Written questions by Cartlidge.

How many training villages are active on the British Army Training Unit Suffield Training Area.

There are no active training villages on the British Army Training Unit Suffield Training Area. There were also none in use on 5 July 2024. Please see the table below, which confirms how many live firing exercises have taken place at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in each of the previous 10 financial years. YearLive Firing Exercises2016320174201832019320200202102022220230202402025020260

When was the Royal Navy's last Ice Exercise.

The Royal Navy (RN) has maintained an under‑ice capability centred on the Submarine Service through Swiftsure and Trafalgar class submarines and is certifying the new Astute Class to uphold this capability.HMS Trenchant conducted the last Ice Exercise in 2018. It is the longstanding policy of this Department not to comment on future submarine operations.The Strategic Defence Review highlighted the High North and Arctic as an increasing area of competition for the UK, and the Defence Investment Plan is considering a range of options to meet this threat.

How many live firing exercises have taken place at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in each of the 10 previous financial years.

There are no active training villages on the British Army Training Unit Suffield Training Area. There were also none in use on 5 July 2024. Please see the table below, which confirms how many live firing exercises have taken place at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in each of the previous 10 financial years. YearLive Firing Exercises2016320174201832019320200202102022220230202402025020260

How many usable training villages at the British Army Training Unit Suffield Training Area there (a) are and (b) were on 5 July 2024.

There are no active training villages on the British Army Training Unit Suffield Training Area. There were also none in use on 5 July 2024. Please see the table below, which confirms how many live firing exercises have taken place at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in each of the previous 10 financial years. YearLive Firing Exercises2016320174201832019320200202102022220230202402025020260

How many UK service personnel are permanently stationed at the British Army Training Unit Suffield.

As at October 2025 (latest figures available), the numbers of service personnel currently stationed at British Army Training Unit Suffield are below: Number of UK Regular1 Armed Forces Service Personnel Stationed2 at BATUS3, Suffield, Canada as at 1 October 25 YearOctober-2025Regulars30 NotesUK Regulars comprise full time service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas, Mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non-Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Includes trained and untrained personnel. The figures are based on Service personnel's stationed location and not their location of residence - where personnel work isn't necessarily where they live. Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their stationed location are shown against their most recent stationed location. The Royal Navy/Royal Marines personnel on sea service are included against the local authority containing the home port of their ship.BATUS has been derived from the Location Units CANADA - ALBERTA - SUFFIELD and SUFFIELD (BATUS) from the Location Unit field in Joint Personnel Administration (JPA). Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 to prevent inadvertent disclosure. However, numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Whether the cost envelope for the Defence Investment Plan will be based on his Department's (a) Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit, (b) Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit and (c) Total Departmental Expenditure Limit settlement.

The Defence Investment Plan will be a comprehensive plan to deliver the vision set out in the Strategic Defence Review. It will cover the full scope of the defence against the Department's respective CDEL and RDEL settlements.

How many permanent staff were stationed at British Army Training Unit Suffield in each of the last 10 financial years.

Data regarding permanent Service personnel stationed at British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) can be found below. Number of UK Regular Armed Forces Service Personnel Stationed at BATUS, Suffield, Canada 2016 - 2025 Year2015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25Regulars2102502402602202101701106040

Whether his Department received lobbying from (a) Peter Mandelson and (b) Global Counsel in relation to (i) Anduril, (ii) Palantir and (iii) other American companies between 10 February and 11 September 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12 February, and the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

If he will provide an update on Iron Titan.

TITAN is the exercise name given to the biennial validation of Divisional Troops which started with 3rd (United Kingdom) Division in 2023 on exercise IRON TITAN. The prefix TITAN changes as part of the exercise naming convention depending on the unit being exercised. The success of the initial Exercise TITAN in 2023, has resulted in an annual cadence of exercises to facilitate the training and validation of both 1st and 3rd (United Kingdom) Division.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry in the urgent question on 10 February 2026, if he will publish his Department's list of deliverables prior to the state visit conducted by the President of the United States between 16 and 18 September 2025.

The deliverables for the State Visit were developed and negotiated through a comprehensive cross-Government process. Press releases detailing those deliverables can be found on gov.uk.

With reference to the Declaration of Intent between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The French Republic and Ukraine relating to the deployment of multinational forces in support of the defence, reconstruction and strategic sustainability of Ukraine, published on 7 January 2026, whether training of service personnel to be deployed as part of the Multinational Force Ukraine has begun.

The UK consistently maintains the training and readiness of its armed forces to deliver against our national interests, and the Government has allocated £200 million of funding to prepare the UK Armed Forces to deploy as part of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNF-U).The MNF-U Operational Head Quarters continues to refine specific plans for a deployment in the event of a ceasefire and as and when conditions are met.Whilst planning continues, we will not be drawn into the details of any future UK Armed Forces deployment, including any updates on training of Service personnel.As stated by the Prime Minister, he will keep the House updated as the situation develops and were troops to be deployed under the declaration signed [Declaration of Intent], that matter would be put to the House for debate beforehand and for a vote on that deployment.

When the last Iron Titan exercise took place.

TITAN is the exercise name given to the biennial validation of Divisional Troops which started with 3rd (United Kingdom) Division in 2023 on exercise IRON TITAN. The prefix TITAN changes as part of the exercise naming convention depending on the unit being exercised. The success of the initial Exercise TITAN in 2023, has resulted in an annual cadence of exercises to facilitate the training and validation of both 1st and 3rd (United Kingdom) Division.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled UK unveils new undersea warfare technology to counter threat from Russia, published on 8 December, whether there is a limit to how many of the 26 proposals to develop anti-submarine sensor technology can be accepted.

There is no predetermined limit on the number of proposals that could be taken forward. The number accepted will depend on the quality, technical maturity, and operational relevance of each submission, as well as overall value for money and alignment with Royal Navy capability requirements.

Whether he has authorised changes to the in-service date of the Tempest Jet as part of the Global Combat Air Programme.

The Secretary of State has authorised no changes to the in-service date for the Global Combat Air Programme.

Whether he plans to introduce the Defence Readiness Bill before May 2026.

Defence Readiness legislation is being considered to ensure the Government has the powers it needs to keep the UK safe in crisis or war, as recommended in the Strategic Defence Review. Legislation will be brought forward when Parliamentary time allows.

Whether he plans to increase the Army's use of the Land Regional Hub Germany in this Parliament.

The Land Regional Hub in Germany is a vital asset for the British Army, providing a forward-deployed presence to support NATO's collective defence and enabling rapid responses to potential threats in Europe. It serves as a key logistics and operational hub, supporting training, exercises, and deployments, while fostering interoperability with allied forces. The Hub is actively utilised for multinational training and exercises, and its role in enhancing readiness and collaboration with European partners remains a priority. Future use of the Hub will continue to align with the UK's defence commitments and NATO objectives. Exercises at the Land Regional Hub Germany are recorded by calendar year rather than financial year. In line with the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the Army continues to adapt its training programme to support NATO requirements, enhance land forces competency, and deliver wider defence engagement. For calendar year 2026, 14 exercises are currently planned. These activities are designed to be larger in scale and longer in duration, reflecting our focus on more complex and demanding training to meet NATO’s evolving needs. Exercise plans are kept under regular review to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities. Planning for 2027 is ongoing and final exercise numbers are yet to be confirmed. Uncrewed systems will be utilised in exercises as part of routine Army Training. The Ministry of Defence does not hold centralised records for the overall operating costs of the Land Regional Hub Germany (LRH(G)), as it is comprised of multiple component sites and functions, each managed by different organisations within Defence. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a consolidated figure for the operating costs of the Land Regional Hub in Germany for this financial year or future years of this Parliament.

How many training exercises will take place at the Land Regional Hub Germany in the (a) current and (b) next financial year.

The Land Regional Hub in Germany is a vital asset for the British Army, providing a forward-deployed presence to support NATO's collective defence and enabling rapid responses to potential threats in Europe. It serves as a key logistics and operational hub, supporting training, exercises, and deployments, while fostering interoperability with allied forces. The Hub is actively utilised for multinational training and exercises, and its role in enhancing readiness and collaboration with European partners remains a priority. Future use of the Hub will continue to align with the UK's defence commitments and NATO objectives. Exercises at the Land Regional Hub Germany are recorded by calendar year rather than financial year. In line with the priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the Army continues to adapt its training programme to support NATO requirements, enhance land forces competency, and deliver wider defence engagement. For calendar year 2026, 14 exercises are currently planned. These activities are designed to be larger in scale and longer in duration, reflecting our focus on more complex and demanding training to meet NATO’s evolving needs. Exercise plans are kept under regular review to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities. Planning for 2027 is ongoing and final exercise numbers are yet to be confirmed. Uncrewed systems will be utilised in exercises as part of routine Army Training. The Ministry of Defence does not hold centralised records for the overall operating costs of the Land Regional Hub Germany (LRH(G)), as it is comprised of multiple component sites and functions, each managed by different organisations within Defence. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a consolidated figure for the operating costs of the Land Regional Hub in Germany for this financial year or future years of this Parliament.

Whether there has been a reduction in the number of armoured vehicles in use at British Army Training Unit Suffield since 5 July 2024.

The Army continually reviews equipment allocations to ensure training needs are met. For operational security reasons, we do not release details of equipment holdings, changes in quantities, or future allocations at specific locations, including the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS). Equipment levels remain under regular assessment to support required training outputs.

With reference to the Declaration of Intent between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The French Republic and Ukraine relating to the deployment of multinational forces in support of the defence, reconstruction and strategic sustainability of Ukraine, published on 7 January 2026, what his proposed timeline is for the deployment of UK service personnel to Ukraine as part of the Multinational Force Ukraine once a ceasefire has been agreed.

As detailed planning continues, we will not be drawn into the details of any future UK Armed Forces deployment, due to operational reasons.

With reference to the Declaration of Intent between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The French Republic and Ukraine relating to the deployment of multinational forces in support of the defence, reconstruction and strategic sustainability of Ukraine, what proportion of UK service personnel deployed as part of the Multinational Force Ukraine will be in (a) logistics, (b) training, (c) surveillance and (d) peacekeeping roles.

As detailed planning continues, we will not be drawn into the details of any future UK Armed Forces deployment, due to operational reasons.