Written questions by Cartlidge.

What challenge committees have been set up as part of the Strategic Defence Review; and if he will list their membership.

The second phase of the Strategic Defence Review will run through October and November, focused on Review and Challenge. Panels of external, independent experts have been chosen by the Reviewers to provide robust challenge to proposition submissions, in order to inform the drafting of the final Review recommendations. The membership is evolving subject to availability during the Review and Challenge phase.

What steps he is taking to support the creation of new jobs in the shipbuilding sector.

This Government recognises the vital role shipbuilding and its skilled workforce plays, not only in our national security but also in the economic prosperity and growth of the United Kingdom (UK).The National Shipbuilding Office provides strategic oversight of all Government shipbuilding activity, driving forward transformative change in the sector. This includes a 30-year pipeline of Government shipbuilding opportunities which provides clarity and certainty for UK industry and supports the creation of UK jobs.

What measures he is taking to improve sovereign capabilities in anti-UAV manufacturing.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to evolve and strengthen our Counter-Uncrewed Air Systems (C-UAS) capabilities. To counter the growing threat from UAS, the MOD has developed and procured a broad range of cutting-edge C-UAS capabilities, including from UK industries. The Strategic Defence Review will guide future capability to ensure the United Kingdom is both secure at home and strong abroad. However, I am withholding the detailed information requested as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces

What steps he is taking to increase the UK’s sovereign capabilities in direct energy weaponry.

The Ministry of Defence has committed to accelerating the continued investment in UK Sovereign Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) technology, to provide cutting edge capability to the Armed Forces swiftly. The programme is delivering capability demonstrators, accelerated Minimum Deployable Capabilities including DragonFire, delivering Laser DEW into operational capability from 2027, and preparing to deliver DEW capability into core service in the 2030's. Since 2018, Defence has invested in the Directed Energy Weapons Programme and is focused on stimulating UK industry through delivering a capability that prioritises a UK sovereign approach.

If he will direct officials to score UK sovereign capability and jobs in all procurement decisions.

The defence industry plays a vital role not only in our national security but also to the prosperity and economic growth of the UK. This Government is committed to developing a UK defence industrial base that is able to better support our own and allies’ security. That is why we are bringing forward a Defence Industrial Strategy that will review the consideration of sovereign capability and capacity and will align our security and economic priorities.

What steps he is taking to increase the UK’s sovereign capabilities in space-warfare and communications.

Defence is an important part of the government's efforts on space, and is delivering a programme to enhance our national interests in and through space. We are continuing the investment of over £5 billion in our world-renowned sovereign SKYNET constellation of satellites to provide global, secure satellite communications. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is also investing £1.5 billion in additional defence space technologies in support of our mission to protect and defend the space domain. As technology and the security context evolves we will continue to invest in world-leading technology to maintain our advantage in the space domain.

What steps he is taking to support the creation of new jobs in the defence sector.

This Government recognises the vital role the defence industry plays not only in our national security but also to the economic prosperity and growth of the UK. In 2022-23, Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure supported 239,000 jobs in UK industry and a further 196,000 MOD Civilian and UK Regular Armed Forces personnel based in the UK. The Defence Secretary has directed that the Defence Industrial Strategy be developed at pace to support this further.

What role artificial intelligence has played in (a) sifting and (b) evaluating Strategic Defence Review submissions.

AI is helping the Strategic Defence Review team comprehend and analyse over 8,000 responses across the propositions, totalling over 2.2 million words. This is enhancing the review team's ability to focus on complex tasks, such as applying robust challenge to submissions through Panel Sessions during October and November. AI is not a replacement for human judgment, but an enabler of greater efficiency and one part of facilitating a more comprehensive Review Process. Decisions on drafting are solely made by the reviewers: Lord George Robertson, General Sir Richard Barrons and Dr Fiona Hill.

How many submissions have been received for the Strategic Defence Review.

Over 1,700 individuals and organisations responded providing over 8,000 answers across 23 Propositions. Respondents included Serving and retired members of the Armed Forces, the defence industry, the public, academics, Parliamentary colleagues, and our closest allies and partners, including NATO.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 October to Question 5072 on National Grid: Costs, what estimate he has made of the potential impact on consumer energy bills of the lifetime costs of delivering the coordinated offshore design set out in the Offshore Coordination Support Scheme for East Anglia.

As part of the feasibility work for the coordination proposal explored through the Offshore Coordination Support Scheme, independent analysis by Arup and the Electricity System Operator (now the National Energy System Operator) identified an increase in development costs by up to £890 million, and additional constraint costs of greater than £1.5 billion over the project lifetime. While these costs would be expected to be recovered from consumer electricity bills, the interactions with other bill components mean there are uncertainties preventing a precise estimate of the impact.

How much financing his Department will contribute to the Chagos leasing settlement.

Details of the Treaty agreed between the UK and Mauritius will come before Parliament for scrutiny in the usual manner following its signature. It would be inappropriate to release further details at this stage.

How much funding he plans to provide for the resettlement of personnel leaving the armed forces in the 2024-25 financial year.

Resettlement services are offered to all personnel leaving the Armed Forces, with employment support and training delivered through the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to all Regular Service Leavers. The CTP is the official provider of Armed Forces resettlement support to all Regular Service Leavers, regardless of time served. The new CTP Contract launched on 1 October 2024 and looks to build on the success of the previous contract in providing a ‘gold standard’ of resettlement support to Service Leavers as part of the wider transition support provided by the Ministry of Defence which includes through-career attainment of life skills, and access to Defence Transition Services which offers targeted support for those facing challenges in successful transition. Service personnel leaving the Regular Armed Forces are entitled to access resettlement services two years prior to their discharge date and for two years post discharge. Resettlement services are delivered under the CTP (Defence Commercial Category B) contract with a total budget provision of £110 million over 10 years. We will not be releasing the requested annual figure as this is commercially sensitive.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2024 to Question 121 on Armed Forces: Visas, when his Department first held discussions with the Home Office on ending visa fees for serving personnel.

Ministry of Defence officials began engagement with the Home Office in late July 2024 to discuss this manifesto commitment.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2024 to Question 3738 on Defence: Research, whether the spending review process will cover spending on defence research and development in (a) this financial year and (b) the next four financial years.

Spend on research and development will be covered within Departmental plans as part of the Spending Review process. The Chancellor has set out the time period to be covered by this process.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the agreement to cede sovereignty of the Chagos islands to Mauritius on the risk of espionage from hostile states.

The negotiations between the UK and Mauritius on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands were announced in the House of Commons on 3 November 2022 by the then Foreign Secretary. Their aim was to ensure the continued effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia. We now have this historic agreement, that ends the uncertainty over the future of the base on Diego Garcia, which plays such a crucial role in regional and international security. We have full Mauritian backing for robust security arrangements, including preventing foreign armed forces from establishing themselves on the outer islands, or otherwise undermining the effective operation of the Base, meaning the base is more protected than ever from foreign malign influence in a more insecure world.

What plans she has for the £2 bus fare cap beyond December 2024.

Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services for passengers is one of the government’s top priorities as we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The Department for Transport is looking at the future of the £2 fare cap as a matter of urgency and is considering the most appropriate and affordable approach for the future of the scheme.

If she will estimate the number of passengers in South Suffolk constituency for whom the £2 bus fare cap has been applied.

The £2 fare cap was launched by the Department for Transport (DfT) on 1 January 2023.The DfT published an interim report in September 2023 setting out emerging trends in key outcomes from the first two months of the scheme. The report is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-2-bus-fare-cap/2-bus-fare-cap-evaluation-interim-report-february-2023.Patronage in Suffolk appears to be continuing to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic. DfT does not collect patronage data lower than local transport authority level and is unable to make an assessment of bus usage for South Suffolk.

Whether the core Global Combat Air Programme will be piloted.

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) core aircraft is being designed to be crewed when it comes into service, but the programme sustains an important technological and industrial pathway to developing advanced uncrewed capabilities. That will allow the programme to maximise the benefits of autonomy and artificial intelligence in a crewed aircraft and explore options for wider uncrewed systems to augment its capabilities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2024 to Question 2108 on Future Combat Air System, whether the £1.3 billion represents the full expected allocation for the (a) Global Combat Air Programme and (b) Future Combat Air System as at the start of this financial year.

The £1.3 billion figure provided on 19 September 2024 to Question 2106 accounts for the Government funding for Future Combat Air System/Global Combat Air Programme in the current financial year. All of the £1.3 billion of spend this financial year was planned in the last financial year. The £1.3 billion of spend this financial year is on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, the majority of which is for Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) activity. At the start of this financial year, it was expected that the Ministry of Defence would spend up to ~£1.46 billion on FCAS/GCAP. The forecast was reduced to £1.3 billion due to revised estimates of programme activity from industry throughout the year.

If he will make an estimate of the number of homes on the defence estate that could be brought back into use in the next 12 months.

During financial year 2024-25 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) plans to refurbish circa 200 long-term empty Service Family Accommodation properties, to bring them back into use for Service families. Data for the number of houses that could be bought back into use in financial year 2025-26 is not held as financial budgets have not yet been agreed. The programme of extensive refurbishments to long-term empty houses was launched in September 2023 and has allowed the MOD to significantly increase the number of high-quality homes available to Service families.