Written questions by Wood.

Whether the Cabinet Office guidance entitled May 2026 Elections: guidance on conduct for civil servants, updated on 2 March 2026, has affected the timing of the publication of the Defence Investment Plan.

We will publish the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) when it is ready. It is essential that we take the time required to ensure decisions are robust and support the transformation of the Armed Forces outlined in the Strategic Defence Review. Once finalised, the DIP will be laid before Parliament in accordance with the appropriate Parliamentary procedures.

Whether the Cabinet Office guidance entitled May 2026 Elections: guidance on conduct for civil servants, updated on 2 March 2026, has affected the timing of the publication of the Defence Investment Plan.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120877 on Ministry of Defence: Procurement, whether DEFCON516 requires private sector suppliers to follow the public sector equality duty; and whether there is (a) internal or (b) published guidance on DEFCON516.

DEFCON 516 (Equality) outlines the MOD’s requirement that contractors must not unlawfully discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender (including reassignment), sex or sexual orientation, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy and maternity, race, or religion or belief. Contractors are also expected to take reasonable steps to ensure these terms are applied by their employees, agents, and sub-contractors. MOD Commercial Policy mandates the inclusion of this DEFCON in all MOD contracts. Commercial guidance, including the full DEFCON 516, is available in the MoD’s internal Commercial Toolkit, which is hosted on Knowledge in Defence, a platform that is also publicly accessible.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 110806 on Palantir, whether the Office of the UK Defence Attaché had any discussions with Global Counsel in relation to the visit.

The Defence Attache has not corresponded or met with representatives of Global Counsel in relation to the visit.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2026 to Question 113713 on Defence: Finance, what proportion of his Department's budget did not count towards the NATO percentage defence spending in 2024-25; and whether there were any funding streams outside the MOD budget which were counted.

Around 4% of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) budget did not count towards NATO qualifying spend in 2024-25. This is to ensure that items such as accountancy treatments are not included in the UK's return. In line with NATO guidance and previous returns, we have included spend that sits outside the MOD budget provided it met the definition of NATO qualifying spend. This is a common approach used by this and the previous Government.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 110806 on Palantir, whether the Defence Attaché to the United States has corresponded with, or met, representatives of Global Counsel since July 2024.

The Defence Attache has not corresponded or met with representatives of Global Counsel since July 2024.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential risks of the public availability of geolocated fitness data on national security, including the potential identification and tracking of (a) UK Armed Forces personnel, (b) deployments, and (c) sensitive military sites; and what guidance, policies or restrictions are in place governing the use of such applications by service personnel and contractors.

Defence takes the security of its personnel, operations and sites extremely seriously. The Department has long recognised the potential risks associated with the public sharing of geolocated data through fitness and other digital applications. Defence personnel are required to comply with departmental security policies and locally issued direction, and to manage their personal data responsibly to reduce the risk of inadvertent disclosure that could compromise personal or operational security.While it would be inappropriate to comment on specific security arrangements, Defence routinely monitors risks arising from emerging technologies and online behaviours, and issues guidance to personnel where such risks are identified. This guidance is kept under review and reinforced as necessary.

If he will list the (a) key performance indicators and (b) social value requirements for Palantir’s contracts with his Department.

The Ministry of Defence’s contracts with Palantir are managed in line with standard government commercial practices, including performance management and social value obligations. Performance is monitored through proportionate contractual measures such as delivery, service performance, security compliance and value for money, while social value requirements reflect government policy, including support for UK skills, innovation and the defence technology sector. For reasons of commercial confidentiality and security, it would not be appropriate to publish detailed contractual performance indicators.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 908304 on Defence: Small Business, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access of defence industry SMEs to finance; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations and climate change requirements on the trends in the level of debanking and reduced access to finance for such SMEs.

As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS) is set to be published in early 2026. The DFIS will address barriers to financing and investment in the sector – including supporting businesses access finance, in partnership with public financial institutions and private capital. To inform the DFIS, we have held working sessions on debanking and on Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations, working with regulators, industry, the financial sector and other government departments.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 119052 on Chagos Islands: Sovereignty, on what date did his department last report its NATO spending to NATO, and for what financial year was the report.

In line with NATO's reporting requirements, the UK last provided its defence spending data to NATO in December 2025. These included figures for financial year 2025-26.

With reference to his Department's document entitled MOD Area of Research Interest, published on 15 January 2018, what plans his Department has to update this document.

We recognise the importance of the MOD Areas of Research Interest (ARI) in signalling Defence priorities and enabling effective engagement with the UK research community. The Department is therefore updating the MOD ARI to ensure they clearly reflect current Defence and national security priorities, and to strengthen our partnership with academia. This work is being taken forward as part of a renewed focus on closer, more strategic collaboration with the UK academic community, including through the establishment of the Defence Universities Alliance. We expect to publish updated ARI before summer 2026.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of procurement rules on bank lending to SME companies involved in defence.

The Government is committed to making SMEs a national priority, ensuring they have a fair opportunity to win public contracts and setting ambitious SME spend targets. As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, the MOD is backing British Jobs, British Industry and British innovators. Since July 2024, we have signed 1,100 major contracts, with 84% of our annual spend going to British companies. In January we launched a dedicated Defence Office for Small business Growth to boost opportunities and access to defence contracts and the supply chain, on top of our commitment to double direct spend with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028. Delivering on the commitments made in the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy, we are developing a dedicated Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS). This is supported by a new Defence Investors’ Advisory Group, bringing together senior expertise from venture, growth, private capital, and banking to address barriers to financing and investment in the sector.

Pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2026, to Question 110806, on Palantir, whether any other defence or Armed Forces staff accompanied the UK's Defence Attaché to the United States on the visit.

The UK Defence Attaché to the United States was the only representative from the Ministry of Defence present during the meeting. There were approximately 11 uniformed personnel and civil servants who also attended to observe a technology demonstration at Palantir HQ.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 110806 on Palantir, whether the Office of the UK Defence Attache holds any record of the meeting.

The Office of the UK Defence Attache holds no record of the meeting as no formal record of the meeting was produced.

If he will publish the Exit Management Plan for the UK MoD Enterprise Agreement with Palantir Technologies UK Ltd.

Exit Management and Transition Plans contain sensitive information in relation to security, operational continuity, commercial, and supplier specific arrangements. These plans are developed and reviewed regularly to ensure the Department can ensure continuity of key defence capabilities in a controlled and orderly manner when the Contract concludes. Given the sensitive information included it would not be appropriate to publish.

Further to the Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks, of 1 March 2026, whether it is the policy position of HM Government that UK Government could have given permission to permit the use of the US Diego Garcia military base on the Chagos Islands for the United States to launch its pre-emptive strikes on Iran.

The United States' operational use of Diego Garcia is governed by an Exchange of Notes between the UK and the USA. The potential use of any UK base or base on UK sovereign territory by foreign military forces for operational purposes is closely considered to ensure that we are content with their proposed activities taking place on/from those bases.

Whether there was any communication between his Department and Global Counsel in relation to the visit by the Prime Minister to the Washington offices of Palantir.

In line with the Humble Address motion agreed on 4 February, any information relevant to this and other questions regarding Mr Mandelson's appointment to, employment in, and withdrawal from, his posting as His Majesty's Ambassador to the United States will be published according to the process and provisions set out in the motion.

Pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2025, to Question 77563, on Palantir, which representatives of (a) his department and (b) the Armed Forces accompanied the Prime Minister.

The UK's Defence Attaché to the United States attended with the Prime Minister.

Pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2025, to Question 88284, on Military Aircraft, what is the aggregate volume of CO2 emissions that have been reported for domestic and overseas Ministerial flights on the Envoy and Voyager since July 2024; and what was the aggregate cost of carbon credits for those flights.

The total volume of CO2 emissions in Tonnes (TCO2) and the cost of carbon credits of the flights for the duration of 1 July 2024 - 31 December 2024 is listed below. UK Emissions Trading Scheme240.285 TCO2£12,975.38 Carbon credits including VAT EU Emissions Trading Scheme237.787 TCO2£17,120.66 Carbon credits including VAT TOTAL UK and EU Emissions Trading Scheme478.072 TCO2£30,096.04 Carbon credits including VAT The same data is not available for 1 January 2025 - 31 December 2025 as it has not yet been released by EuroControl. The Ministry of Defence will not purchase carbon credits prior to establishing the total TCO2 figure for this duration. The total cost will not be available until 31 March 2026.

Further to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, and the Defence Digital contracts with KPMG LLP, for what reason is Tackling Eco Inequality, Fighting Climate Change, Health & Wellbeing deemed to be key performance indicators for the defence contract.

In relation to the defence contract, the social values chosen align to the requirements of the contract and the rationale of social value. Furthermore, it is also a mandatory requirement for Social Value to form Key Performance Indicators within public sector contracts, in accordance with guidance with the Procurement Policy Notice (PPN) 2.