Written questions by MacCleary.

What is the a) cost to date and b) planned final cost of the Tempest Combat Air Flying Demonstrator programme.

Awaiting answer.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recent decision by the French Government to switch from using Microsoft Windows to Linux on government devices.

Awaiting answer.

What his planned timetable is for the first flight of the Tempest Combat Air Flying Demonstrator.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department owns land within the University of Sussex Campus.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of tasking the Royal Air Force with providing a national aerial firefighting capability in the United Kingdom to combat wildfires.

Awaiting answer.

What percent of complaints made to a) the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces and b) the Armed Forces Commissioner were rejected in 2025.

Detailed information concerning the numbers, nature and timeliness of Service Complaints was published by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in its Annual Reports which were laid before Parliament, and in the supporting Annual Statistical Tables that are available on the SCOAF website: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables Information on the numbers of complaints received by the SCOAF from LGBTQ+ personnel, and the number of staff hours and cost expended in working on complaints made to the SCOAF is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner was established on 1 April 2026, and no verified statistics are currently available.

What steps his Department is taking to improve mine hunting capabilities.

Awaiting answer.

What progress he has made on the Type 83 design process; and whether it will be ready by 2038.

Awaiting answer.

How many operational vessels are currently available to the Royal Navy with hospital or casualty receiving facilities.

All Royal Navy major surface combatants have integral medical facilities capable of receiving and treating casualties. The availability and scale of these is dependent on operational tasking. Both Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, all the Type 45 destroyers and the three Bay Class RFAs are capable of delivering consultant-led pre- and deployed hospital patient care. This comprehensive facility is also incorporated into the design of Type 26 City-class Frigates.

What data do Palantir’s Forward Deployed Engineers have access to within the Ministry of Defence.

Awaiting answer.

When he plans to publish the Defence Investment Plan.

We will publish the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) as soon as we can. We must take sufficient time to ensure that decisions in the DIP are robust and drive the necessary transformation of our Armed Forces described in the Strategic Defence Review.

What proportion of complaints made under JSP 831 were responded to within 24 weeks in each of the last five years.

Detailed information concerning the numbers, nature and timeliness of Service Complaints was published by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in its Annual Reports which were laid before Parliament, and in the supporting Annual Statistical Tables that are available on the SCOAF website: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables Information on the numbers of complaints received by the SCOAF from LGBTQ+ personnel, and the number of staff hours and cost expended in working on complaints made to the SCOAF is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner was established on 1 April 2026, and no verified statistics are currently available.

What recent steps he has taken on (1) Project Beehive, (2) the Marine Mine Counter Measures programme, (3) SeaCat and (4) the repairs to HMS Bangor.

Awaiting answer.

When does he plan to issue an update to the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Awaiting answer.

How many of the complaints received by the a) Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces and b) Armed Forces Commissioner were submitted by LGBTQ+ personnel under JSP 831 in i) 2026, ii) 2025 and iii) 2024.

Detailed information concerning the numbers, nature and timeliness of Service Complaints was published by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in its Annual Reports which were laid before Parliament, and in the supporting Annual Statistical Tables that are available on the SCOAF website: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables Information on the numbers of complaints received by the SCOAF from LGBTQ+ personnel, and the number of staff hours and cost expended in working on complaints made to the SCOAF is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner was established on 1 April 2026, and no verified statistics are currently available.

What the nature of complaints received by the a) Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces and b) Armed Forces Commissioner was in each of the last five years.

Detailed information concerning the numbers, nature and timeliness of Service Complaints was published by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in its Annual Reports which were laid before Parliament, and in the supporting Annual Statistical Tables that are available on the SCOAF website: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables Information on the numbers of complaints received by the SCOAF from LGBTQ+ personnel, and the number of staff hours and cost expended in working on complaints made to the SCOAF is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner was established on 1 April 2026, and no verified statistics are currently available.

What the nature is of complaints made to the a) Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces and b) Armed Forces Commissioner that have taken more than 24 weeks to respond to in each of the last five years.

Detailed information concerning the numbers, nature and timeliness of Service Complaints was published by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in its Annual Reports which were laid before Parliament, and in the supporting Annual Statistical Tables that are available on the SCOAF website: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables Information on the numbers of complaints received by the SCOAF from LGBTQ+ personnel, and the number of staff hours and cost expended in working on complaints made to the SCOAF is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner was established on 1 April 2026, and no verified statistics are currently available.

What proportion of complaints received by the a) Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces and b) Armed Forces Commissioner were responded to within 24 weeks in each of the last five years.

Detailed information concerning the numbers, nature and timeliness of Service Complaints was published by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in its Annual Reports which were laid before Parliament, and in the supporting Annual Statistical Tables that are available on the SCOAF website: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables Information on the numbers of complaints received by the SCOAF from LGBTQ+ personnel, and the number of staff hours and cost expended in working on complaints made to the SCOAF is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner was established on 1 April 2026, and no verified statistics are currently available.

How many complaints the a) Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces and b) Armed Forces Commissioner received in each of the last five years.

Detailed information concerning the numbers, nature and timeliness of Service Complaints was published by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in its Annual Reports which were laid before Parliament, and in the supporting Annual Statistical Tables that are available on the SCOAF website: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables Information on the numbers of complaints received by the SCOAF from LGBTQ+ personnel, and the number of staff hours and cost expended in working on complaints made to the SCOAF is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The office of the Armed Forces Commissioner was established on 1 April 2026, and no verified statistics are currently available.