Written questions by Vickers.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of cyber-security resilience within Defence Digital systems.

Defence prioritises cyber security and regularly reviews its resilience through the GovAssure scheme. This process relies on the National Cyber Security Centre's (NCSC) Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) to assess risk and drive improvements in cyber security and resilience. This is reported to the Cabinet Office on an annual basis. Details of specific assessments are not shared publicly for security reasons.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the British Transport Police works with (a) her Department, (b) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies to reduce pedal-cycle theft at railway stations, including through collaboration on prevention measures such as secure cycle parking, lighting and CCTV coverage.

The Department is committed to working with the rail industry and the British Transport Police (BTP) to ensure that the railway remains a safe environment for passengers and rail staff. BTP works in partnership with rail operators to make stations hostile environments for potential bike thieves with measures focused on cycle storage. The force frequently works with rail operators, local partners and Home Office police forces, to run public events that raise awareness of preventative measures passengers can take to deter criminals, and offer services such as offering free bike marking.

What recent assessment this Department has made of trends in the level of recruitment and retention levels across the armed forces in the latest reporting period.

The figures in the latest reporting period highlight that for the first time since early 2021, Armed Forces intake is now greater than outflow. In the 12 months preceding 1 October 2025 there was an increase of 13% in people joining the Armed Forces compared to the previous 12-month period. At the same time there was a decrease of 8% in people leaving the Armed Forces. In addition to this, the Armed Forces continue to see increased numbers of applications. These trends are very welcome, but we recognise that there is still more to do.We are committed to improving recruitment and retention through a range of targets, initiatives and measures and we are making a positive impact.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the waiting times for Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims.

I refer the hon. gentleman to the answer I gave to Question 77236 on 15 October 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the UK’s ability to counter emerging drone-based threats.

The Strategic Defence Review announced an investment of £1 billion to enhance our homeland air and missile defence. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on emerging drone based threats, will be prioritised appropriately against the assessed threat picture as part of the future Integrated Force and set out in the Defence Investment Plan to be published this year.

With reference to the British Transport Police's crime-screening policy introduced in August 2024, if she will publish the formal guidance for pedal-cycle theft (J13) and the operational factors used to determine when an offence is progressed to investigation; and if she will publish quarterly data showing the number of (a) pedal-cycle thefts reported, (b) investigated, and (c) closed without investigation, broken down by (i) cycle value and the (ii) availability of (A) CCTV and (B) witness evidence.

The British Transport Police (BTP), like their Home Office force counterparts, are operationally independent and decisions on whether to release guidance are for the Chief Constable to make. Crime figures for the BTP are collated by the Home Office and published on the Office for National Statistics website.

What steps his Department is taking to expand mental health support services for (a) serving personnel and (b) veterans.

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 interventional support, and appointments with clinical staff. For Armed Forces personnel requiring dedicated mental healthcare, the Defence Medical Services (DMS) provides a responsive, flexible, accessible, and comprehensive treatment service. DMS has established Defence Mental Health Networks (DMHNs) across the UK to improve access to mental health services for Service personnel. These specialist community mental health services provide enhanced access to expert assessment and treatment for service personnel experiencing mental health disorders. By introducing new single points of access, enabling the sharing of specialist skills across network locations and consolidating clinical and governance processes, DMHNs are reducing wait times to enhanced assessments and core treatment therapies. DMS has further introduced standardised training for primary care clinicians to ensure that service personnel can access initial mental healthcare at any Defence medical centre and to strengthen the initial management of mental health disorders within primary care settings. Where personnel leaving the Armed Forces have an enduring need for mental healthcare, DMS works in partnership with the NHS to ensure continuation of care. Personnel who have been assessed and diagnosed with a mental health need are able to access Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) for up to six months after discharge to provide continuity of care during the transition period until appropriate handover to other services can be completed as required. In some circumstances a DCMH Mental Health Social Worker will undertake a full assessment of transition needs, including onward referral to NHS and third sector services for continued mental healthcare. Throughout the UK, the MOD Veterans’ Welfare Service (VWS) provides advice and support to veterans, anyone supporting a veteran, their families and dependants. The VWS works with the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, local authorities, voluntary organisations and service charities and will routinely assign a case manager and assist with engagement with other services where needed. In England, Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE provide a broad range of specialist mental health, physical and wellbeing care services to veterans, with similar services available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The VWS and Defence Transition Service deliver additional support to service leavers and their families who are most likely to face challenges as they leave the Armed Forces, including facilitating access to NHS services. Support will also be delivered through the VALOUR programme will make it easier for veterans across the UK to access the care and support they deserve. It will connect services to help ensure veterans receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. One of the key component parts of VALOUR is a new network of VALOUR Recognised Centres. These centres will be located across the UK and welcome veterans and the wider Armed Forces community to provide support and guidance in key areas, including health, housing and employment. Over £27 million will be available for funding to support this initiative and the first round of funding opened to applications on 10 November 2025 and closes on 14 January 2026. The through life mental health support now provided to Service personnel will have a positive impact on the veterans of the future; we are ensuring that Armed Forces personnel have the psychological resilience training they need to recognise mental ill-health in themselves and those around them and know how to manage it.

What recent estimate the Department has made of the total cost of tackling the maintenance backlog across the defence estate.

The Defence estate, including the wider Built Estate, is managed and maintained through multiple contracts. We inherited a considerate backlog in maintenance across the Defence estate. Last month we announced the Defence Housing Strategy which will modernise or upgrade over 40,000 Defence family homes, with 14,000 of these to be either rebuilt or substantially refurbished. A total investment of £9 billion over the next decade will deliver the Strategy, funded by the Government’s record uplift in defence spending. This builds on the additional £1.5 billion in this Parliament set out at the Strategic Defence Review, to rapidly address the poor state of military housing. The Defence Housing Strategy recommended that an urgent review of Single Living Accommodation (SLA) is to be undertaken with the Defence Investment Plan set to articulate the level of investment in new and refurbished SLA over the next ten years.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of construction costs on the armed forces estate modernisation programme.

The Defence Housing Strategy sets out a vision for the future renewal of the Service family estate, is backed by a 10-year programme of investment to deliver its recommendations in full. Nine out of ten Defence family homes will be improved, and service standards will be improved for all families. I hope the hon. Member will understand, until the recommendations in the Strategy have final implementation plans, the Ministry of Defence cannot confirm the future intent for military housing or construction costs.

What estimate his Department has made of the proportion of service accommodation deemed to be below acceptable quality standards.

As of 1 December 2025, 97.8% of Service Family Accommodation meets or exceed Defence Homes Standard. During the course of the implementation of the Defence Housing Strategy, nine out of ten Defence family homes will be improved, and service standards will be improved for all families.

What his Department’s timetable is for the delivery of key equipment upgrades under the Integrated Procurement Model.

The intent of the procurement model announced in February 2024 has been integrated into the broader defence and acquisition reforms set out in the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy. These reforms include the new segmented approach to procurement, supported by accelerated commercial pathways, designed to speed up delivery and achieve our targets to reduce the time to contract.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of training opportunities for reservists in the last 12 months.

We recognise that Reservists must balance their civilian commitments and home life with the vital service they provide to Defence. The MOD is therefore committed to ensuring that we tailor training opportunities to Reservist needs wherever possible For basic (Phase 1) and trade-specific (Phase 2) training, for example, the Army schedules courses specifically to try to maximise attendance, allowing for richer and more productive training. A wide array of learning pathways are also provided to reservists across all three Services. These include e-learning, modular courses run over weekends and evening, and hybrid learning, this provides the flexibility to allow Reservists to complete courses in a way that fits around their existing commitments. Reservist recruitment and training remains an area for improvement as part of Defence’s effort to deliver a more efficient, effective and modern recruiting system.

What steps his Department is taking to improve accommodation standards for service personnel living in single living accommodation.

Enhancing the standard of accommodation, including single living accommodation (SLA) is essential to the morale and retention of Service personnel and is a priority within the Defence infrastructure portfolio. Defence is committed under the Strategic Defence Review to deliver a generational renewal of military accommodation, with at least £7 billion of funding in this Parliament which includes investing in new SLA. Delivery of new, modernised SLA is already underway, with the Defence Investment Plan set to articulate the level of investment in new and refurbished SLA over the next 10 years.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the readiness of deployable military units.

The Armed Forces readiness is directed by the Armed Forces Plan, in which the Chief of the Defence Staff directs his Military Command Chiefs to hold a variety of Force Elements at varying levels of readiness. This readiness in aligned to our NATO Force Model along with our Sovereign defence and our ability to respond to crisis. This readiness is constantly assessed against the sum of Availability, Capability, and Sustainment. Defence continues to focus on ensuring its readiness, including for a high-intensity conflict, in line with the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the resilience of military supply chains for critical components and materials.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that supply chains are a foundational priority for Defence and is actively engaged in de-risking critical defence supply chain vulnerabilities, working collaboratively with industry to mitigate risks. Central to this is the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP) which is pivotal to ensuring operational readiness and resilience across Defence. The DSCCP has scoped the work required to address critical minerals and component supply within Defence, with further work aligned to the Government’s “Vision 2035: Critical Mineral Strategy”. The MOD is also developing capabilities to strengthen supply chain readiness and resilience during crises, including Supply Chain Wargaming, Architecture and Category Management. These initiatives will help MOD and industry identify and mitigate risks to equipment programmes, ensuring industry can adequately support defence.

What the average waiting time is for repairs requested through the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

The table below details the average repair response times for Emergency, Urgent and Routine maintenance tasks by Ministry of Defence (MOD) contractors for Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in the UK in November 2025:AverageAmey PerformanceVIVO PerformanceAcceptable Level of Performance as per ContractAverage Completion Time – Emergency1 hour 37 mins1 hour 39 minsRespond and make safe within 2 hours. Then allocated as Urgent or Routine.Average Completion Time – Urgent45 hrs 32 mins29 hours 12 minsAttend and rectify within 48 hours.Average Completion Time – Routine9.82days10 daysAttend and rectify within 10 days. Single Living Accommodation (SLA) The table below details the average repair response by MOD contractors for Single Living Accommodation across the UK Built Estate in November 2025: AverageAverage Completion Time in HoursAcceptable level of PerformanceEmergency4 hrs 34 minsMake safe immediatelyCritical6.39 daysRestore functionality in up to 12 hours. Permanent resolution up to 12 working days.Urgent18.61 daysRestore functionality in up to 5 working days. Permanent resolution up to 20 working days.Routine18.45 daysPermanent resolution up to 20 working days. Contractor performance for both SFA and SLA meets the Key Performance Indicators for response times as set out in the contacts.

What recent assessment the Department has made of the level of access to face-to-face support for claimants with limited digital skills.

If a work coach becomes aware a claimant lacks digital skills, they are able to refer to provision for Foundation Digital Skills, and then onto Essential Digital Skills training. In England, this is paid for by the adult skills budget.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of fraud and error detection systems used in Universal Credit administration.

Over the last year, we have seen a statistically significant decrease in the Universal Credit overpayment rate from 12.4% to 9.7% of expenditure - this represents a 21% fall in the overpayment rate, equivalent to £1.7bn in terms of FYE 2025 Universal Credit expenditure. This compares to the Universal Credit overpayment peak of 14.7% of expenditure in FYE 2022. On Wednesday 26 November the Office for Budget Responsibility also published an updated Universal Credit fraud and error forecast which shows the rate of Universal Credit overpayments is expected to drop to 7.5% of Universal Credit expenditure by 2028/2029.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of pensioners eligible for Pension Credit who are not currently receiving it.

The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year 2023 to 2024 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2024 - GOV.UK. The Government wants all pensioners to get the support to which they are rightly entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign. Alongside the campaign, we are making better use of data to directly target potentially eligible households. Since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit. In September, the Department undertook a trial in partnership with Age UK and Independent Age targeting 2,000 households in England identified using HMRC and DWP data.The DWP’s drive to maximise Pension Credit take-up has seen the Department receive record numbers of claims – some 320,300 Pension Credit claims in the year ending July 2025 with nearly 60,000 extra awards compared to the equivalent period in the previous year.We are also undertaking research specifically looking into the factors that motivate people to make a claim as well as why some older people do not claim benefits to which they could be entitled, in order to build the evidence of what works to increase take-up.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the accuracy of automated decision-making tools used in benefit administration.

The Department uses automated decision-making in some areas, as described in our Personal Information Charter. Customers are told when an automated decision has been made in relation to their case, along with information on the steps they would need to take if they want to exercise their right to ask for a human to review that decision. Using automated decision-making allows us to improve accuracy, speeds up delivery and frees up colleagues’ time so they can support the people who need it most. DWP has a legal requirement to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place when carrying out automated decision-making. The Department carries out regular checks to ensure our systems are working as intended, and any new features go through rigorous testing.