Written questions by MacCleary.

If his Department will make an estimate of the cost of an “iron dome” air defence system for the UK.

Iron Dome is Israel's approach to Integrated Air and Missile Defence, and based upon the threat Israel faces, its geography and capability. Capable and effective Integrated Air and Missile Defence for the UK will be accomplished as part of a NATO endeavour. The Strategic Defence Review considered similar factors for the UK Homeland and announced up to £1 billion investment in air and missile defence of the UK.

Whether funding for training and equipment for the Strategic Reserve will be provided in the Defence Investment Plan.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recommended reinvigorating the relationship with the Strategic Reserve, to be sustained through annual training and volunteer roles. The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) will outline how we will invest to transform defence in line with the SDR vision. We are working flat out to complete the DIP and publish shortly.

What is the status of the Type 32 project.

All platform choice decisions will be made as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

What actions are his department taking to accelerate the procurement of the Type 31.

Progress is being made on the Type 31 (T31) programme, with a substantial investment made in Babcock's facilities at Rosyth. This includes digitising the shipyard, new manufacturing facilities and a new purpose-built Assembly Hall that enables two T31s to be built simultaneously. In addition, there has been the generation of a Shore Integration facility at Portsdown Technology Park, to mitigate risks to the integration of the combat system.The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with Babcock, the prime contractor, to ensure the T31 programme meets all user requirements to deliver a maritime security capability at a value for money price, in a timescale that is competitive with other international warship procurement programmes.

What steps he is taking to help protect London from potential hypersonic missile attacks.

The Ministry of Defence does not comment on specific capabilities, as doing so could provide an operational advantage to those who may seek to harm the UK. The UK has a suite of capabilities to tackle the missile threat which is advancing, proliferating and converging. The UK has announced an investment of up to £1 billion to enhance our integrated air and missile defence with a focus on homeland defence. The UK’s nuclear deterrent exists to deter the most extreme threats to the UK and our Allies. Its purpose is to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Jobs boost as UK set to build military aircraft for United States for first time in over fifty years, published on 18 September 2025, whether he can confirm that a firm contract has been placed with UK industry to convert two Boeing 737 aircraft to E-7 Wedgetail configuration for the end-use of the US Air Force.

STS Aviation based at Birmingham airport are under contract from Boeing to undertake initial conversion of the first two USAF E-7 Wedgetail aircraft.

How much his Department has spent on internal human resources services each year since 2015.

The table below shows the total amount spent each Financial Year (FY) on Civilian Human Resources Services and their associated costs provided by Defence Business Services, the Shared Service for Defence. This includes spend on the following DBS services: People Team, Core Recruitment and Joining Services, Document Management, HR Casework, Payroll Services, Workforce Management, Relocations, and Specialist Recruitment. It is important to note that the cost-centre mapping structure of DBS has changed significantly since 2015, meaning that figures may not be directly comparable. Financial YearTotal spent (£million)2015/1610.0152016/1710.5722017/1811.7212018/1910.8052019/2012.3292020/2111.4332021/2213.5532022/2315.7872023/2420.6512024/2517.896Ten year total134.852

For what reason were urgent repairs requested for Service Family Accommodation from 20/12/25 to 1/1/26.

The Ministry of Defence has recently published the Defence Housing Strategy which sets out a vision for the future transformation of military homes; 90% of military homes will be upgraded, renewed or rebuilt, through a record £9 billion investment over a decade. The table below details the number of urgent repairs for Service Family Accommodation, including the reasons for these requests, during the period 20 December 2025 to 1 January 2026. Reason for Urgent Repair Number of Urgent Repairs 20 Dec 25 – 1 Jan 26Boiler584Burst (e.g. Pipes)114Pipe (e.g. Replacement)89Electrical Fault58Door (e.g Repair Hanging)37Electric Cooker36Tap34Basin or Sink29CCU (e.g Fuse Box)29Immersion Heather25Waste (e.g. repair leaking joint)24Smoke Detector21Socket19Bath15Gas Cooker14Roof13Radiator Valve12Flooring11W/C Cistern11Shower Pump10Shower8Stopcock8Light Fitting8Cylinder4Fencing3Staircase3Rodents3Mould3Switch3Air Source Heat Pump3Shower Screen2Ground Source Heat Pump2Ceiling2Window Fitting2Path or Base1Dwelling (e.g tenant locked out)1Tee (copper piping)1Window or Door2Garden1Floorboard1Gully1Tank1Manhole1Total Urgent Repairs Requested1249

Following discharge, how quickly do veterans receive their medical records.

When an individual leaves the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the importance of facilitating the transfer of healthcare information to their civilian healthcare provider(s). On leaving Defence Medical Services (DMS) care, Service personnel are provided with a medical care summary, known as an FMed133, and advised to register with an NHS GP and provide them a copy of their FMED 133. If a patient’s full DMS health record is required, this is provided on request to their NHS GP. Given this and that some records are never requested, no accurate estimate can be made of the average time from discharge to the receipt of the medical records by the NHS GP. To improve the transfer of healthcare information, DMS is working towards the greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from DMS to NHS GPs. Under Programme CORTISONE, the MOD has awarded a £7.8 million contract to Leeds software company, The Phoenix Partnership, to provide a modern electronic healthcare records system for the Armed Forces. This will digitalise military medical records and integrate MOD systems with the NHS, with roll out scheduled for 2027.

How many urgent repairs were requested for Service Family Accommodation from 20/12/25 to 1/1/26.

The Ministry of Defence has recently published the Defence Housing Strategy which sets out a vision for the future transformation of military homes; 90% of military homes will be upgraded, renewed or rebuilt, through a record £9 billion investment over a decade. The table below details the number of urgent repairs for Service Family Accommodation, including the reasons for these requests, during the period 20 December 2025 to 1 January 2026. Reason for Urgent Repair Number of Urgent Repairs 20 Dec 25 – 1 Jan 26Boiler584Burst (e.g. Pipes)114Pipe (e.g. Replacement)89Electrical Fault58Door (e.g Repair Hanging)37Electric Cooker36Tap34Basin or Sink29CCU (e.g Fuse Box)29Immersion Heather25Waste (e.g. repair leaking joint)24Smoke Detector21Socket19Bath15Gas Cooker14Roof13Radiator Valve12Flooring11W/C Cistern11Shower Pump10Shower8Stopcock8Light Fitting8Cylinder4Fencing3Staircase3Rodents3Mould3Switch3Air Source Heat Pump3Shower Screen2Ground Source Heat Pump2Ceiling2Window Fitting2Path or Base1Dwelling (e.g tenant locked out)1Tee (copper piping)1Window or Door2Garden1Floorboard1Gully1Tank1Manhole1Total Urgent Repairs Requested1249

How many dedicated mental health professionals there are per capita across the military; and how many have there been each year since 2015.

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

How many service personnel received a pre-discharge mental health assessment in each year since 2015.

All personnel being discharged from the Armed Forces should receive a Structured Mental Health Assessment (SMHA). The primary intent of the SMHA is to identify any unmet or unaddressed mental health needs prior to discharge. The following table provides the numbers of UK Armed Forces personnel provided with a SMHA within 120 days of their release medical, by year from 1 January 2015 - 30 September 2025.YearSMHA Completed20158,14520168,66120179,820201810,509201910,44220206,52520217,54620229,734202310.675202410,2752025*6,911 * The number of SMHAs that took place between 1 January 2025 and 30 September 2025 to allow for a 120 day follow up period for completion. Armed Forces personnel being discharged from service who are already under the care of specialist mental health services should have an SMHA completed, however, in some cases this may not be necessary where the individual’s needs are already being met through those specialist services.

How much his Department has spent on military police services each year since 2015.

The information requested is shown below.Where available, costs for the three Service Police forces for each Financial Year (FY) since 2015 are shown in the folloing tables. Royal Navy: FY18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 Total£million10,449,70211,276,90410,827,52811,888,60313,028,53811,775,21811,879,05881,125,550 British Army: FY15/1616/1717/1818/1919/2020/2121/2222/2323/2424/25Total£million94,700,21696,560,16690,692,79792,815,97895,970,48891,402,78193,365,27591,749,54984,196,42289,592,304921,045,976 Royal Air Force: FY20/2121/2222/2323/2424/25Total£million75.88077.42783.27887.56593.556417.706 Notes: Under UK Financial Regulations the Ministry of Defence is not obliged to hold financial data for more than seven years.Changes to the budgetary arrangements used by the Services over time preclude the provision of data for some earlier years.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure European fishing boats comply with the UK-EU fishing deal, particularly within the UK 12-mile limit.

EU vessels operating in UK waters are required to comply with the same rules as UK vessels. EU vessels have no access to the 0–6-mile zone and limited access to the 6–12-mile zone. Fishing vessel movements within English waters are monitored by the Marine Management Organisation’s Offshore Monitoring Team using Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. This includes detection of EU vessels within the English 12nm limit without the required authorisation. Fisheries is a devolved matter in the UK so Devolved Governments may have different arrangements and EU vessels only have access to the English and Welsh 6–12-mile zone.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage young people to enter the fishing industry.

Defra has been working with industry to understand how best to support young people into seafood careers. This includes Defra’s UK Seafood Careers Project, co-designed with industry, which has explored the issues and challenges affecting the recruitment and retention of UK workers within the UK’s fishing industry. As part of this project, young people were invited to focus groups and workshops, to understand how to make seafood careers more attractive. The UK Seafood Careers Project is due to be published in Spring 2026. The £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund aims to support the next generation of fishers and breathe new life into our coastal communities. In England, the scheme is still in development, and Defra is considering how the Fund could support young fishers to enter the industry.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support small fishing fleets.

Defra works closely with all parts of the fishing industry, including the small‑scale fleet, to support a vibrant, profitable and sustainable sector. This includes securing fishing opportunities for them in annual negotiations and developing fisheries management plans to maintain or restore stocks. The department has also established the Fisheries and Coastal Growth Fund to help regenerate the industry and coastal communities, and we encourage small‑scale fishers to make full use of the support available.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department if taking steps to help promote fish as part of a healthy diet.

Fish is a healthy and nutritious source of protein that can play an important role in achieving a balanced diet. The NHS Eatwell Guide recommends eating at least two portions of fish per week, with one of those portions portion being oily fish. The Government’s Food Strategy outlines goals for healthier and more affordable food that will help us move towards a ‘good food cycle’. This includes an improved food environment that supports healthier, more environmentally sustainable food sales accessible to all.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to help support sustainable fishing through investment.

On 19 May 2025, the Government announced the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, a £360 million investment over the next 12 years in the UK’s fisheries and seafood sector, and coastal communities. In England the fund is being designed with input from industry and the department has recently finished a set of wide-ranging and nation-wide stakeholder engagement. Responses to this engagement have highlighted the need for healthy marine ecosystems, and support to transition to more sustainable fishing practices. These ideas will be considered as the scheme is developed, as we are committed to designing a fund that is better aligned with industry priorities and focused on long-term resilience, sustainability and growth.

Will the RAF's Eurofighter Typhoon be upgraded with the Aerodynamic Modification Kit.

The Typhoon is a world-class combat aircraft and will continue to serve as the backbone of the UK's Combat Air Force mass until at least the 2040s. To ensure it remains at the cutting edge of capability, the UK is planning significant investment in the Typhoon through-life equipment programme. Further details on future Typhoon investment will be outlined in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support young people in the fishing industry.

Defra has been working with industry to understand how best to support young people into seafood careers. This includes Defra’s UK Seafood Careers Project, co-designed with industry, which has explored the issues and challenges affecting the recruitment and retention of UK workers within the UK’s fishing industry. As part of this project, young people were invited to focus groups and workshops, to understand how to make seafood careers more attractive. The UK Seafood Careers Project is due to be published in Spring 2026. The £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund aims to support the next generation of fishers and breathe new life into our coastal communities. In England, the scheme is still in development, and Defra is considering how the Fund could support young fishers to enter the industry.