, whether his Department has identified reductions in amphibious capability from the use of Bay Class Landing Ship Docks in place of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.

The previous administration had no plans for either HMS Albion or HMS Bulwark to return to sea ahead of their leaving service in the 2030s, therefore there has been no reduction in capability. The Bay Class are highly capable ships and, alongside RFA Argus, will continue to support Royal Marine operations until the introduction of Multi-Role Support Ships in the early 2030s.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 17477 on RFA Argus: Amphibious Vehicles, whether his Department has identified reductions in amphibious capability from the use of RFA Argus in place of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.

The previous administration had no plans for either HMS Albion or HMS Bulwark to return to sea ahead of their leaving service in the 2030s, therefore there has been no reduction in capability. RFA Argus, alongside Bay Class, is a highly capable ship and will continue to support Royal Marine operations until the introduction of Multi-Role Support Ships in the early 2030s.

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 th

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 H...

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...

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, s...

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 f

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 engag...

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 ...

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 pers

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 Se...

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)

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 Centr...

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 ...

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 ...

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) me

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 ...