Written questions by Roome.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure female armed forces personnel are equipped with properly fitted, purpose-designed body armour.

The Department’s priority is to ensure all service personnel receive appropriate and equitable levels of protection. We are initiating a capability change project for Complex Geometry Body Armour, which will include the development of a suitable testing regime and Human Factors Integration work to ensure this capability delivers improved fit and operational effectiveness for servicewomen. In parallel, we will continue the procurement of Tactical Ballistic Plates, which will replace the in-service single-sized OSPREY plates. These will be available in four sizes to provide an improved fit for a wider range of personnel and reduced weight for most users, with initial deliveries expected from 2028.

What steps his Department is taking to review the effectiveness of UK aerial defence systems used in defensive operations in the Middle East in March 2026.

The UK undertakes a comprehensive approach to deterring and defeating aerial threats. The Department continually assesses the effectiveness of its aerial defence systems.

With reference to the recommendations of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published 8 September 2026, what progress his Department has made on publishing a Defence Finance and Investment Strategy.

Good progress is being made on the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy, which will be published in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to enhance drone manufacturing capacity in the UK.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to enhancing the UK’s drone manufacturing capacity by investing in research and development, fostering partnerships with industry, and supporting innovation through initiatives. These efforts aim to strengthen the domestic defence industrial base, promote growth and ensure the UK remains at the forefront of cutting-edge drone technology.

If his Department will reassess the (a) combat readiness and (b) repair schedule of the Royal Navy's Type 45 Destroyers.

The MOD keeps Type 45 Destroyer readiness under continual review to meet operational tasking. Repair and maintenance schedules are managed through established programmes that ensure availability is maintained while delivering long‑term upgrades and improvements

Whether his Department is taking steps to trace potential beneficiaries of unclaimed Armed Forces pensions via National Insurance numbers.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) conducts a financial tracing exercise for the unclaimed pension cohort using the following fields: National Insurance number, forename, middle name, surname, date of birth, and previous address if held. The tracing uses all fields to search and will confirm whether they have full or partial matches.The MOD is expanding its communications to better reach those with unclaimed pensions, developing new online materials specifically aimed at deferred members who have not yet submitted a claim.

What steps his department is taking to effectively deliver Ministry of Defence procurement programmes designated with a Red rating for its Delivery Confidence Assessment during financial year 2024/5.

Performance of defence major programmes is subject to regular review. This enables the timely application of appropriate interventions to support a return to increased delivery confidence. An assessment of Red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost. Under our Defence Reforms the National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as Red. In addition, implementation of the Defence Industrial Strategy will continue to remove many of the drivers for reduced levels in delivery confidence. We inherited an equipment programme where the vast majority of programmes were over-budget and delayed. Through the work we are doing as set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy and Defence Investment Plan, we are seeking to get on top of this backlog and we are making progress.

What progress his department has made on the Pillar 1 recommendations of the Defence Housing Strategy.

Rapid improvements have been made on the Pillar 1 recommendations of the Defence Housing Strategy - A Generational Renewal. We have transformed 1,000 of the worst homes ahead of schedule in time for Christmas, with hundreds more military properties to be upgraded by Spring 2026.We have modernised outdated policies and streamlined processes, giving families greater freedoms to make improvements to their homes. We have streamlined the process for those who wish to run businesses from home and removing the need to seek permission to have a pet at home.We’ve delivered named housing officers, photos and floorplans and a new online repairs service – promises made to families previously, but only now delivered. Service Family satisfaction with their Defence Homes is rising and now at the highest level since 2021.

What steps he is taking to give a single senior official authority over different parts of the Ministry of Defence responsible for combating financial losses due to fraud.

The Head of Fraud Defence acts on behalf of the Department where the Ministry of Defence is potentially the victim of economic loss.The fraud transformation plan we are working up will deliver more integrated ways of working, with clearer accountability across the Department, leveraging the changes under Defence Reform.

What steps he is taking to publish a detailed breakdown of the Ministry of Defence's financial losses due to fraud and economic crime.

The Department has historically used academic models to identify potential fraud risk exposure, if no action were taken. We are working to produce more accurate estimates based on improved understanding of our fraud risk across significant areas of spend.

What steps he is taking to set a department-wide strategy to bring down the Ministry of Defence's financial losses due to fraud and economic crime.

The Department will incorporate an organisation-level shared objective on tackling fraud in the next Defence Counter Fraud Strategy.

What steps he is taking to (a) reduce losses of public funding to fraud during defence procurement and (b) increase the amount of funding recovered from those losses.

The Department has robust financial and commercial controls governing procurement, including single source regulations as set out in the Defence Reform Act 2014. In addition, we have introduced Initial Fraud Impact Assessments for major Defence programmes to identify, assess and mitigate fraud risks from the outset. The Department has increased recoveries through the use of data analytics technology, leading to the prevention and recovery of £6.4 million last financial year 2024/25. We are continuing to expand our use of AI to support the prevention, detection and recovery of losses from fraud and error.

Whether his Department has budgeted for contingency funding for the development phase of the Global Combat Air Programme.

The Defence Investment Plan will set out how the Department will allocate the defence budget over the next 10 years, including for the Global Combat Air Programme.

Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure United States' military aircraft operating from UK military sites are operating in line with international law.

Any United States' operation from a base in the UK is considered on a case-by-case basis, and this includes appropriate consideration of the legal basis for any proposed activity.

What funding his Department has allocated for the maintenance and improvement of buildings and other infrastructure used by the cadet forces.

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. As part of our plan to increase the cadets by 30% by 2030 we are looking at the cadet estate. Investment in the defence estate is long overdue and investment decisions more broadly on the defence estate will be made as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

How many veterans are currently in temporary accommodation or rough sleeping; and what progress has been made against government targets to reduce this.

There are a number of measures and metrics used to capture veteran homelessness and rough sleeping, including metrics on temporary accommodation. However, it is important to note that none of these will capture every single case and with the transient nature of homelessness, the overall picture of veteran homelessness and rough sleeping is not complete. However, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government does capture and report the number of households presenting to Local Authorities who are either experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This data includes households rough sleeping and in temporary accommodation, as well as capturing other household status. The most recent annual data release is for 2024-25 and shows that there were 2,180 veteran households at risk of or experiencing homelessness in England. This is 0.7% of all households in England and is steady with the previous year. This Government is clear that one veteran rough sleeping is one too many. That is why we have committed an additional £12 million to ensure the continuation of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme. Op FORTITUDE will also be extended, putting the service that has already supported over 1,000 veterans on a sustainable footing. These programmes will deliver three years of support services across the UK for veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness. This is in addition to the Government’s National Plan to End Homelessness. The Ministry of Defence contributed to this strategy including committing to ensuring that all councils are aware of service provision in their area to support veterans at risk of homelessness.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the physical security of (a) military sites and (b) other sites of strategic importance including critical national infrastructure.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement laid before the House on 27 November. Defence is taking decisive action to strengthen security across our estate, reversing years of under-investment and focusing our resources on our highest priority sites. We have delivered urgent physical enhancements, introduced advanced surveillance technology such as the Immediate Threat Mitigation Solution, and we are investing in digital transformation to modernise our approach, including MOD adoption of the Critical National Infrastructure Knowledge Base. Enhanced vigilance, updated guidance, and improved reporting have made it easier for personnel and industry partners to report incidents, while successful recruitment campaigns are increasing our policing and guard capacity. Our multi-layered security approach combines technology, workforce, and physical security to protect our people and assets. The upcoming piloting of Restricted Airspace above strategic sites and significant investment in remotely piloted aerial systems further enhance our ability to deter and respond to threats.Defence will use all available levers to take swift action wherever and whenever security is threatened and will not hesitate to pursue prosecution where criminality is suspected. Safeguarding the Defence estate remains a key priority, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue improvements to ensure we deliver the highest standards of security and resilience for our estate.

What steps his Department is taking with the Cabinet Office to codify civilian assistance to military authorities for home defence, as recommended in the Strategic Defence Review.

The Cabinet Office is leading work to develop plans for civilian assistance to the military, as a key component of the Home Defence Programme. The Cabinet Office-led programme, in which Defence plays a key role, provides layers of defence, security, and resilience planning, and coordinates civil and military preparations for some of the most serious risks we could face. Work is ongoing between the Ministry of Defence, the Cabinet Office, and other Whitehall Departments to understand the support requirements for Defence in a crisis or conflict scenario.

Whether any organisations have been removed from the list of Armed Forces Covenant signatories due to non-compliance since November 2022.

Since November 2022, two organisations have been removed from the list of Armed Forces Covenant signatories due to concerns over non-compliance. Due to confidentiality, we are unable to disclose the names of the organisations.

How much was spent on the refit and repair of HMS Bulwark during the last five years.

Refit and repair costs incurred for HMS Bulwark over the last five years totals £72.1 million. HMS Bulwark was not due to go to sea ahead of its out-of-service date. It’s disposal shows that we are delivering for defence by divesting ourselves of old capabilities to make way for the future.