17 Mar 2026·Department for Culture, Media and Sport·Answered
AskedMedia and Sport, whether projects for repairs under the listed places of worship that are already underway will be eligible for support under the proposed Places of Worship Renewal Fund.
ReplyThe Places of Worship Renewal Fund will have a budget of £23 million per year. Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process will be published in due course. The fund will begin in the financial year 2026-27.
17 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedWhat phase the Defence Reform programme is currently in.
ReplyHaving determined top level accountabilities and implemented the associate structural changes to establish the new four Areas on 1 April 2025, Defence Reform is currently in a design phase, during which the new Defence Operating Model is being developed and agreed. From 1 April 2026, Defence Reform moves to the next phase, implementing and refining the operating model in live operation. This implementation phase runs through financial year 2026-27 and includes completing remaining detailed design, informed by early experience of live operation. The aim is to complete implementation and detailed design by 1 April 2027. From that point, responsibility for embedding the Defence Operating Model will sit fully with Defence operating on a business-as-usual basis, with change sustained through normal leadership and governance arrangements, rather than programme mechanisms.
17 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 27 February to Question 112837 on Navy: North Atlantic Ocean, how much of the £14 million committed to testing and development this year is from (a) Ministry of Defence and (b) industry.
ReplyThe £14 million committed this year to testing and development is a joint investment by the Ministry of Defence and industry partners. Due to commercial sensitivities, it would be inappropriate to give a more detailed breakdown at this stage.
17 Mar 2026·Department for Culture, Media and Sport·Answered
AskedMedia and Sport, what eligibility criteria her department intends to apply to the proposed Places of Worship Renewal Fund.
ReplyThe Places of Worship Renewal Fund will have a budget of £23 million per year. Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process will be published in due course. The fund will begin in the financial year 2026-27.
17 Mar 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in South Suffolk compared with national average.
ReplyData is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for South Suffolk and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025)South Suffolk1,000650England612,855511,558Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England. Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Suffolk, which includes South Suffolk, can be found at the following link: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E10000029/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1
16 Mar 2026·Department for Culture, Media and Sport·Answered
AskedMedia and Sport, what timetable her Department has set for the introduction of the proposed Places of Worship Renewal Fund.
ReplyFurther details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process will be published in due course. The fund will begin in the financial year 2026-27.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, whether the SME Action Plan will the engage with SME representatives.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, whether work on the SME Action Plan has begun.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, whether new staff have been employed to produce the SME Action Plan.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, whether the SME Action Plan will be allocated Departmental funding.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116531 on Defence: Finance, what the UK's return for 2025 was.
ReplyThe UK’s latest defence expenditure return for 2025 has been published by NATO and can be found here. The UK’s final update for 2025 will be submitted by the end of December once the accounts have closed and have been audited.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2026 to Question 116025 on Global Combat Air Programme: Expenditure, if he will provide an itemised breakdown of the £2 billion.
ReplyOver £2 billion has been spent on Future Combat Air System/Global Combat Air Programme (FCAS/GCAP) and the associated Team Tempest research and development programme. This can be broken down as follows: Concepting/Design – over £800 million Enablers and Infrastructure – over £60 million Technology Development and Demonstrators – over £1.4 billion
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, if he will publish terms of reference for the SME Action Plan.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, whether the SME Action Plan will allocate funding to be spent with UK SMEs.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, who will write the SME Action Plan.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, when the SME Action Plan will be published.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 116970 on Autonomous Weapons: Procurement, when the concept demonstration phase will conclude.
ReplyThe UK concept demonstration phase of the low-cost air defence effector project under the LEAP initiative, as announced on 20 February, is due to conclude by the end of 2026.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, whether the SME Action Plan will be published before the Defence Investment Plan.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116533 on Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses, who is leading the production of the SME Action Plan.
ReplyThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to publishing an annual SME Action Plan. The MOD's Action Plan is a key element of Defence’s work to improve opportunities for SMEs. Work led by a senior civil servant and civil servants from The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OSBG), are responsible for developing the Plan and its implementation.The forthcoming Plan will set out key priorities on procurement policy and strategy, aligned with the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our commitment to SMEs is demonstrated by the new £20 million fund offering accelerated contracts to innovative UK startups with little previous MOD engagement, and our target to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.The OSBG is engaged with SMEs to shape its delivery and ensure it reflects the practical experiences of SMEs seeking to do business with Defence. Once work on the Defence Investment Plan has concluded the plan will be published.Taken together, these measures will substantially improve the support for SMEs from HMG compared to the situation in July 2024.
16 Mar 2026·Ministry of Defence·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2026 to Question 116025 on Global Combat Air Programme: Expenditure, how much of the £2 billion was spent on the development of the Tempest fighter jet.
ReplyThe expenditure on the Future Air Combat System (FCAS)/Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) has supported concept development, enablers, technology maturation and capability demonstrations to deliver FCAS, including the core aircraft central to the system through the GCAP partnership.