Written questions by Roome.

How much his Department has (a) spent and (b) committed to spend on Life Extension refits of Royal Navy Type 23 Frigates since October 2014.

£941.2 million has been spent on the delivery of T23 upkeeps completed since 2014. A further £63.7 million is currently contractually committed for the delivery of T23 upkeeps. These are a planned series of upkeep periods in order to maintain ship condition and to introduce, where appropriate, capability updates. It should be noted that the figure given includes upkeeps undertaken to two ships that started prior to 2014. Because of the length of time passed it is not possible to break down the figures further.

What proportion of defence spending went to SMEs in 2023-24 by region.

Statistics relating to the Ministry of Defence's expenditure with industry, including Small and Medium Enterprises, can be found in the 'MOD regional expenditure statistics with industry: 2023/24' publication hosted on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-regional-expenditure-statistics-with-industry-202324

What plans the Royal Navy has for the future of HMS Argyll.

No decision has been made on the future of HMS Argyll. As with all decommissioned ships, a full suite of options is being assessed to ensure that the disposal achieves value for money and is policy compliant (safety, environmental and security).

What steps he is taking to make the process of tending for his Department's contracts is more accessible to SMEs.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hold a crucial place in UK defence. They are the backbone of the UK economy and vital to delivering the innovation, expertise and agility we need now and in the future. Consideration of SMEs is a key element in our development of the forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). Through this we will consider how we better support SMEs, reduce barriers and set the conditions that unlock the full potential of SMEs to innovate at pace and seize future opportunities. A revised SME Action Plan will follow the DIS with the aim to improve engagement and increase Ministry of Defence (MOD) direct spend with SMEs. In the meantime, the Procurement at MOD page on the gov.uk website contains detailed information for SMEs looking to become a supplier or contractor in defence. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence/about/procurement

Whether his Department has had discussions with the TV Licensing Agency on (a) discounts and (b) exemptions from the TV licence for armed forces personnel in service accommodation.

The Ministry of Defence has neither held discussions, nor has any current plan to hold discussions, with the TV Licencing Agency regarding an Armed Forces discount to the TV Licence or an exemption for personnel living in Service accommodation.

How many armed forces personnel live in service accommodation.

As of 6 February 2025, there was a total of 113,461 Armed Forces personnel living in Service accommodation. This figure includes both Single Living Accommodation occupancy and Service Family Accommodation occupancy.

How many death-in-service payments are paid to the families of deceased armed forces personnel each year.

The Ministry of Defence administer three schemes which compensate for those whose death was caused by service. War Pension Scheme (WPS) The WPS is a provision for individuals whose spouse's demise was either caused or expedited due to their service. It is essential to note that the fatal injury or the death itself must have transpired before 6 April 2005. This data includes payments made to widows or widowers of service members who perished not only during service but also post-service, if their death was a direct result of their service. As of 31 March 2024, the WPS accounted for 9,884 widows or widowers receiving payments. For a comprehensive overview of these figures over the past five years, as of 31 March each year, please refer to the WPS Accredited Official Statistic Supplementary Tables (Table 9) via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/war-pensions-scheme-statistics-2024 Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) The AFCS was established to support personnel whose injury or death was a direct consequence of their service on or after 6 April 2005. It's important to clarify that these figures encompass payments made to the families of those who not only died while in service, but also those who passed away post-service due to service-related causes. As of 31 March 2024, the AFCS reported that 322 spouses and 232 children were receiving a Survivor's Guaranteed Income Payment. For a detailed breakdown of these figures from 2006 to 2024, as of 31 March each year, please refer to the AFCS Accredited Official Statistic Supplementary Tables (Table 15) available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/armed-forces-compensation-scheme-statistics-index Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) Under this scheme, since January 2020 until December 2024, 161 Death-in-Service (DIS) payments have been made to the Next-of-Kin/Executors /Solicitors. This is broken down in the table below: Calendar Year20202021202220232024DIS Payments made 3525334424 The total amounts of the DIS lump sum, paid per annum, is made up of individual payments each month to the estates of deceased Service Personnel (Officers and Other Ranks) from the Army, Navy and RAF who died whilst still in Service.

For what reasons Type 23 Frigate HMS Sutherland has not returned to sea.

HMS SUTHERLAND is reaching the end of her life extension refit. Once this is complete, she will undertake a period of force generation and assurance ahead of assuming readiness for routine and contingent tasking.

What steps his department is taking to maintain UK shipbuilding (a) capacity and (b) skills, in the context of Harland & Wolff entering administration.

The Government remains fully committed to delivering a thriving UK shipbuilding sector and recognises the vital role shipbuilding and its skilled workforce plays in the economic prosperity and growth of the UK.Navantia's purchase of Harland and Wolff is a significant investment into the UK's industrial base and demonstrates Navantia UK's continuing commitment to the UK. The Government is confident that this market-led solution is positive for Harland and Wolff and the shipbuilding industry more broadly, and provides the best opportunity to sustain essential sovereign shipbuilding capacity and capability for future Naval work.This Government is committed to working with the whole shipbuilding industry, Navantia UK included, in supporting jobs and sustaining and growing our shipbuilding sector across the UK.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential demand for Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4+ (a) in (b) beyond 2025.

The Ministry of Defence continually reviews the demand for Combat Aircraft, including through the ongoing Strategic Defence Review. UK Combat Aircraft will be required to operate in increasingly demanding threat environments. The UK Combat Air strategy recognises this changing threat and determines our mix of 4th and 5th generation aircraft mix, in order to provide the UK the most relevant and capable force mix. As part of the four Partner-Nation Eurofighter Programme, the UK is committed to upgrades to ensure the Typhoon aircraft remains competitive into the future, including the introduction of the European Common Radar Standard 2 radar.

Will take steps to ensure the workforce that produced the Eurofighter Typhoon is retained for future defence projects.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) values the world class skills demonstrated by the Eurofighter consortium across partner nations in delivering the Typhoon aircraft. The MOD continues to invest in Typhoon to maintain the Royal Air Force's cutting edge military capability, as well as supporting our industry partners in pursuing export opportunities. The Global Combat Air Programme, which is delivering the next generation combat air capability, is building on the Typhoon skills base. There are already over 3,500 skilled people working on the programme spread right across the UK, within the MOD and our industry partners.

What steps his Department is taking with the Joint Civil Aid Corps (JCAC) to help improve the resiliency of the UK's civil defence.

The Ministry of Defence engages with other Government Departments and civil authorities in the event that military aid is sought by them to respond to disruptive challenges to national resilience. Under the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) process, mutual aid and commercial alternatives must have been exhausted before requesting military support. Such engagement with voluntary groups is the responsibility of the requesting organisation.

Whether his Department is taking steps to encourage the use of small and medium-sized businesses in its defence procurement process; and what steps he is taking to improve the resilience of the defence supply chain.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a long-standing commitment to improve its engagement with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in order to broaden and strengthen its supply-base. The recently published Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent recognises our intention to foster a more diverse community of suppliers and will prompt a refresh of our SME Action Plan. Alongside this, the Department is undertaking other initiatives to strengthen its supply-chain resilience, including securing access to critical materials, components and technologies, and a first-of-its-kind wargame to explore how industry and the MOD could sustain personnel on the frontline when faced with constant supply chain disruption.

Whether a public sector organisation that has signed the Armed Forces Covenant may be removed as a signatory if the organisation has acted in contravention of the obligations and principles laid out in the Covenant.

Organisations not fulfilling their pledge can have their Armed Forces Covenant status reviewed. Concerns should initially be raised directly with the organisation in question, by following their standard complaints process. Complaints that remain unresolved can be referred by the complainant to the relevant ombudsman. Enquiries and complaints about Covenant signatories can also be directed to the Ministry of Defence via: afcovenant@rfca.mod.uk