Written questions by Cartlidge.

With reference to page 57 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, when he expects the first review into the anchor partnerships between universities and the Defence Research and Evaluation organisation to take place.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 June 2025, to Questions 59137, 59138, 59140 and 59143, and to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr Obese-Jecty) to Question 59406. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-06-11/59137 This evolution of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory is in the initial stages of planning and therefore requires substantial design work. The outcome of this, and subsequent details within, will be announced in due course.

With reference to recommendation 56 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, updated on 8 July 2025, where the single counter-intelligence unit will be based.

The new Defence Counter Intelligence Unit’s (DCIU) mandate is to protect UK Defence from intelligence and espionage threats, at home and overseas, by bringing together expertise and specialist capabilities alongside the UK Intelligence Community. The DCIU will be led by a One Star equivalent Senior Civil Servant. We do not comment on the proportion of manpower figures or specific locations to safeguard national security and strategic Defence interests. The costs relating to the formation and running of the unit are ongoing and will form part of the Defence Investment Plan, due to be published later this year.

With reference to page 57 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, if he will list the universities with which the Defence Research and Evaluation organisation will create anchor partnerships.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 June 2025, to Questions 59137, 59138, 59140 and 59143, and to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr Obese-Jecty) to Question 59406. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-06-11/59137 This evolution of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory is in the initial stages of planning and therefore requires substantial design work. The outcome of this, and subsequent details within, will be announced in due course.

With reference to page 47 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer, published on 2 June 2025, when he plans to appoint a data and AI lead within each procurement capability portfolio in his Department.

The Ministry of Defence is introducing service-agnostic capability portfolios to increase flexibility and drive pace in procurement. Portfolios will improve collaboration and integration pan-defence and ensure that cross-cutting aspects such as data and AI are embedded in delivery from the outset and throughout the lifecycle of new capabilities.

With reference to recommendation 4 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, when his Department plans to undertake the first annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the integrated force model.

The Strategic Defence Review considered all aspects of Defence, including the capabilities required by UK Defence to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the twenty-first century.The Defence Investment Plan will be published in the Autumn, to take onboard the Review's vision and recommendations and turn them into a delivery plan. We will ensure this plan considers the capabilities we need to deliver a new design for a more lethal and agile Integrated Force, alongside investment in infrastructure and people.The baseline design for the Integrated Force will be finalised after the Defence Investment Plan has been published. Thereafter, the effectiveness of the Integrated Force model will be evaluated on an annual basis.

With reference to recommendation 5 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, when he expects the fundamental capabilities of the core common platform to be fully established.

The fundamental capabilities of the core common platform set out within the Strategic Defence Review already exist and are being used today; however, they are not at the scale or delivering the integrated and innovative capabilities at the speed required to support the Integrated Force model. The regular progress reporting to Ministers will ensure that investment in these essential digital capabilities is closely monitored and prioritised through the Defence Investment Plan. The first progress report is due to be submitted to the Secretary of State in Autumn 2025.

With reference to recommendation 13 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether his Department has set a target for the completion of the digitisation of acquisition and support processes.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) commits Defence to the digitalisation of acquisition and support processes through recommendation 13. From setting our initial requirements, to the disposal of our capabilities, our end-to-end process can be enabled by digital tools - including for contracting, design, test, assurance, and support. The implementation of SDR recommendations is currently forming part of the main business of the Department and is being executed through a whole of UK Defence effort. The development of a new Defence Investment Plan will turn the Review’s vision and recommendations into a delivery plan that we will publish in the autumn. We will ensure that this plan is affordable, considers infrastructure alongside capabilities, enables flexibility to seize new technological opportunities, and maximises the benefits of defence spending to grow the UK economy.

With reference to recommendation 56 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, last updated on 8 July 2025, what proportion of the single counter-intelligence unit will be staffed by (a) military and (b) civilian personnel.

The new Defence Counter Intelligence Unit’s (DCIU) mandate is to protect UK Defence from intelligence and espionage threats, at home and overseas, by bringing together expertise and specialist capabilities alongside the UK Intelligence Community. The DCIU will be led by a One Star equivalent Senior Civil Servant. We do not comment on the proportion of manpower figures or specific locations to safeguard national security and strategic Defence interests. The costs relating to the formation and running of the unit are ongoing and will form part of the Defence Investment Plan, due to be published later this year.

With reference to recommendation 56 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, update on 8 July 2025, who will command the single counter-intelligence unit.

The new Defence Counter Intelligence Unit’s (DCIU) mandate is to protect UK Defence from intelligence and espionage threats, at home and overseas, by bringing together expertise and specialist capabilities alongside the UK Intelligence Community. The DCIU will be led by a One Star equivalent Senior Civil Servant. We do not comment on the proportion of manpower figures or specific locations to safeguard national security and strategic Defence interests. The costs relating to the formation and running of the unit are ongoing and will form part of the Defence Investment Plan, due to be published later this year.

With reference to paragraph 31 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, who will lead the CyberEM Command.

Air Vice Marshal Tom Ashbridge will lead the 2* Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force, part of the Cyber and Specialist Operations Command which is led at 4* by General Sir James Hockenhull.

With reference to page 123 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published in June 2025, how many separate policy teams will be established as part of CyberEM Command.

The 2* Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force (DCEMF) will have one policy team to ensure that DCEMF operations and force development activities are consistent with Defence and government policy. The policy team in the DCEMF will work closely with the Military Strategic Headquarters and other Cyber and Specialist Operations Command policy teams.

With reference to page 48 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, when he plans to establish a Digital Warfighter group.

As stated in the referenced section of the Strategic Defence Review, the Digital Warfighter Group, at an Initial Operating Capability, will be established by July 2026.

With reference to recommendation 21 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, what recent progress his Department has made on developing a new Defence Diplomacy Strategy.

With the backdrop of the challenging global environment outlined in the Strategic Defence Review and the National Security Strategy, the Ministry of Defence is developing a new Defence Diplomacy Strategy, in coordination and consultation with other Government Departments. The Defence Diplomacy Strategy will prioritise the use of the Defence instrument in support of UK defence and wider foreign policy objectives. It will ensure that we are taking a coordinated, strategic and deliberate approach to protect and promote UK interests and enhance UK influence.This work is being led by the Minister of State for the House of Lords who is responsible for international relations and defence diplomacy.

With reference to recommendation 47 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, whether he plans on establishing a cost-sharing arrangement with NATO allies to expedite the procurement of E-7 Wedgetail aircraft.

The UK remains open to exploring all opportunities for future E-7 Wedgetail procurement, subject to the availability of funding.

With reference to recommendation 15 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, how many recommendations he plans to make by October 2025 to help tackle (a) structural, (b) behavioural and (c) leadership barriers to the creation of a more (i) representative and (ii) meritocratic workforce by June 2026.

Raising our Standards has been established by Defence to address structural, behavioural, and leadership barriers. This work is key to operational delivery, recruitment, retention and driving forward an inclusive and safe culture. Raising our Standards has planned initiatives under five pillars: communications and influencing behaviour change, data and analytics, 100% action when tackling unacceptable behaviours, streamlined education and training, and developing world-class leaders. In response to recommendation 15 of the Strategic Defence Review regarding independent oversight of implementation, Raising our Standards is working to implement a refreshed External Challenge Panel by October 2025.

What steps he is taking to help tackle regional differences in access to specialist care.

We are committed to returning to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. Our ‘Reforming elective care for patients’ plan, published in January, sets out how the NHS will reform elective care services equitably and inclusively for all patients.As an interim goal, NHS England’s Operational Planning Guidance 2025/26 has set the national ambition for 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5 percentage point improvement in performance.To support this improvement across all trusts, there is a robust performance management process in place. The new NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26 ensures that there is public accountability for performance and NHS England works with systems and providers to support improvement.There is a specific process in place to identify, intervene and support the providers whose performance on elective waiting lists is most challenged, led by NHS England national and regional teams.NHS England is also providing further targeted support through the Further Faster 20 programme, working with 20 trusts in areas of high economic inactivity to help rapidly reduce waiting times and support people returning to the workforce.

With reference to page 79 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on a dedicated training programme for international defence engagement since 2 June 2025.

The Secretary of State for Defence has not engaged in direct discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs regarding this issue. The Defenvce Minister for the House of Lords is leading development of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, which will direct activities in this field. Nonetheless, officials from both Departments continue to collaborate on a routine basis.

With reference to recommendation 29 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what proportion of the new CyberEM Command will be staffed by (a) military and (b) civilian personnel.

As stated by recommendation 51 of the Strategic Defence Review, the Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force “must be a ‘whole force’ endeavour, with its structure largely filled by a mixture of civilians and Reserves, given that greater expertise exists in the civilian sector.” Resourcing and military to civilian proportions of the Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force Headquarters are dependent on the outcome of the Defence Investment Plan. Submissions into the Defence capability investment governance process are ongoing and under discussion.

With reference to recommendation 54 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, updated on 8 July 2025, when he plans to publish the new Defence Intelligence Charter.

Work on the Defence Intelligence Charter is ongoing. Defence is aiming to publish the Charter as soon as possible to underpin the Military Intelligence Services, however it’s publication will be coordinated with a broad range of activity around Defence Reform and Strategic Defence Review delivery.

With reference to recommendation 32 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, which government departments will participate in the progress review of the National Endeavour for delivering the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

The National Endeavour to maintain and renew the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent is a whole of Government effort. The Ministry of Defence works closely with other Government departments, including the Cabinet Office, His Majesty’s Treasury, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to ensure its effective delivery. The National Security Council (Nuclear) remains committed to regularly reviewing progress on the National Endeavour. It receives comprehensive updates on delivery at least twice each year, with involvement from all relevant Departments.