Written questions by Akehurst.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure future armoured vehicle programmes secure intellectual property rights to avoid sole-source support contracts.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has an established Intellectual Property (IP) acquisition policy which applies to all procurement contracts including those for equipment and armoured fighting vehicles. Unless special circumstances apply, the MOD’s policy is to leave the ownership of IP resulting from a contract with the contractor, while securing rights to use IP for internal use by the MOD, its technical advisers when necessary, and for competitive contracting for goods and services (including equipment support) needed by the MOD. This approach enables the MOD to operate, maintain and refresh capabilities without being dependent on others (“freedom of action”); and provides value-for-money. ​

Whether his Department expects to incur any cost of safety trials for Ajax vehicles.

As with procurement of any military equipment, it is normal for the Department to pay for trials required to validate compliance with requirements. This includes safety aspects, which we take extremely seriously for Ajax, as with any other capability.

Whether contractual mechanisms exist to recover costs if Ajax is cancelled; and what is the estimated financial exposure to the MoD.

Investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, but the Ajax contract does contain mechanisms to ensure General Dynamics rectify any failure to meet requirements or obligations, as well as provisions for terminating the contract if there is a material breach of their obligations. This would allow the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to recover costs. The value of the Ajax contract is already published. It would undermine the MOD's position by exposing its view on the level of costs it feels would be claimed in the event of a termination event of this nature.

What is the timetable expected for a full safety report into Ajax family vehicles.

As the hon. Member will be aware, investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, and time must be given to ensure all information and evidence is considered. I will continue to keep the house informed of developments, as I have done since the issue arose n Exercise Titan Storm. I released a written Ministerial Statement in the House on 22 January 2026 in which I provided an update to Parliament on the British Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme (commonly known as Ajax) and the findings of the Ministerial review which has now concluded. It would not be appropriate to release any further specific details than those contained in my previous statement.

What investigations are underway into the safety case for Ajax and the decision-making process that led to Initial Operating Capability being signed off.

As the hon. Member will be aware, investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, and time must be given to ensure all information and evidence is considered. I will continue to keep the house informed of developments, as I have done since the issue arose n Exercise Titan Storm. I released a written Ministerial Statement in the House on 22 January 2026 in which I provided an update to Parliament on the British Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme (commonly known as Ajax) and the findings of the Ministerial review which has now concluded. It would not be appropriate to release any further specific details than those contained in my previous statement.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the human rights situation in Nicaragua.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 15 September 2025 in response to Question 74711.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the United States’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act; and whether he plans to introduce similar legislation.

The Government is committed to tackling forced labour in UK and global supply chains and ensuring that UK businesses are not complicit in human rights abuses. Import bans are one of a range of tools that could be used to tackle forced labour in global supply chains. The review launched in the Trade Strategy 2025 into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct will consider policy options to complement responsible business practices; this includes import bans. The Government continues to engage with international partners, including the US, to support our shared goal of combatting forced labour in supply chains.

What discussions he has had with industry stakeholders on mitigating the impact of delays to the Defence Investment Plan on investment planning.

The Secretary of State for Defence and other Defence Ministers engage routinely and regularly with a wide range of industry stakeholders through established forums, bilateral meetings, and routine commercial engagement on a broad number of topics.

If her Department will develop a transnational repression framework to enable the police to recognise and tackle transnational repression.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce’s review into transnational repression (TNR), which concluded in May 2025, has found that the UK already has appropriate tools and system‑wide safeguards in place to robustly counter this threat. The review also sets a clear strategic direction which is improving the Government’s response to TNR.The review found that the Police have mature mechanisms to detect, assess and respond to threats from foreign states, with the ability to escalate potential TNR cases to Counter Terrorism Policing specialists. Building on the findings of the review, we have since strengthened our response further by rolling out training across all 45 territorial police forces, including upskilling of 999 call handlers, to improve frontline identification and response to state-directed threats.We will continue working with the police to strengthen awareness, confidence and capability, while keeping our response proportionate, effective and focused on protecting those most at risk. Anyone who believes they are a victim of state-directed activity should report incidents or suspicious activity to the police via 101, at a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

What estimate he has made of the cost of the announcement that 12 F-35As will be bought, beyond the £1.1 billion already announced, once weapons, simulators, and infrastructure are taken into account.

The whole-life cost estimate of £57 billion includes procurement and sustainment of 138 F-35 aircraft to 2069, including technical infrastructure, weapons integration, and aircraft upgrades. The procurement of 12 F-35A rather than 12 F-35B as part of the next procurement package is expected to deliver a saving of up to 25% in initial procurement costs per aircraft for the taxpayer.

What estimate he has made of the number of F-35As that need to be procured to undertake training for the wider UK F-35 fleet and perform the tactical nuclear delivery mission.

The United Kingdom is purchasing at least 12 F-35A aircraft. The aircraft will allow the UK to participate in NATO's Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) nuclear mission. The nuclear weapons allocated to the NATO DCA nuclear mission are United States (US) nuclear weapons and the US retains control and custody over them. NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept states that the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the US, are the supreme guarantee of the security of the Alliance. The Government has no plans to expand the UK nuclear deterrent beyond our existing submarine-based system but continues to keep its nuclear posture under constant review in light of the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries.

What plans his Department has to ensure that Integrated Care Boards provide clear diagnostic and treatment pathways for children and adults with Tourette syndrome.

There are no current plans to produce a Neurodevelopmental Strategy. On 23 January 2026, we published our response to the House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Inquiry Committee’s report, Time to deliver: The Autism Act 2009 and the new autism strategy. We welcomed the committee’s report, and are carefully considering its recommendations, as well as our approach to developing a new national autism strategy, and we will set out a position in due course.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing local population need and for commissioning appropriate diagnostic and treatment pathways for neurological conditions, including Tourette syndrome. While the Department has not undertaken a national assessment of provision across ICBs, we recognise the concerns raised about variation in diagnosis and support. To help address this, NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time programme is working with ICBs to develop clear, consistent diagnostic and treatment pathways.NHS England’s Learning Hub hosts an e-learning module, Understanding Tourette’s Syndrome, which was produced by Tourette’s Action. It aims to improve understanding of the condition, its co-occurring features, and the impact it has on individuals, as well as to dispel misconceptions that surround it and other tic disorders.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. The guidance can be found via the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/

Whether his Department is taking steps to help improve Tourette syndrome services in every region.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing local population need and for commissioning appropriate diagnostic and treatment pathways for neurological conditions, including Tourette syndrome. While the Department has not undertaken a national assessment of provision across ICBs, we recognise the concerns raised about variation in diagnosis and support. To help address this, NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is working with ICBs to develop clear, consistent diagnostic and treatment pathways.NHS England’s Learning Hub hosts an e-learning module, Understanding Tourette’s Syndrome, which was produced by Tourette’s Action. It aims to improve understanding of the condition, its co-occurring features, and the impact it has on individuals, and dispel misconceptions that surround it and other tic disorders.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. The guidance can be found via the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) diagnostic and (b) treatment pathways for Tourette syndrome in areas of England that do not have a dedicated service.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing local population need and for commissioning appropriate diagnostic and treatment pathways for neurological conditions, including Tourette syndrome. While the Department has not undertaken a national assessment of provision across ICBs, we recognise the concerns raised about variation in diagnosis and support. To help address this, NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is working with ICBs to develop clear, consistent diagnostic and treatment pathways.NHS England’s Learning Hub hosts an e-learning module, Understanding Tourette’s Syndrome, which was produced by Tourette’s Action. It aims to improve understanding of the condition, its co-occurring features, and the impact it has on individuals, and dispel misconceptions that surround it and other tic disorders.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. The guidance can be found via the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/

Whether he plans to (a) include Tourette syndrome in neurodevelopmental strategy work and (b) mandate Integrated Care Boards to establish diagnostic and treatment pathways similar to those for autism and epilepsy.

There are no current plans to produce a Neurodevelopmental Strategy. On 23 January 2026, we published our response to the House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Inquiry Committee’s report, Time to deliver: The Autism Act 2009 and the new autism strategy. We welcomed the committee’s report, and are carefully considering its recommendations, as well as our approach to developing a new national autism strategy, and we will set out a position in due course.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing local population need and for commissioning appropriate diagnostic and treatment pathways for neurological conditions, including Tourette syndrome. While the Department has not undertaken a national assessment of provision across ICBs, we recognise the concerns raised about variation in diagnosis and support. To help address this, NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time programme is working with ICBs to develop clear, consistent diagnostic and treatment pathways.NHS England’s Learning Hub hosts an e-learning module, Understanding Tourette’s Syndrome, which was produced by Tourette’s Action. It aims to improve understanding of the condition, its co-occurring features, and the impact it has on individuals, as well as to dispel misconceptions that surround it and other tic disorders.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. The guidance can be found via the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/

What plans his Department has to reform corporate reporting requirements to support economic growth and competitiveness.

The government has previously announced its plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish a consultation on the Modernising Corporate Reporting shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as proposals to reduce burdens on business and to simplify the preparation and audit of accounts and reports, including for quoted companies. The consultation will also consider the appropriateness of the UK’s framework for reporting and auditing by small and medium-sized companies.

What steps his Department is taking to simplify audit requirements for quoted companies.

The government has previously announced its plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish a consultation on the Modernising Corporate Reporting shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as proposals to reduce burdens on business and to simplify the preparation and audit of accounts and reports, including for quoted companies. The consultation will also consider the appropriateness of the UK’s framework for reporting and auditing by small and medium-sized companies.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that audit requirements are accessible and affordable for small and mid-sized quoted companies.

The government has previously announced its plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish a consultation on the Modernising Corporate Reporting shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as proposals to reduce burdens on business and to simplify the preparation and audit of accounts and reports, including for quoted companies. The consultation will also consider the appropriateness of the UK’s framework for reporting and auditing by small and medium-sized companies.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK objected to the recent election of Abbas Tajik of Iran as a Vice-Chair to the Bureau for the sixty-fifth session of the UN's Commission for Social Development.

Iran put forward the only candidate so there was no vote.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure small and mid-sized quoted companies (a) invest in and (b) are listed in the UK.

The UK’s capital markets play a key role in delivering on the government’s growth mission. We have already delivered an ambitious set of reforms to make it easier for firms to start, scale, list and stay on UK markets, and capital markets are a core pillar of the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, launched at Mansion House.The UK is also a hub for growth capital, with UK growth markets providing funding to growing companies from across the world. Over the last 10 years, over half of all capital raised on European growth markets was raised on AIM.The government maintains a range of targeted tax reliefs for growth market shares, supporting capital raising for listed businesses, and investors in those shares. This supports growth in the broader UK economy.