Written questions by Reed.

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.

What steps he is taking to remove bureaucracy from defence primes to enable them to build out their ecosystems of (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-sized businesses.

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.

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.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to engage with local communities in Devon on local government restructuring.

The English Devolution White Paper sets out the Government’s plans for local government reorganisation, and that the Government will write to council leaders as soon as possible to formally invite proposals, setting out information on our criteria for sustainable unitary structures, how and when to submit proposals and how the government intends to respond to proposals.

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.

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).

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 8456 on Strategic Defence Review, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the interpretation of recommendations relating to the use of artificial intelligence by the artificial intelligence software used to assess responses to the Strategic Defence Review.

AI tools have been used to help review and analyse the high volume of submissions received during the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) process, not to make recommendations. The SDR 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 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.

Whether his Department's artificial intelligence software is Defence Writing compatible.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is exploring the use of AI in different ways to enhance productivity, efficiency and effectiveness by augmenting the capabilities of our people. The Department’s current policy requires that all outputs generated by AI systems are reviewed and adapted by our people for accuracy and to ensure compliance with MOD policies, including the Defence Writing Guide (Joint Services Publication 101).

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.

What priorities on what timelines he has issued to the National Resilience Academy.

The UK Resilience Academy (UKRA) will be established in April 2025 to ensure that all those who work on resilience have the capability, knowledge and skills they need to play their part in making resilience a ‘whole of society’ endeavour. In his statement to the House of Commons on 19 July 2024, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster confirmed that the UK Resilience Academy is being established to increase and improve the training of ministers, MPs, civil servants and all those in civil society who respond to crises.In the same statement, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster also committed to undertaking a review of long-term resilience. The review seeks to identify what should be kept, changed or improved from previous resilience commitments, to ensure we are best prepared now and into the future. Evidence from the review will inform decisions on future priorities for the UKRA.

When the planners of the Strategic Defence Review were notified of the intention to retire (a) HMS Albion, (b) HMS Bulwark and (c) other assets.

The decision to formally decommission HM Ships ALBION and BULWARK reflects the decision of the last Government. This has been in full consultation with the Service Chiefs and the SDR reviewers and neither ship could realistically be put to sea again ahead of their planned decommissioning in 2032 and 2033 respectively.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 8456 on Strategic Defence Review, whether the artificial intelligence software being used to assess responses to the Strategic Defence Review was sourced from UK programmers down to lowest sub contract level.

The Ministry of Defence is working with several technology providers in Defence's digital ecosystem to support the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). This allowed the team to leverage modern business practices and technologies to analyse a wide range of responses. The Department has rigorous controls in place to secure and use data in accordance with regulatory and ethical guidelines, to which SDR activities, including AI, aligned.

Pursuant to his Answer of 26 July to Question 198 on Defence, what the cost to date of the Strategic Defence Review is (a) in total and (b) by category of allowance or expenditure.

On 17 July 2024, the Prime Minister commissioned the Defence Secretary to oversee the Strategic Defence Review, which is headed by three external Reviewers, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, General Sir Richard Barrons and Dr Fiona Hill CMG. The Review is being conducted with the best value for money for Defence in mind, within current budgets. Costs will be provided after the review has concluded.