Written questions by Cartlidge.

How many properties on the defence estate are categorised as (a) detached houses, (b) semi-detached houses, (c) terraced houses, (d) bungalows, (e) flats without lifts and (f) flats with lifts.

The information is not held in the format requested. The table below details the number of Service Family Accommodation broken down by the type of property, which is categorised by the Department as follows: Type of PropertyGarageTotal (circa)HouseNo22,613HouseYes22,591MaisonetteNo80MaisonetteYes89BungalowNo154BungalowYes83FlatNo1,357FlatYes33 Total47,000 Please note that these figures are as at 1 March 2025

Whether he has held discussions with his US counterpart on deploying air capabilities in Ukraine.

The Defence Secretary regularly speaks with his US and international counterparts, including on our collective support to Ukraine’s armed forces in response to Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. The UK along with Allies and partners, recently held discussions on future security arrangements for Ukraine across the air, maritime and land domains. The specifics of these plans are subject to further discussions. The UK is set to host further joint planning meetings at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood this week, where discussions will continue over several days.

How many homes on the defence estate were constructed in the years (a) since 2000, (b) 1980-1999, (c) 1960-1979, (d) 1940-1959, (e) 1900-1939 and (f) before 1900.

The table below provides the number of Service Family Accommodation homes, broken down into the decades they were constructed. Year/Decade Total2000 – to date6,0331980 – 19997,1351960 – 197916,6401940 – 195914,1921900 – 19392,640Pre 190011Unknown (no data held)349

What the average rent paid per month is on the defence estate for (a) detached houses, (b) semi-detached houses, (c) terraced houses, (d) bungalows, (e) flats without lifts and (f) flats with lifts.

This information is not held. The Combined Accommodation Assessment System (CAAS) determines the accommodation charge for individual Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties based on condition, scale, and location. SFA entitlement depends on various factors, such as family size and rank of Serving person. Charging rates for SFA for Service personnel are set by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB).

If he will provide a breakdown by age of the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme as of 24 March 2025.

Data on the Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is routinely published by the Ministry of Defence, with the next release scheduled for May 2025. The latest published data as at 31 December 2024 can be found at the following gov.uk link:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-202425/forces-help-to-buy-quarterly-statistics-quarter-3-202425 Figures in this response relate to active accounts as at 31 December 2024. Therefore, figures will differ from published statistics, which relate to all accounts since the beginning of the FHTB scheme. As at 31 December 2024, 14,333 regular Serving personnel were using the FHTB scheme. The following table shows engagement with the Forces Help to Buy scheme by Service as at 31 December 2024. ServiceForces Help to Buy total engagement by Service (regular personnel only)% of ServiceNavy3,29412.95Royal Marines82912.79Army6,7908.65RAF3,42011.26 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by rank as at 31 December 2024. NATO rankNumber of Service personnelOF1158OF22,001OF31,252OF4325OF561OF615OF72OR2752OR3663OR43,251OR62,949OR71,769OR8765OR9370Total14,333 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by marital status as at 31 December 2024. Marital status categoryNumber of Service personnelMarried or in a registered Civil Partnership6,455Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 1S*288Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Civil Servant81Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 5S*377Prime carer and provider for child401Separated providing support as a result of court order24Separated providing voluntary support914All other members of Armed Forces5,793Total14,333* Personal Status Categories (PStat Cats) are used to denote the entitlement to allowances and accommodation based on marital and service status. Specifically:PStat Cat 1S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 5S.PStat Cat 5S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 1S.These categories are important for administrative purposes within the Armed Forces as they affect the allocation of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA), as well as other allowances and entitlements. The following two tables show the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by age as at 31 December 2024. Age rangeAge as at 31 December 2024Number of Service personnel Number of Service personnel by age range18 - 2518[c]77719[c]201821352225923133242102532226 - 402644510,380275202859029700307553174932731337823483735790367303770738740397224058241 - 55415553,1434243143404443334532346250471754814549120501035187528453675439552756 - 6556153357858[c]59[c]60361[c]62[c]63-64-65[c]Figures fewer than 3 have been replaced with [c] to limit inadvertent disclosure of personal data.

If he will provide a breakdown by rank of the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme as of 24 March 2025.

Data on the Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is routinely published by the Ministry of Defence, with the next release scheduled for May 2025. The latest published data as at 31 December 2024 can be found at the following gov.uk link:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-202425/forces-help-to-buy-quarterly-statistics-quarter-3-202425 Figures in this response relate to active accounts as at 31 December 2024. Therefore, figures will differ from published statistics, which relate to all accounts since the beginning of the FHTB scheme. As at 31 December 2024, 14,333 regular Serving personnel were using the FHTB scheme. The following table shows engagement with the Forces Help to Buy scheme by Service as at 31 December 2024. ServiceForces Help to Buy total engagement by Service (regular personnel only)% of ServiceNavy3,29412.95Royal Marines82912.79Army6,7908.65RAF3,42011.26 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by rank as at 31 December 2024. NATO rankNumber of Service personnelOF1158OF22,001OF31,252OF4325OF561OF615OF72OR2752OR3663OR43,251OR62,949OR71,769OR8765OR9370Total14,333 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by marital status as at 31 December 2024. Marital status categoryNumber of Service personnelMarried or in a registered Civil Partnership6,455Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 1S*288Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Civil Servant81Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 5S*377Prime carer and provider for child401Separated providing support as a result of court order24Separated providing voluntary support914All other members of Armed Forces5,793Total14,333* Personal Status Categories (PStat Cats) are used to denote the entitlement to allowances and accommodation based on marital and service status. Specifically:PStat Cat 1S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 5S.PStat Cat 5S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 1S.These categories are important for administrative purposes within the Armed Forces as they affect the allocation of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA), as well as other allowances and entitlements. The following two tables show the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by age as at 31 December 2024. Age rangeAge as at 31 December 2024Number of Service personnel Number of Service personnel by age range18 - 2518[c]77719[c]201821352225923133242102532226 - 402644510,380275202859029700307553174932731337823483735790367303770738740397224058241 - 55415553,1434243143404443334532346250471754814549120501035187528453675439552756 - 6556153357858[c]59[c]60361[c]62[c]63-64-65[c]Figures fewer than 3 have been replaced with [c] to limit inadvertent disclosure of personal data.

What his Department's policy is on the role of the UK in the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence.

NATO is the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security, and the UK’s commitment to the Alliance is unshakeable. The UK is the Framework Nation for the Forward Land Forces Battlegroup in Estonia, with UK forces deterring threats on NATO’s eastern flank. In October 2024 the Defence Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to scale this force to a brigade if required when the UK and Estonia signed a Defence Roadmap. The UK contributes a squadron to the US-led Forward Land Forces in Poland.

How many and what proportion of serving personnel in the (a) Army, (b) RAF, (c) Royal Navy and (d) Royal Marines were using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme as of 24 March 2025.

Data on the Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is routinely published by the Ministry of Defence, with the next release scheduled for May 2025. The latest published data as at 31 December 2024 can be found at the following gov.uk link:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-202425/forces-help-to-buy-quarterly-statistics-quarter-3-202425 Figures in this response relate to active accounts as at 31 December 2024. Therefore, figures will differ from published statistics, which relate to all accounts since the beginning of the FHTB scheme. As at 31 December 2024, 14,333 regular Serving personnel were using the FHTB scheme. The following table shows engagement with the Forces Help to Buy scheme by Service as at 31 December 2024. ServiceForces Help to Buy total engagement by Service (regular personnel only)% of ServiceNavy3,29412.95Royal Marines82912.79Army6,7908.65RAF3,42011.26 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by rank as at 31 December 2024. NATO rankNumber of Service personnelOF1158OF22,001OF31,252OF4325OF561OF615OF72OR2752OR3663OR43,251OR62,949OR71,769OR8765OR9370Total14,333 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by marital status as at 31 December 2024. Marital status categoryNumber of Service personnelMarried or in a registered Civil Partnership6,455Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 1S*288Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Civil Servant81Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 5S*377Prime carer and provider for child401Separated providing support as a result of court order24Separated providing voluntary support914All other members of Armed Forces5,793Total14,333* Personal Status Categories (PStat Cats) are used to denote the entitlement to allowances and accommodation based on marital and service status. Specifically:PStat Cat 1S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 5S.PStat Cat 5S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 1S.These categories are important for administrative purposes within the Armed Forces as they affect the allocation of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA), as well as other allowances and entitlements. The following two tables show the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by age as at 31 December 2024. Age rangeAge as at 31 December 2024Number of Service personnel Number of Service personnel by age range18 - 2518[c]77719[c]201821352225923133242102532226 - 402644510,380275202859029700307553174932731337823483735790367303770738740397224058241 - 55415553,1434243143404443334532346250471754814549120501035187528453675439552756 - 6556153357858[c]59[c]60361[c]62[c]63-64-65[c]Figures fewer than 3 have been replaced with [c] to limit inadvertent disclosure of personal data.

What the cost of the Forces Help to Buy Scheme was in each financial year since its introduction.

The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is an enduring policy which enables Service personnel to borrow up to 50 per cent of their salary, up to a maximum of £25,000 interest-free towards the purchase of a property. As FHTB is a loan scheme, it is essentially self-funding, meaning that payments are funded from repayments. For that reason, specific allocations of funds are not provided to the Front Line Commands for this purpose. The costs of administering the scheme could not be disaggregated from wider budgets without incurring disproportionate cost. The MOD publishes summary statistics on applications, payments and purchases made under the FHTB scheme. These statistics are published quarterly and can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-index

If he will provide a breakdown by marital status of the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme as of 24 March 2025.

Data on the Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is routinely published by the Ministry of Defence, with the next release scheduled for May 2025. The latest published data as at 31 December 2024 can be found at the following gov.uk link:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-202425/forces-help-to-buy-quarterly-statistics-quarter-3-202425 Figures in this response relate to active accounts as at 31 December 2024. Therefore, figures will differ from published statistics, which relate to all accounts since the beginning of the FHTB scheme. As at 31 December 2024, 14,333 regular Serving personnel were using the FHTB scheme. The following table shows engagement with the Forces Help to Buy scheme by Service as at 31 December 2024. ServiceForces Help to Buy total engagement by Service (regular personnel only)% of ServiceNavy3,29412.95Royal Marines82912.79Army6,7908.65RAF3,42011.26 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by rank as at 31 December 2024. NATO rankNumber of Service personnelOF1158OF22,001OF31,252OF4325OF561OF615OF72OR2752OR3663OR43,251OR62,949OR71,769OR8765OR9370Total14,333 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by marital status as at 31 December 2024. Marital status categoryNumber of Service personnelMarried or in a registered Civil Partnership6,455Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 1S*288Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Civil Servant81Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 5S*377Prime carer and provider for child401Separated providing support as a result of court order24Separated providing voluntary support914All other members of Armed Forces5,793Total14,333* Personal Status Categories (PStat Cats) are used to denote the entitlement to allowances and accommodation based on marital and service status. Specifically:PStat Cat 1S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 5S.PStat Cat 5S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 1S.These categories are important for administrative purposes within the Armed Forces as they affect the allocation of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA), as well as other allowances and entitlements. The following two tables show the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by age as at 31 December 2024. Age rangeAge as at 31 December 2024Number of Service personnel Number of Service personnel by age range18 - 2518[c]77719[c]201821352225923133242102532226 - 402644510,380275202859029700307553174932731337823483735790367303770738740397224058241 - 55415553,1434243143404443334532346250471754814549120501035187528453675439552756 - 6556153357858[c]59[c]60361[c]62[c]63-64-65[c]Figures fewer than 3 have been replaced with [c] to limit inadvertent disclosure of personal data.

What the total number of serving personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme is as of 24 March 2025.

Data on the Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is routinely published by the Ministry of Defence, with the next release scheduled for May 2025. The latest published data as at 31 December 2024 can be found at the following gov.uk link:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-202425/forces-help-to-buy-quarterly-statistics-quarter-3-202425 Figures in this response relate to active accounts as at 31 December 2024. Therefore, figures will differ from published statistics, which relate to all accounts since the beginning of the FHTB scheme. As at 31 December 2024, 14,333 regular Serving personnel were using the FHTB scheme. The following table shows engagement with the Forces Help to Buy scheme by Service as at 31 December 2024. ServiceForces Help to Buy total engagement by Service (regular personnel only)% of ServiceNavy3,29412.95Royal Marines82912.79Army6,7908.65RAF3,42011.26 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by rank as at 31 December 2024. NATO rankNumber of Service personnelOF1158OF22,001OF31,252OF4325OF561OF615OF72OR2752OR3663OR43,251OR62,949OR71,769OR8765OR9370Total14,333 The following table shows the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by marital status as at 31 December 2024. Marital status categoryNumber of Service personnelMarried or in a registered Civil Partnership6,455Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 1S*288Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Civil Servant81Married or in a registered Civil Partnership to a Service Person who is Category 5S*377Prime carer and provider for child401Separated providing support as a result of court order24Separated providing voluntary support914All other members of Armed Forces5,793Total14,333* Personal Status Categories (PStat Cats) are used to denote the entitlement to allowances and accommodation based on marital and service status. Specifically:PStat Cat 1S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 5S.PStat Cat 5S: This category refers to personnel who are married or in a registered civil partnership with a service person who is designated as PStat Cat 1S.These categories are important for administrative purposes within the Armed Forces as they affect the allocation of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA), as well as other allowances and entitlements. The following two tables show the number of service personnel using the Forces Help to Buy Scheme by age as at 31 December 2024. Age rangeAge as at 31 December 2024Number of Service personnel Number of Service personnel by age range18 - 2518[c]77719[c]201821352225923133242102532226 - 402644510,380275202859029700307553174932731337823483735790367303770738740397224058241 - 55415553,1434243143404443334532346250471754814549120501035187528453675439552756 - 6556153357858[c]59[c]60361[c]62[c]63-64-65[c]Figures fewer than 3 have been replaced with [c] to limit inadvertent disclosure of personal data.

What the cost of the Forces Help to Buy Scheme was since 5 July 2024.

The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is an enduring policy which enables Service personnel to borrow up to 50 per cent of their salary, up to a maximum of £25,000 interest-free towards the purchase of a property. As FHTB is a loan scheme, it is essentially self-funding, meaning that payments are funded from repayments. For that reason, specific allocations of funds are not provided to the Front Line Commands for this purpose. The costs of administering the scheme could not be disaggregated from wider budgets without incurring disproportionate cost. The MOD publishes summary statistics on applications, payments and purchases made under the FHTB scheme. These statistics are published quarterly and can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-index

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of sending British (a) Typhoons, (b) F-35s and (c) other military aircraft to Ukraine as part of any (i) peacekeeping and (ii) reassurance force.

Following last week’s first operational planning meeting held at the UK’s Permanent Joint Operations Headquarters in Northwood, senior military personnel will continue to meet throughout this week to develop plans. The military planning meetings have focused on – how we keep the skies, the seas and the border safe, looking across the full range of European military capabilities including aircraft, troops, intelligence and logistics. The specifics of these plans are subject to further discussions, and we will not comment on operational details at this stage.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37596 on Ammunition: Lost Property and Theft, for what reason 200 rounds were lost overboard in the Solent from a Navy vessel.

An investigation into the loss of 200 rounds of ammunition from a Royal Navy vessel in 2024 concluded that the most likely cause was due to equipment failure. Appropriate measures have been put in place to prevent recurrence following an Immediate Ship's Investigation.

What the annual maintenance cost is for all homes on the defence estate in the most recent period for which figures are available.

The annual cost for responsive and planned maintenance for Service Family Accommodation from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, for the Future Defence Infrastructure Services Regional Accommodation Maintenance Services contracts, is £39,066,509.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's commitment to enhanced NATO air policing patrols.

The UK remains fully committed to NATO air policing. The RAF has deployed to Poland, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania and Romania, securing Allied airspace and playing a key role in NATO’s deterrence and defence.Along with other European Allies, the UK provides our P8 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft to NATO’s BALTIC SENTRY maritime operation throughout the Baltic Sea. The objective of this to detect and understand sabotage against undersea infrastructure, as well play a critical part in deterrence.

What the annual maintenance cost is of homes on the defence estate as a result of (a) responsive repairs and (b) planned maintenance in the most recent period for which figures are available.

The annual cost of responsive repairs for Service Family Accommodation (SFA) from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, for the Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) Regional Accommodation Maintenance Services (RAMS) contracts, is £33,163,334. The annual cost of planned maintenance for SFA for the same period for the FDIS RAMS contracts, is £5,903,175.

What the allocated budget is for funding the Forces Help to Buy Scheme for financial year 2025-2026.

The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is an enduring policy which enables Service personnel to borrow up to 50 per cent of their salary, up to a maximum of £25,000 interest-free towards the purchase of a property. As FHTB is a loan scheme, it is essentially self-funding, meaning that payments are funded from repayments. For that reason, specific allocations of funds are not provided to the Front Line Commands for this purpose. The costs of administering the scheme could not be disaggregated from wider budgets without incurring disproportionate cost. The MOD publishes summary statistics on applications, payments and purchases made under the FHTB scheme. These statistics are published quarterly and can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/forces-help-to-buy-scheme-quarterly-statistics-index

What his planned timetable is for deploying Typhoons to Poland.

RAF Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth landed in Poland on 25 March 2025 as part of NATO’s commitment to maintaining regional security and airspace integrity. As the air policing role develops, further announcements will be made. We have a strong and broad defence relationship with Poland and in January 2025, our Prime Ministers announced work on a Defence and Security Treaty.

Whether recommendation 5.6d of the report by his Department entitled the Review of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations 2019, published on 24 March 2020, (a) has been (i) implemented, (ii) paused, (iii) not pursued, (iv) transferred and (b) is in progress.

It is taking time to collate the information needed to answer the hon. Member's questions. I will write to him very shortly and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.