Written questions by Akehurst.

What steps his Department plans to take to increase the uptake of continuous glucose monitoring technology for people with type 2 diabetes in North Durham.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to continuous glucose monitoring technology for patients with type 2 diabetes in North Durham constituency; and what comparative assessment his Department has made of this and the national rate.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to support the use of medical technologies that help people living with diabetes in North Durham constituency to (a) better understand the impact of (i) diet and (ii) lifestyle on their glucose levels, (b) improve diabetes management and (c) reduce the incidence of related comorbidities.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she is taking steps to ensure that the contract to renew the Border Force coastal patrol fleet will be awarded to domestic shipyards.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department has taken to support UK shipyards to tender for defence procurement contracts.

Awaiting answer.

If his Department will increase the proportion of domestic sub-contractors used by Ministry of Defence contractors.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the World Health Organization on Taiwan’s participation in WHO meetings, activities and mechanisms.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department plans to increase the proportion of Government ship-building contracts awarded to contractors manufacturing in UK shipyards.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the risk to national security of outsourcing sensitive defence infrastructure to private sub-contractors accused of breaching sanctions against Russia.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Organization on global (a) health co-operation and (b) pandemic preparedness.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department has taken to ensure that the visa sponsorship process includes checks against intelligence assessments of Iranian-linked networks.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK supports Taiwan’s participation as an observer at the 78th World Health Assembly.

Awaiting answer.

Whether UK shipyards will be (a) invited and (b) supported to tender for the Border Force’s new patrol vessel programme.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to answer HL12150, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Procurement Act 2023 on increasing the volume of Ministry of Defence-related work for the UK ship-building sector.

Awaiting answer.

Whether subcontracting the construction of Royal Navy support vessels to a Dutch shipbuilder is consistent with the objectives of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in fuel costs on voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations; and whether he plans to extend support measures to assist the VCSE sector.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK-based defence technology firms are able to remain internationally competitive with firms in allied countries.

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) makes clear that strengthening UK defence firms’ international competitiveness depends on working closely with our allies. It promotes deeper collaboration through co‑research, co‑development and co‑production, helping UK companies share costs, access larger markets and deliver interoperable capabilities. The DIS emphasises closer alignment with NATO standards and allied procurement approaches, so UK firms can design once and export across multiple allied markets. It also embeds exportability from the outset of procurement and commits to clearer long‑term demand signals, giving UK industry the confidence to invest, innovate and compete successfully alongside allied firms.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of neo-prime defence companies on returns on investment for defence procurement.

As outlined in the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Defence needs to look beyond traditional defence companies to redefine the industrial base, reflecting the deep range of partners and expertise both within our traditional defence sector but also those in adjacent sectors. To improve value for money, we are opening-up procurement to innovative, non traditional suppliers, accelerating delivery through spiral development, and strengthening competition — ensuring we deliver more capable outcomes to the front line at better value for the taxpayer.

How his Department intends to evaluate progress towards increasing the proportion of defence spending directed towards emerging technologies during this Parliament.

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) highlights the need for an innovative defence industry that adapts to changing warfare by utilising data, software, procurement, exports, innovation, and R&D to promote UK science and emerging technologies, including clean technology. Following on from the DIS and the Strategic Defence Review. UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has been established to harness UK ingenuity and boost military technology, as part of the Government’s drive to turbocharge innovation in defence and deliver growth as part of the Plan for Change. UKDI will be fully operational by July 2026 and will have a ringfenced budget of at least £400 million from financial year 2025-26 with the ambition for this to rise as UKDI becomes established. The Ministry of Defence will evaluate progress by regularly reviewing defence spending data to measure the proportion allocated to emerging technologies, setting clear targets, and reporting on these metrics to ensure commitments made for this Parliament are met.

What changes his Department has made to defence procurement since 2024 to reduce barriers to entry for non‑traditional defence suppliers, including businesses specialising in software, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has taken significant strides in our approach to defence procurement since 2024, as laid out in both the Defence Industrial Strategy and in a recent Gov.UK notice titled “Ministry of Defence small and medium-sized enterprise engagement”. The establishment of UK Defence Innovation in 2025, as well as the continued efforts of Commercial X including the new Defence Unicorn Fund from earlier this year, are helping our Armed Forces obtain innovative, ground-breaking technologies faster, speeding up procurement cycles, and simplifying terms & conditions where needed. This includes working with non-traditional players in areas such as software, AI, and data analytics. Potential suppliers are also welcome to join the Defence Sourcing Portal, the Neutral Vendor Framework, the Dynamic Marketplace, and the Defence Innovation Marketplace, as appropriate, as a means to promote their services to the MOD.