Written questions by Baxter.

What steps his Department is taking to support Ukraine in preventing Russian armed forces from carrying out drone attacks against civilians.

Supporting Ukraine to counter air attacks, including with drones, by Russian armed forces is a top priority for the UK. Working in partnership with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence the UK has provided a range of air defence/counter drone capabilities to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to help defend their frontline and civilians from Russian attacks in the air.This includes over 5,000 Lightweight Multi-Role Missiles, 350 ASRAAM air defence missiles, 15 GRAVEHAWK air defence systems, as well as drone interceptors. In addition, the UK and Germany have partnered to invest more than 170 million Euros worth of funding to provide critical air defence ammunition to Ukraine over the coming months.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of developing unmanned amphibious and maritime drone technology.

Integrating uncrewed systems with our crewed platforms is a critical part of ensuring the Royal Navy can effectively respond to competition, crisis and conflict in the future. Delivering uncrewed systems will feature heavily in the design specifications of the Multi-Role Support Ships – the next generation of amphibious ships to support the Commando forces. The Ministry of Defence is collaborating with industry to assess the merits of uncrewed systems with trials and spiral development, while learning operational lessons from Ukraine.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of NATO membership for Ukraine; and what his planned timeframe is for accession for proposed membership of NATO.

NATO made a long-term commitment to Ukraine and has been clear that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO. The Prime Minister has reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s irreversible path to NATO membership, as agreed by all Allies at the Washington Summit. That is a process that will take time, and for now our priority is to make sure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position on the battlefield and in any potential negotiations to come.

With reference to the UK-Ukraine 100-year Partnership Declaration, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the (a) safety of navigation and (b) protection of trade in the Black and Azov Seas.

We are working with Ukraine and international partners to secure commercial shipping and shipping routes in the Black Sea, including Ukraine's maritime corridor. The 100 Year Partnership will help with this endeavour through the provision of training and equipment to Ukraine, to prevent and deter Russian attacks. The 100 Partnership Declaration has made clear that freedom of navigation for commercial shipping in the Black Sea and beyond must be upheld and the UK will continue to do all it can to help Ukraine through the strengthening of its maritime forces. The UK co-leads the maritime capability coalition with Norway and this work supports Ukraine’s maritime capabilities now and in the future.

What recent progress he has made on the HMNB Clyde Infrastructure programme.

As part of the Government's Major Project Portfolio, details on the Clyde Infrastructure programme are routinely released as part of this Government's annual transparency return to Parliament.

What recent progress he has made on the E7 Wedgetail programme.

The Wedgetail programme has seen the first aircraft complete three test flights, be painted in the markings of 8 Squadron and continues with the installation of mission equipment at STS Aviation at Birmingham Airport, before entering the test and evaluation phase later this year. Aircraft two and three are progressing with integrating their modifications as planned. The infrastructure programme at RAF Lossiemouth has delivered the combined Poseidon and Wedgetail engineering line facility, as well as 8 Squadron headquarters office accommodation, with the final elements of the technical facility expected to be handed over in March 2025.

What recent progress he has made on the Spearcap 3 programme.

The programme achieved a significant milestone with the successful first SPEAR guided firing conducted at the end of 2024, demonstrating progress despite the challenges outlined in the Infrastructure and Project Authority's Annual Report 2023-24, which remain ongoing. Since the report, the programme has faced additional challenges stemming from interdependencies with international partners, requiring significant adjustments to maintain progress. The SRO, in collaboration with Defence Equipment and Support and Industry, is prioritising the development of a revised and viable baseline, which is planned to be finalised in Quarter two of financial year 2025-26.

What recent progress he has made on the Protector programme.

Protector training has now transferred to the UK having completed four aircrew basic qualification courses in the United States. Further, four Protector Air Vehicles have now been delivered to RAF Waddington, where they are being maintained by 31 Squadron engineers. The required Test and Evaluation activity and UK training is underway, ahead of the planned platform in-service declaration later in 2025. From a broader perspective, the UK is leading the MQ-9 International Cooperation Support Partnership which now has seven participant members (UK, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain) and five observer nations (Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Qatar, Sweden), with an expectation of further growth. The UK is working closely with the NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force to scope options to provide Protector in support of operations in the Northern Atlantic and Arctic regions. Opportunities for NATO investment in RAF Waddington to support growth are also progressing.