Written questions by Shannon.

What steps he is taking to protect the mental wellbeing of soldiers and ex-servicemen.

The mental health and wellbeing of our Armed Forces and Veterans is a priority for the Government. All Service personnel have access to mental health support throughout their career, including medical and non-medical services. This includes, but is not limited to, preventative support such as wellbeing services, digital content, access to trained mental health first aiders, interventional support, and appointments with clinical staff. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) encourages and enables all personnel to take their mental fitness as seriously as their physical fitness. The Defence Annual Mental Fitness Brief is a mandatory training product provided to Serving personnel, which not only prompts individuals to continually consider their mental health but also advises how to increase resilience and protect mental wellbeing. For those requiring dedicated mental healthcare, the Defence Medical Services provides a responsive, flexible, accessible, and comprehensive treatment service. Additional training is provided at single Service level and particular processes are in place for when increased support may be required, such as around deployment. Over and above the existing welfare support system of dedicated personnel, Defence offers additional options such as a dedicated 24-hour support line and access to tools such as HeadFIT and HeadSpace so that there is choice available for engagement within or outside the chain of command.Former Service personnel can access free one-to-one welfare support provided by the MOD’s Veterans Welfare Service, and specific mental health support from NHS England’s Op COURAGE. Op COURAGE offers a fully integrated service with increased support for those needing help with alcohol or substance use and better links to mainstream mental health services to increase the range of support available. Importantly, unlike many other services, Op COURAGE accepts self-referral, empowering patients to take control of their care needs.

What steps he is taking to improve cadet provision in rural areas.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 September 2025 to Question 76173 to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Al Pinkerton).

What steps are being taken to improve housing provision for ex servicemen personnel.

This is a Government that will always stand up for those who serve our country.This Government is fully committed to ensuring that all veterans across the UK have access to the support they need on housing. That is why we have committed an additional £12 million to ensure the continuation of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme. Op FORTITUDE will also be extended, putting the service that has already supported over 1,000 veterans on a sustainable footing. These programmes will deliver three years of support services across the UK for veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The Defence Housing Strategy will turbocharge the development of surplus military land with Service families and veterans to receive priority access to homes on Ministry of Defence development land as part of new 'Forces First' approach. I, and my predecessor also attend the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping which brings together ministers from across Government to drive progress on the development of a cross-Government strategy to get back on track to ending homelessness. This group is designed to ensure we are working across Government, and in partnership with Local Authorities and Mayors, to tackle the root causes of homelessness.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase levels of funding for veteran support centres in Northern Ireland.

VALOUR is a new national programme designed to make it easier for veterans across the UK to access the care and support they deserve. Led by the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA) within the Ministry of Defence, it aims to improve how services are coordinated at national, regional and local levels, ensuring veterans get the right support, in the right place, at the right time.A network of VALOUR recognised centres across the UK will facilitate access to multiple services for veterans in one place. £27 million in development funding for VALOUR recognised centres has been made available, with funds being issued on behalf of the OVA through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. I encourage organisations in Northern Ireland to apply to for this funding.Veteran support organisations in Northern Ireland already benefit from other Government funding streams. Beyond the Battlefield has received £325,000 through the Veterans Capital Housing Fund and Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme to support its wraparound care service and facilitate the provision of a 24/7 support network. The Northern Ireland Thrive Together Programme, meanwhile, which is led by Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre, has received a grant of £765,000 to support its Veterans' Pathway Project and the establishment of six locality-based hubs.

With reference to the recent announcement by the United States to provide Ukraine with more military equipment through NATO, what plans he has provide additional military equipment to Ukraine.

The UK is ramping up military support to Ukraine to bolster Ukraine’s defences through the depths of winter. The UK have entered a tech sharing agreement with Ukraine which will facilitate the mass production of thousands of advanced air defence interceptor drones per month under Project OCTOPUS. We have also announced that 140 additional lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM) manufactured by Thales Northern Ireland will be delivered and that over 85,000 drones had been delivered to Ukraine in the past six months. In the eight months since taking joint leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, we have successfully raised pledges of over £50 billion in military help for Ukraine.

What steps he his taking to encourage more women to become commandos.

The Royal Navy (RN) is actively working to encourage more women to pursue careers as Commandos. Female Royal Marine/Commando candidates benefit from tailored support, including mentorship from women who have been through the Commando process. Those in the recruitment pipeline are also invited to attend female-specific briefings and webinars. In addition, the RN offers Commando Force opportunities to women in non-Commando roles, helping to prepare them for future Commando training should they choose to pursue it. As a further demonstration of our commitment to supporting female Commandos, Victoria Pendleton has been appointed as an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Marines.

How many cyber attacks there have been on the UK in the last 12 months.

As the hon. Member's question asks about cyber attacks across the UK the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the appropriate authority with the remit for Cyber defence of the wider nation, and a response best coordinated through the Cabinet Office. The NCSC public sites expand on their mission: What we do at the NCSC - NCSC.GOV.UK The Ministry of Defence cannot offer a view outside of our purview, and we will only report cyber events involving our systems, the details around that will be treated with varying levels of sensitivity to protect our overall security posture.

What steps he is taking to help improve the protection of cargo ships in the Red Sea from Houthi missile and drone attacks.

The UK Government strongly condemns the illegal and abhorrent attacks by the Houthis on merchant vessels; we are clear the Houthis must end their aggression immediately. The Department for Transport, supported by the Royal Navy's UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organisation, continue to provide UK-flagged shipping with advice on the risk posed by the Houthis to merchant vessels.We continue to seek to work with regional partners on a long-term strategy to contain the Houthi threat and are committed to a future Yemen Peace Process.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of using drones for defence missions.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets a new vision for how our Armed Forces should be conceived. This envisages a combination of conventional and digital warfighters; the power of drones, AI, and autonomy complementing the 'heavy metal' of tanks and artillery. It identifies that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence within the UK's conventional forces. As in Ukraine, this would provide greater accuracy, lethality, and cheaper capabilities-changing the economics of Defence. To support this shift towards autonomy, the Government has already announced an additional £2 billion this parliament on autonomy, making total spend on autonomy £4bn, including establishing a new Drone Centre.

What additional security his Department plans to provide to UK army bases.

As per my statement on Monday 23 June 2025, a full security review is being conducted across the defence estate. Further plans will be announced in due course after the completion of the review. Whilst the Army will undertake some specific measures to provide additional security for its infrastructure as part of this wider work, these cannot be disclosed for reasons of operational security.

What steps he is taking to support people who served in Operation Banner.

We owe the people who served on Operation Banner a huge debt of gratitude. Their professionalism and in many cases personal sacrifices saved many lives and helped to bring about peace in Northern Ireland. I will continue to champion their cause as we deal with Northern Ireland’s legacy. We are working hard to ensure that veterans’ interests are fully considered in any future legislation on this matter. I am acutely aware of the impact that military service can have on veterans and their families. Where a veteran (or serving member of the Armed Forces) faces allegations arising from activities related to their duties, they are offered appropriate legal support at public expense. The Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), run by the Ministry of Defence, provides free one-to-one support for veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, and their families, with a national network of welfare managers across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. More broadly, in England, Op COURAGE provides support with mental health and wellbeing for veterans, and Op RESTORE is the veterans’ physical health and wellbeing service, with similar services available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Housing support is available across the United Kingdom via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway connecting veterans with support

What leadership skills training is provided by the military to corporate leaders seeking assistance with upskilling their leadership teams.

The Ministry of Defence does not provide leadership training specifically for corporate leaders. There are some opportunities for industry partners to attend courses which include Leadership themes.

What recent progress his Department has made on fitting military vehicles with direct energy weapons to help protect from swarm drone attacks.

This Government has announced nearly £1 billion in further investment for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) to bring these capabilities into service, including a new DEW for the British Army by the end of the decade.We have recently completed trials of both radio frequency and laser DEW demonstrators mounted on British Army vehicles, putting DEW in the hands of the warfighter so we can learn from their experience and shape the development of future systems. This included the first use of DEW by the Army to counter drone swarms as part of live testing against targets.DragonFire, our high energy laser for Type 45 destroyers, recently completed a trial that saw us fire 300 times, proving consistency and reliability, and included 30 drone defeats and firings in adverse weather conditions. This is critical to system development, meeting our plan to put it into service from 2027.

What steps he is taking to encourage Commonwealth citizens to join the British Army.

Commonwealth citizens have long made a valued contribution to the British Army and continue to be an important part of its structure and capability. There is always a strong interest in joining the Army. This can result in thousands of applications being received, which must be managed against the Army’s annual limit of 1,000 Basic Training starts for Commonwealth applicants and the 15% limit on the number of Commonwealth citizens who can serve in each cap badge. In August 2024, the Army re-opened the recruitment window, accepting applications from Commonwealth citizens sponsored by Serving personnel under the Recruit Bounty Scheme. This was limited to specific roles, including Musician, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, Royal Engineer Technician and Tradesman, and the Parachute Regiment. This initiative generated a high volume of applications from across the Commonwealth. The recruitment of Commonwealth citizens is subject to regular review by the Army to ensure it remains aligned with operational requirements. At present, the Commonwealth recruiting pipeline is forecast to remain closed in the medium term due to the sheer volume of applications during the 2024-25 recruitment window, which Capita continue to process. The Ministry of Defence also works closely with the Home Office to ensure that Commonwealth personnel and their families benefit from specific immigration rules which enable them to enter, live, work and settle in the UK and become British citizens.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of defence budgets in the last 10 years.

The recent increase in defence spending is the largest sustained increase since the end of the Cold War. The Government is firmly committed to increasing defence spending to reach 2.6% of GDP by 2027 and has set an ambition to reach 3%in the next Parliament, as fiscal and economic conditions allow. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has also made a historic commitment to spend 5% of GDP on national security. This is a generational increase in defence and security spending, honouring our commitment to be a leader in NATO. The Department publishes historic MOD spending in cash and real terms in its annual Departmental Resources publication.

What progress his Department has made on using drone technology.

Each of the Front-Line Commands employ a range of different drone capabilities and are currently developing an array of future capabilities aligned to the Defence Drone Strategy. In 2024 the Defence Uncrewed Systems Design Authority (DUxDA) was established to focus on Research and Development, Test and Evaluation, Policy and Regulation, Security and Integration and Knowledge Exploitation across the developing portfolio of Defence Uncrewed Systems.

What steps he is taking to support the yacht building sector.

The Government remains fully committed to delivering a thriving UK shipbuilding sector, including the yacht building sector. Skilled manufacturing is critical to UK prosperity and the leisure marine manufacturing sector plays a key role in creating jobs and growth in our coastal communities. The National Shipbuilding Office regularly engage with stakeholders across the yacht building sector. Yacht builders are also represented on one of the main shipbuilding Government/industry forums, the Shipbuilding Enterprise for Growth. The Department for Business and Trade’s Civil Maritime team works closely with the sector through the British Marine Federation, in partnership with officers in key markets overseas to further promote the sector and its potential.

What steps he is taking to support elderly veterans facing historical investigations.

This Government's commitment to our Armed Forces community is unshakeable. The vast majority of veterans who served on Operation Banner did so with distinction in very difficult circumstances, and ultimately helped bring about the peace that Northern Ireland now enjoys. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude, and we will ensure that their interests are fully considered in the changes we are going to make. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has outlined the Government’s plans to find a practical, human rights-compliant way to deliver on our commitment to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. We are acutely aware of the impact that historical investigations can have on veterans and their families. The Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), run by the Ministry of Defence, provides free one-to-one support for veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, their families and dependants. Where a veteran (or serving member of the Armed Forces) faces allegations arising from activities related to their duties, we will also offer legal support at public expense.

What steps his Department is taking to help protect UK submarine cables from potential foreign threats.

Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and the Government are committed to maintaining and enhancing their security. This is a whole-of-Government effort including the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside industry and international partners. The Strategic Defence Review 2025 underscores the UK's commitment to safeguarding its critical underwater infrastructure; the review designates the Royal Navy to take a leading role in protecting undersea infrastructure. RFA Proteus, the UK’s first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship, is now operational and its leading-edge technology can monitor underwater infrastructure in areas of UK sovereign interest

With reference to the Written Statement of 6 May 2025 on Veterans Support: A New Approach HCWS619, how much of the £50milllion funding for new support system for veterans will be allocated to the devolved institutions.

I repeat the lines that my Ministerial colleague, the Minister for Veterans and People gave that VALOUR is a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. The detailed structures and processes that will underpin VALOUR will be designed in collaboration with relevant partners and further details will be announced in due course. on 12 May to Questions 50185, 50186, 50187, 50189, 50190, and 50191 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge), and Question 50424 to the Gallant and hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr Jopp).