Asked
Whether he plans on providing additional funding to the Ajax programme beyond the original fixed-price contract agreed.
Reply
Spending decisions on future capabilities will be published as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
The Westminster lensArchive · Written questions · 3,692 tabled · 3,489 answered
Written questions by Cartlidge.
Every parliamentary written question tabled by James Cartlidge this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Department:All (3,692)Ministry of Defence (3236)Treasury (102)Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (60)Department of Health and Social Care (59)Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (38)Cabinet Office (25)Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (24)Department for Transport (22)Department for Culture, Media and Sport (21)Department for Business and Trade (19)Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (19)Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (18)
Showing 241–260 of 3,236 · Ministry of Defence
Asked
If he will state what his Department's budget will be as a percentage of GDP in 2030.
Reply
Awaiting answer.
Asked
If he will state what will be spent on Defence this Parliament as a percentage of GDP in each remaining year of the current Parliament.
Reply
Awaiting answer.
Asked
Whether there will be a reduction in reservist training in the (a) current and (b) next financial year.
Reply
Awaiting answer.
Asked
What will the spending envelope for the Defence Investment Plan be.
Reply
Awaiting answer.
Asked
If he will implement a cap on the number of reserve service days a reservist can complete in each of the remaining financial years of the current Parliament.
Reply
Awaiting answer.
Asked
Whether he has authorised a change to the Initial Operating Capability for Challenger 3.
Reply
The Challenger 3 manufacture phase timing will be confirmed after the demonstration phase trials prove the performance of the tanks. This complex programme has been impacted by some supply chain delays; the Initial Operating Capability and Full Operating ...
Asked
What estimate he has made of the financial settlement required to deliver the Defence Investment Plan.
Reply
The Defence Investment Plan will be fully costed, ensuring that it is both affordable and deliverable.
Asked
What is the total expected cost of delivering the Challenger 3 programme.
Reply
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 41789, which remains extant. The total approved cost of delivering the Challenger 3 programme remains at £1.9 billion. The programme’s forecast cost remains within the approved project estimate. https://q...
Asked
How much has his Department spent on the delivery of Challenger 3 as of 16 June 2026.
Reply
As of 31 May 2026, total expenditure on the Challenger 3 programme is approximately £615 million.
Asked
What progress his Department has made on the decision on procuring a long-range Precision Strike Missile.
Reply
I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave to him on 8 June 2026 in response to Question 6453 which remains extant: A review of credible options to fulfil the Land Deep Fires requirement has been undertaken and is being considered as part of the Defen...
Asked
Whether he has discussed the spending envelope for the Defence Investment Plan with the Chief of the Defence Staff.
Reply
The Chief of Defence Staff has been and continues to be closely involved in the development of an affordable and deliverable Defence Investment Plan.
Asked
When will the Challenger 3 programme reach (a) Initial Operating Capability and (b) Full Operating Capability.
Reply
The Challenger 3 manufacture phase timing will be confirmed after the demonstration phase trials prove the performance of the tanks. This complex programme has been impacted by some supply chain delays; the Initial Operating Capability and Full Operating ...
Asked
What assessment he has made of the Defence Investment Plan's impact on UK armed forces readiness.
Reply
Work to finalise the Defence Investment Plan continues with the new Defence Secretary, and the Prime Minister has been clear that we are determined to publish the DIP before the NATO summit in July. It is a credible plan that will fund major UK defence ca...
Asked
Whether he has been instructed to authorise efficiency savings in each of the remaining financial years of this Parliament for (a) maintenance, (b) training, (c) reserves training.
Reply
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 April 2026 to Question 128871.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-04-21/128871
Asked
Whether he has been instructed to authorise efficiency savings in each of the remaining financial years of this Parliament.
Reply
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 April 2026 to Question 128871.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-04-21/128871
Asked
Whether there will be a reduction in training exercises for the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy in the (i) current and (ii) next financial year.
Reply
The single Services remain committed to prioritising training exercises in line with both UK and partner operational requirements, as well as the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review. Across Defence, training activity is kept under continuou...
Asked
What estimate he has made of the proportion of his Department's budget that will be been spent on the Chagos treaty in each remaining year of the current Parliament.
Reply
Awaiting answer.
Asked
What the average number of years served was of personnel leaving the reserve forces in each of the last 10 financial years.
Reply
Service personnel statistics on strengths, requirements, intake, applications and outflow, by service is published as part of the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics (SPS) publication. The latest publication as at 1 April 2026 can be found at the follo...
Asked
What the average number of years served was for personnel leaving the regular armed forces in each of the last 10 financial years.
Reply
Service personnel statistics on strengths, requirements, intake, applications and outflow, by service is published as part of the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics (SPS) publication. The latest publication as at 1 April 2026 can be found at the follo...
Sources
SourceUK Parliament Members API
MethodQuestion and answer text as published. Question preamble (“To ask the…”) trimmed for readability; answers shown in full.