Written questions by Cartlidge.

With reference to clause 25 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what powers the Government will hold in reserve should the UK enter a conflict.

The Strategic Defence Review set out the need for Defence Readiness legislation this Parliament to give the Government more robust or additional powers to make the UK safe. This could include measures to improve the preparedness of key industries including nuclear, to better protect our Critical National Infrastructure and to support the mobilisation of wider Defence, including industry reserves. As I set out to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy on 30 June, a Defence Readiness Bill is potentially a legislative vehicle for the wider Government, not just Defence. We are therefore working closely across Government through the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence programme to shape our key requirements, and understand and identify the measures needed. This will lay the groundwork to introduce legislation when Parliamentary time allows, but we do not yet have a specific timescale for when this will come before Parliament.

With reference to recommendation 35 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, if he will publish the potential total cost of delivering the National Endeavour public communications campaign.

The ‘National Endeavour’ communications campaign began in July 2024. It is an enduring Government Communications Service (GCS) ‘low/no-cost’ campaign which aims to highlight and improve understanding of the work of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, its importance to our national security, and its contribution to our economy. Any expenditure under the campaign would be managed and approved in accordance with GCS processes, as with all Departmental communications campaigns.

With reference to recommendation 27 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, what discussions his Department has held with the Cabinet Office on the protection of UK critical infrastructure since 2 June 2025.

The Strategic Defence Review set out the need for Defence Readiness legislation this Parliament to give the Government more robust or additional powers to make the UK safe. This could include measures to improve the preparedness of key industries including nuclear, to better protect our Critical National Infrastructure and to support the mobilisation of wider Defence, including industry reserves. As set out to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy on 30 June 2025, a Defence Readiness Bill is potentially a legislative vehicle for the wider Government, not just Defence. We are therefore working closely across Government through the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence programme to shape our key requirements, and understand and identify the measures needed. This will lay the groundwork to introduce legislation when Parliamentary time allows, but we do not yet have a specific timescale for when this will come before Parliament.

With reference to page 68 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of supplementing live training with virtual training environments on the (a) British Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force.

All of the Single Services view the potential impact of supplementing live training with virtual training environments positively. Mixed use of the live environment and simulation should not be thought of as an ‘either/or’ situation, but rather as identifying the optimal blend between them to achieve optimal training outcomes; on rare occasions this will be 100% live, sometimes 100% simulation based - but in most cases it will be a combination of both. The British Army is committed to enhancing its training capabilities by harnessing the strengths of both live and virtual training. By adopting an innovative and transformative approach, it aims to achieve an optimal blend of training methods that will meet all its objectives. This forward-thinking vision is outlined in the Land Environment Training and Education Simulation Sub-Strategy, which focuses on seamlessly integrating Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) environments by the middle of the next decade. The Royal Navy has consistently supplemented live training with the use of virtual training environments, underpinned by research over the last 15 years, which has assisted in improving training capacity and quality. The Royal Air Force has used synthetic training capabilities for operator training for over 30 years.

With reference to clause 25 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, when he plans to bring the Defence Readiness Bill before Parliament.

The Strategic Defence Review set out the need for Defence Readiness legislation this Parliament to give the Government more robust or additional powers to make the UK safe. This could include measures to improve the preparedness of key industries including nuclear, to better protect our Critical National Infrastructure and to support the mobilisation of wider Defence, including industry reserves. As I set out to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy on 30 June, a Defence Readiness Bill is potentially a legislative vehicle for the wider Government, not just Defence. We are therefore working closely across Government through the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence programme to shape our key requirements, and understand and identify the measures needed. This will lay the groundwork to introduce legislation when Parliamentary time allows, but we do not yet have a specific timescale for when this will come before Parliament.

With reference to page 90 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, which other departments were consulted on the Home Defence Programme.

Defence plays a leading role in the development of the Cabinet Office-led cross-Government Home Defence Programme, overseen centrally by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. As set out in the National Security Strategy and the Resilience Action Plan, this coordinates civil and military preparations across the whole of Government for some of the most serious risks we could face, including communicating, empowering and engaging with all tiers of resilience actors to ensure that all sectors are prepared for and able to respond to the most catastrophic of risks. A broad range of Government Departments are engaged in supporting this work. It is an evolving and enduring programme of work which provides defence, security and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK, informed by and reflecting the recommendations from Government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.

With reference to recommendation 12 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, when he expects the new framework for building and sustaining government-to-government relationships to be created.

Design work for the Exports function is well underway and building momentum through several pilot government to government exports. Initial stand up is expected no later than end October 2025 with full implementation continuing over the next 12 months.

With reference to recommendation 12 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, when he expects the review of export licensing policies to (a) begin and (b) conclude.

The Strategic Defence Review sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence and make the UK stronger both at home and abroad. The Government endorses the Review’s vision and accepts all 62 recommendations.The implementation of the Review’s recommendations is underway. Implementation will be priority business of the Department and will be executed through a whole of UK Defence effort.

With reference to page 90 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, whether he plans to form a new force to connect local communities with Defence.

On Strategic Defence Review recommendation 27, the Ministry of Defence will develop options for the protection of Critical National Infrastructure in the event of crisis or conflict, including exploring the development of a new force that is modelled on the Reserves and connects local communities with Defence. Plans will be presented to the Secretary of State by December 2026.

With reference to recommendation 29 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, where the new defence uncrewed systems centre will be based.

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre (DUSC) should be established at IOC by February 2026, with centralised authority to accelerate the adoption of Uncrewed System technologies across all three services. Cost, staffing, governance and basing options are currently under development in tandem with the Defence Investment Plan due to be published in the Autumn.

With reference to page 131 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, updated on 8 July 2025, what his planned timetable is for establishing a single Defence Medical Enterprise as part of Defence Medical Services.

The Government endorses the Strategic Defence Review’s vision and accepts all 62 recommendations, including the recommendation the Defence Medical Services (DMS) should be empowered as the functional lead of a single Defence Medical Enterprise that meets personnel’s healthcare needs in peacetime, on operations, and in war. The implementation of the Review’s recommendations is underway. Implementation will be priority business of the Department and will be executed through a whole of UK Defence effort.

With reference to recommendation 29 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many new staff will be employed as part of the defence uncrewed systems centre.

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre (DUSC) should be established at IOC by Feb 26, with centralised authority to accelerate the adoption of Uncrewed System technologies across all three services. Cost, staffing, governance and basing options are currently under development in tandem with the Defence Investment Plan due to be published in the Autumn.

With reference to recommendation 14 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of automating at least 20% of human resources, finance and commercial functions by July 2028; and what proportion of the total current cost of these functions will be saved through automation.

The Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan (which is one of the foundations of our Defence Investment Plan) to be published in the autumn, will include several initiatives that will deliver automation across Human Resources, Finance and Commercial functions. This includes initiatives such as a Corporate Services Modernisation programme that will deliver new automated tools and systems across the functions. The specific automation savings and timelines across all workforces are currently being defined in detail to meet the Strategic Defence Review recommendations. The benefits and associated financial savings with these initiatives are currently being worked up in detail as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

With reference to recommendation 12 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, which Departments he plans to coordinate with to support his Department's export goals.

Design work for the Exports function is well underway and building momentum through several pilot government to government exports. Initial stand up is expected no later than end October 2025 with full implementation continuing over the next 12 months. The MOD expects to work closely with FCDO, the Cabinet Office, DBT and HMT through the Defence Growth Board (the FCDO is not a standing member but can be invited).

With reference to recommendation 29 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, who will the new defence uncrewed systems centre be led by.

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre (DUSC) should be established at IOC by Feb 26, with centralised authority to accelerate the adoption of Uncrewed System technologies across all three services. Cost, staffing, governance and basing options are currently under development in tandem with the Defence Investment Plan due to be published in the Autumn.

With reference to page 136 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, updated on 8 July 2025, which Front Line Commands do not currently have a board member responsible for infrastructure.

Army and Air Command have appointed senior representatives with responsibility for infrastructure as part of their role. Following the Strategic Defence Review and taking into account Defence Reform, the Navy is currently reviewing their position.

With reference to recommendation 50 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, if he will list the partners he plans to engage with to support the Integrated Air and Missile Defence programme.

The Government's work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations will be set out in the Defence Investment Plan. Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) by nature involves all arms of our Armed Forces, linking with allies and industry to tackle the growing threat - the sensitivities of those relationships and our IAMD capability mean we are unable to publish a list at this time.

With reference to page 68 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what plans he has to supplement live training with virtual training environments for the (a) British Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force.

All of the service commands have plans to supplement live training with virtual training environments. The Royal Navy’s SPARTAN programme aims at modernising and improving the delivery of Royal Navy Collective Training from unit to Joint Battle Staff level through an enhanced Live-Virtual-Constructive simulation approach that incorporates the use of virtual training environments. The British Army has detailed plans to supplement live training with virtual training environments as part of a balanced and evidence-based approach. This is part of an integrated approach through its Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP). The RAF uses blended live and virtual training as a matter of routine. The RAF’s Gladiator Distributed Synthetic Training Capability is already delivering for Air personnel and its potential to help integrate across the war-fighting domains is now being pursued. The benefits of the appropriate usage of virtual training environments to supplement live training are clear although the blend varies on a case-by-case basis.

With reference to recommendation 17 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, what plans he has to reduce the frequency with which people move locations during service in the armed forces.

Defence fully recognises the impact of moving its people and their families. Whilst there are no formal targets to reduce the frequency with which Service personnel must move location, we will endeavour to support requests to reduce the number of moves experienced and are actively pursuing opportunities to provide increased stability in some areas. Ultimately, the needs of the Services are the priority and Kings Regulations empower the Armed Forces to move the workforce to fulfil the policies of the Government. This provides the flexibility and agility required to meet operational demands and deliver military outputs.

With reference to paragraph 24 on page 19of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether his Department plans to take steps with the (a) Cabinet Office and (b) Home Office to publish a formal policy document on the protection and defence of critical national infrastructure.

The Strategic Defence Review set out the need for Defence Readiness legislation this Parliament to give the Government more robust or additional powers to make the UK safe. This could include measures to improve the preparedness of key industries including nuclear, to better protect our Critical National Infrastructure and to support the mobilisation of wider Defence, including industry reserves. As set out to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy on 30 June 2025, a Defence Readiness Bill is potentially a legislative vehicle for the wider Government, not just Defence. We are therefore working closely across Government through the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence programme to shape our key requirements, and understand and identify the measures needed. This will lay the groundwork to introduce legislation when Parliamentary time allows, but we do not yet have a specific timescale for when this will come before Parliament.