Written questions by Roome.

How his Department plans to measure the impact of the UK Offset Policy proposed in the Defence Industrial Strategy.

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy's commitment to backing British businesses, we launched a public consultation on a possible UK offset policy on 23 October. The consultation seeks input on key principles for implementation. It is essential that any offset policy is explored and developed in partnership with the defence sector so we should not pre-empt the outcome of this consultation. The Defence Industrial Strategy sets out the metrics for 'Backing UK Based Business' policies, effective monitoring and evaluation will be essential to our implementation plan.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42382 on National Armaments Director: Standards, what steps his Department will take to assess the job performance of the National Armaments Director.

The performance of the National Armaments Director (NAD) will be assessed against a set of objectives. These objectives will be agreed and measured through appropriate Accounting Officer governance. The objectives in line with their accountability to Parliament. They will align with the intent set out in the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy, and the NAD Group’s organisational performance. The NAD has a specific performance award as part of their total remuneration package which enables an annual award of up to a maximum of 60% of base pay to made based against these objectives.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to issue Remediable Service Statements to veterans under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 Remedy; and whether the deadline for non-complex cases remains December 2025.

The implementation of the McCloud Pension Remedy is one of the most complex initiatives ever undertaken across Public Sector Pension Schemes, impacting over three million individuals. Within the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, the scale and technical complexity of delivery have unfortunately led to delays in issuing Remedial Service Statements to some members. The Ministry of Defence acknowledges these challenges and is actively working to overcome them. It remains fully committed to ensuring that all affected members receive their statements as swiftly as possible, with a firm deadline of 31 March 2026. Regular updates on the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 Remedy are available on GOV.UK via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#pension-remedy

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of virtual-reality based training programmes for armed forces personnel.

The Defence Systems Approach to Training (DSAT) is the Ministry of Defence’s framework for designing, delivering, and evaluating all training, including that which uses Virtual-Reality (VR). DSAT ensures that training is aligned with needs, is both effective and cost-efficient, and is operationally relevant. Each of the Services have plans to supplement live training with virtual training environments. The benefits are clear, although the blend varies on a case-by-case basis. The Royal Navy’s SPARTAN programme aims at modernising and improving the delivery of Royal Navy Collective Training from unit to Joint Battle Staff level through an enhanced Live-Virtual-Constructive simulation approach that incorporates the use of virtual training environments. The British Army has detailed plans to supplement live training with virtual training environments as part of a balanced and evidence-based approach. This is part of an integrated approach through its Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP). The Royal Air Force (RAF) uses blended live and virtual training as a matter of routine. The RAF’s Gladiator Distributed Synthetic Training Capability is already delivering for Air personnel, and its potential to help integrate across the war-fighting domains is now being pursued.

What assessment his Department has made of the merits of procuring additional E-7A Wedgetail AEW Mk1 aircraft beyond those specified in the 2021 Integrated Defence Review.

The Ministry of Defence is continuing with its procurement of E-7 Wedgetail in order to meet the national and NATO requirements for an Airborne Early Warning and Control capability which is interoperable with its allies.

Whether he is taking steps to ensure that serving armed forces personnel living alone in service accommodation who are parents have time with their children.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) remains committed to widening entitlement to family accommodation to support personnel with non-resident children, as set out in the Modernised Accommodation Offer. The policy and timescales for these changes remain under review. Currently, entitlement to Service Family Accommodation (SFA) is necessarily driven by personnel’s status as accompanied or unaccompanied. Those who are single, whilst retaining “Prime Mover” status for their child(ren), have a prima facie entitlement to SFA. Single parents with child(ren) who do not reside with them permanently are eligible to apply for surplus SFA where capacity allows; moreover, no Service person is required to reside in Service-owned Single Living Accommodation (SLA) or SFA and may choose to rent locally to better accommodate their personal circumstances. Additionally, the MOD offers support for eligible personnel to purchase a home through the Forces Help to Buy Scheme. If residing in SLA, Serving parents with non-resident children may access Service-provided Contact Houses at minimal cost. Contact Houses are fully furnished ‘homes from home’ which seek to meet the needs of those with family or welfare needs which fall outside of the permanent accommodation entitlement criteria, and without imposing an unsustainable financial burden.

How many armed forces recruits have received a conditional offer letter within 10 days from the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force since 1 January 2025.

Following the announcement by the Secretary of State for Defence in September 2024 of the ambition to make a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days, and a provisional training start date within 30 days if they desire it, the Armed Forces have been focused on implementing this initiative into their recruitment pipelines. Significant work to expedite basic eligibility checks has been required to ensure an appropriate level of candidate checks is completed before conditional offers are issued, and they are working to expedite checks. I will make further announcements on progress in due course.

Which private companies were given advance sight of the Strategic Defence Review before 5.04pm on 2 June 2025.

For the launch of the Strategic Defence Review, the Government offered embargoed briefings to our people and senior defence leaders, plus certain Parliamentarians, trade unions, businesses, allies and media. This was broadly consistent with the approach for previous defence reviews.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the processes put in place for the spouses of armed forces personnel to apply for (a) statutory maternity pay and (b) maternity allowance.

Defence continues to recognise the important role that the families of UK Armed Forces personnel play in supporting their Serving person; life in the Armed Forces can be highly rewarding, but it can also make high demands of our service people. These demands can place a strain on the service family as they juggle the requirements of the service, the wants of the service person and the needs of the service family; but the support of a strong family unit can be the counterweight that every service person needs if they are to achieve a balance. This is why we are developing increasingly family friendly policies to ensure that the Armed Forces in an environment that is an attractive proposition to existing as well as new and diverse families. In 2025, Defence launched the Families Hub to help families navigate Service life. More information can be found at the following link: https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/families/ For Servicewomen, the Armed Forces’ policy and process for maternity leave and pay, known as the Armed Forces’ Occupational Maternity Scheme (AFOMS), is set out in JSP 760, Tri-Service Regulations for Leave and Other Types of Absence. Chapter 24 of JSP 760 sets out entitlement to pay, options on length of leave, and the actions required by pregnant Servicewomen and their commanding officers following confirmation of pregnancy. JSP 760, along with all related electronic application forms, is reviewed and updated frequently, with the latest version always internally accessible to all Service personnel on DefNet, the Ministry of Defence intranet, or from Unit HR staff.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the processes put in place for armed forces personnel to apply for (a) statutory maternity pay and (b) maternity allowance.

The Armed Forces' policy and process for maternity leave and pay, known as the Armed Forces' Occupational Maternity Scheme (AFOMS), is set out in JSP 760, Tri-Service Regulations for Leave and Other Types of Absence. Chapter 24 of JSP 760 sets out entitlement to pay, options on length of leave, and the actions required by pregnant Service women and their commanding officers following confirmation of pregnancy. JSP 760, along with all related electronic application forms, is reviewed and updated frequently, with the latest version always internally accessible to all Service personnel on DefNet, the Ministry of Defence intranet. The latest review was published on DefNet in February 2025 under JSP 760, version 39.5. All updates and revisions are documented in the JSP's version history and record of amendments included with each publication.

What progress his Department has made on the recruitment of the new Armed Forces Commissioner; and when he expects they will begin in post.

Recruitment for the Armed Forces Commissioner is progressing with the role expected to be advertised by June 2025. The recruitment process will be through fair and open competition and subject to a full public appointment process regulated and overseen by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. It is anticipated that the Armed Forces Commissioner will be in post in early 2026, following the pre-appointment scrutiny process.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of pre-pack administration procedures on the defence supply chain.

The Ministry of Defence recognises the importance of ensuring our supply chains are resilient to shocks and threats, and that we can have confidence in their ability to deliver and maintain the critical outputs we require. We work closely with our defence suppliers to ensure continuity of supply for our programmes, though it is not for Government to intervene in supply chains as a result of industry transactions.

What progress his Department has made on improving the time taken for new UK armed forces recruits to receive a formal job offer.

The Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and we are focused on improving Armed Forces recruitment. Defence is committed to reducing the time taken for candidates to pass through Armed Forces recruitment processes and enter Service. Recent policies have included setting an ambition to make a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days, and a provisional training start date within 30 days if they desire it. The median time taken to pass through recruitment and enter Service has been significantly reduced from a peak of 475 days in 2022 down to 290 days in 2024, a reduction of 39 per cent, with the individual Services pursuing options to reduce further. These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces.

Which medical conditions his Department considers categorised under the term Gulf War Syndrome.

Gulf War Syndrome is an umbrella term which refers to a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms reported by veterans of the 1991 Gulf War conflict. These symptoms vary widely between individuals and therefore there is no prescribed list of medical conditions/and or symptoms categorised under this umbrella term. The following link provides the background which sets out the history and research into the matter: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/gulf-veterans-illnesses

Whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the adequacy of the defence procurement process in (a) the UK and (b) other countries.

The Ministry of Defence is reforming its acquisition system to deliver defence capabilities at greater pace, secure the best possible value for money and support growth in the UK.We continue to learn from other Governments on how they best manage their procurement systems. This includes engagement with allies as part of the Strategic Defence Review which provided useful feedback on procurement processes. Whilst differing national priorities and procurement systems make direct comparisons across the international landscape challenging, this government is committed to an acquisition system that supports British based businesses and UK growth and want to learn from international examples to achieve that.Where comparisons are possible, the performance of Defence Equipment and Support in delivering capability programmes has been found to be broadly in line with that of partner nations.

Whether the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will consider the potential impact of US trade tariffs against UK companies.

The United States remains the United Kingdom's foremost defence and security partner. The UK has a strong and balanced trading relationship with the US worth £315 billion which supports 2.5 million jobs across both countries. This Government is seeking to negotiate an agreement with the US to deepen our economic relationship, while ensuring all options are considered in response to tariffs.

What steps his Department will take to assess the job performance of the National Armaments Director.

The parameters and performance targets for the National Armaments Director will be agreed in line with the salary approval from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury as part of the recruitment process.

What process his Department used to determine the advertised prospective salary of the new National Armaments Director.

The salary for the National Armaments Director was benchmarked against Defence industry best practice and standards to offer a competitive remuneration package to attract the right candidate with the right skills.

With reference to the press notice entitled Major defence reforms launched, with new National Armaments Director to tackle waste and boost industry, published on 25 October 2024, what steps he is taking to (a) harmonise procurement and (b) streamline his Department’s governance and processes.

The new National Armaments Director will ensure our Armed Forces are properly equipped to defend Britain, will build up the British defence industry, and will reduce waste. Key to success will be harmonising procurement, which includes driving forward common procurement guidelines and processes to reduce inconsistencies; greater transparency for suppliers; international cooperation, notably with NATO allies; bulk purchasing, leading to better pricing and reduced costs; spiral acquisition; and, increased use of digital platforms for efficiency. This will be delivered by taking a Defence wide approach to procurement that breaks down previously vertical structures that do not allow cross Services procurement ways of working, and prioritises activity at Departmental level. The Ministry of Defence will work closely with wider Government, industry, academia, and international partners to deploy best practice and optimise investment.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that equipment used by the armed forces is interoperable with that of NATO allies.

The Ministry of Defence takes a number of steps to ensure our equipment is interoperable with NATO allies. These include leading on the development, ratification, and implementation of NATO standards; participation in joint exercises and training such as Formidable Shield; and promoting and encouraging allies to jointly procure and integrate capabilities, including through the UK-led NATO Multinational Procurement Initiatives and DIAMOND. We are also working with allies and industry to ensure the implementation of NATO’s Defence Production Action Plan, which places strong emphasis on the need to ensure the interoperability of existing and future military capabilities.