Written questions by Francois.

Which official, team, or directorate within his Department is responsible for identifying a new training location for the Crowborough cadets, now that Crowborough Training Camp has been earmarked to accommodate asylum seekers.

An alternative temporary venue in Crowborough to deliver weeknight training has been identified by the Army Cadet Force. Its suitability is being reviewed by the Royal Navy Cadet Force and Royal Air Force Air Cadets. The Ministry of Defence continues to work with the Home Office to assess the potential impact that housing asylum seekers on military bases could have on our Cadet Forces and future activities, and to develop any necessary mitigating actions. We have been clear that our priority remains ensuring these developments have limited impact on our Cadets, and we will always apply the appropriate safeguarding measures so that Cadet programmes can continue to be delivered.

What the largest sum ever recovered by his Department is following a successful legal action for liquidated damages against a contractor; and for which programme this applied.

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

What the total estimated a) acquisition cost and b) through life cost is of the Boxer programme.

As published in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25 data. The initial acquisition cost for the contracted Mechanised Infantry Boxer vehicles is £3.1 billion. The forecast whole life cost for the Mechanised Infantry Boxer Programme, covering wider Defence Lines of Development such as support and potential capability uplifts, is £7 billion. https://www.gov.uk/csv-preview/6895fbb63080e72710b2e2ef/nista_annual_report_data_2425.csv

Who is the current SRO for the Boxer programme.

The Senior Responsible Officer for the Mechanised Infantry Boxer Programme is Martyn Williams, as published in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Government Major Projects Portfolio transparency data. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025

If he will name the officers or officials in the current DE&S Ajax Reporting chain at (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4 star level.

The key officials in the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Ajax Reporting Chain are as follows: 1* - Head Combat Vehicles, Simon Pearson2* - Director Land Environment, Major General Lizzie Faithfull-Davies3* - Director General Core, Lieutenant General Anna-Lee Reilly3* - DE&S CEO, Lieutenant General Simon Hamilton4* - National Armaments Director, Rupert Pearce The 2* Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) is Chris Bowbrick, who sits within Army HQ, not DE&S.

What his Department's definition is of liquidated damages.

The Department's definition of liquidated damages is a pre-agreed sum to compensate for the financial loss that arises from the contractor’s failure to perform their contractual obligations.

Whether he has ever sought legal advice from the Treasury Solicitor's Department on Ajax.

I can confirm that legal advice has been sought from the Government Legal Department on Ajax.

What is the salary band of the current Ajax SRO; and whether this has been supplemented by a performance or other bonus within the part three years.

Information regarding paybands for Army Command Senior Civil Servants can be found at the following link: Army staff roles and salaries

Whether he has considered inviting the Institute of Naval Medicine to investigate the reasons why medical issues arose during the Ajax-related exercise on Salisbury Plain on 22 November 2025.

As I mentioned in my answer to the Shadow Defence Secretary during the Urgent Question on 8 December 2025, the Department is assembling a group of industry experts to provide external advice to its lines of investigation.

Whether he has had discussions with General Dynamics on suing that company for liquidated damages relating to the Ajax programme.

It would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ongoing investigations or to comment further at this stage. The investigations must be given adequate time to identify the root cause of the issue.

When he last met the a) Corporate Chief Executive Officer of General Dynamics and b) Head of General Dynamics UK.

I met with representatives from General Dynamics on 9 December. The current Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon John Healey MP, has not met with the Corporate Chief Officer or the Head of General Dynamics.

What the estimated IOC date is for the Boxer armoured vehicle.

The updated Mechanised Infantry Boxer Programme Initial Operating Capability date will be published shortly.

How much his Department has paid to General Dynamics on the Bowman Evolve to Operate programme in the last five years.

The total contract value for the MORPHEUS Evolve to Open Transition Partner contract was £395 million. Due to the confidentiality provisions in the contract protecting commercial interests, we are unable to provide further detail.

Whether his Department has carried out an evaluation of the potential merits of purchasing the CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle.

The Ministry of Defence continually assesses its current and planned capabilities to ensure that it is appropriately equipped to face any adversary. The CV90 was one of the vehicles considered during the competition for the Scout Specialist Vehicle. An evaluation has not occurred since the Ajax contract was awarded.

What the salary bill was for Defence Equipment and Support in 2024-25.

Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) salary information is detailed in the DE&S Annual Report and Accounts (ARAC), which is published annually on the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-equipment-support-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025The total salary costs for 2024-25 were £583 million, as noted on page 94 of the 2024-25 ARAC.

When the Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle was retired from Army service.

All Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) variants, including the FV107 Scimitar, were officially retired from Army service under the last Government on 31 March 2023.

What the estimated IOC date is for the Boxer RCH155mm self-propelled artillery system; and how many such vehicles his Department plans to buy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 November to Question 88294, which remains extant. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-11-05/88294

What is the total target for efficiency savings in his Department for a) Financial Year 2025-26 b) Financial Year 2026-27 and c) Financial Year 2027-28.

Following the Spending Review in June all Departments, including the Ministry of Defence (MOD), are required to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028‑29. Further details can be found in the Spending Review, published on 11 June.The Autumn Budget introduced a further 2028-29 0.5% RDEL efficiencies and savings target. However, Defence has been allowed to retain and reinvest the savings to protect national security.The MOD will publish a Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan, which will provide further detail on the range of reforms across the MOD that will deliver these efficiencies.

Whether he has received a request from the Defence Select Committee to provide information relating to the Ajax programme over the last twelve months.

During the most recent oral evidence session on the AUKUS inquiry, held on 2 December 2025, the Chair of the Defence Committee asked the Department to share with them the advice given by the Chief of the General Staff and the National Armaments Director regarding the safety of the Ajax programme. The Committee also requested details of the outcomes from the ongoing safety investigations into Ajax. I have agreed to provide as much detail as possible to the Committee on conclusion of the investigations, but this will be subject to the need to protect any commercially sensitive material.

On which date Initial Operating Capability for Ajax was declared; and who signed that declaration.

Initial Operating Capability for Ajax was declared on 5 November 2025. As safety of our personnel is the top priority of the Ministerial Team, prior to Initial Operating Capability, I asked for and was given assurances in writing by senior Ministry of Defence personnel, including the then National Armaments Director and the Chief of the General Staff, that the system was safe.