Written questions by Paul.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in levels of recruitment and retention in the armed forces on operational capacity.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration, and we are committed to addressing this through a range of targets, initiatives and measures. The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the recruitment and retention trends across the Armed Forces and makes assessments of the impact these trends may have on a particular capability as well as our overall operational capabilities. I hope that the hon. Member will understand that details on operational capacity are not made public to preserve the operational security of HM Armed Forces, but improving both recruitment and retention are priority areas for Armed Forces.

What plans his Department has help increase the speed of the delivery of Challenger 3 main battle tanks, in the context of the supply chain.

We are engaged with the supply chain and additional resources have been directed towards ensuring the materials required for Challenger 3 main battle tanks are available to meet the delivery timescales.

How many trained personnel is the Royal Navy short of in its full establishment.

As of 1 January 2025, the total Full-Time Trained Strength of the Royal Navy was 28,080. These figures are published on a quarterly basis and can be found at the following website - Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics: 2025 - GOV.UK. The Ministry of Defence cannot provide detail on headcount targets for security reasons.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of UK troops that could be safely deployed in a peacekeeping capacity to Ukraine without abridging other defence and security commitments.

Discussions regarding how our military can support security guarantees for Ukraine’s future are ongoing. I hope the hon. Member will understand that I can’t comment on operational details at this stage as revealing our force structure only helps Putin.

What discussions his Department has had with NATO allies on the (a) size, (b) composition and (c) remit of a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine.

The Defence Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Staff met with counterparts in Paris last week to discuss the next steps for a coalition of the willing to defend Ukraine’s security – with 37 nations attending the military meeting, alongside NATO and EU representatives. This was followed by the Prime Minister hosting a call on 15 March with European counterparts, the NATO Secretary General and other world leaders to discuss support for Ukraine. Our military planners convened again on 20 March to progress practical plans for how our militaries can support security guarantees for Ukraine’s future.

What assessment his Department has made of European NATO's ability to fill capability gaps that would be created by a potential US troop withdrawal from Europe in (a) air defence, (b) intelligence-sharing and (c) rapid deployment forces.

European security is this Government’s foreign and defence priority and NATO is the cornerstone of our defence. The Prime Minister has been clear that European Allies must take greater responsibility for our own security, spending more and producing more. The Ministry of Defence continues its work to ensure the UK and European Allies step up their contribution to NATO as part of our ‘NATO first’ defence strategy.

What discussions his Department has had with NATO allies on the potential redistribution of military capabilities in Europe in the event of a significant reduction in US troop presence.

European security is this Government’s foreign and defence priority and NATO is the cornerstone of our defence. The Prime Minister has been clear that European Allies must take greater responsibility for our own security, spending more and producing more. The Ministry of Defence continues its work to ensure the UK and European Allies step up their contribution to NATO as part of our ‘NATO first’ defence strategy.

What recent discussions his Department has had with international partners on increasing the protection of undersea cables and pipelines, in the context of Russian maritime activity.

Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and we are committed to maintaining and enhancing the security and resilience of that infra- structure. We continue to co-ordinate with HMG partners, particularly the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology who own subsea cables policy, as well as security partners, the subsea cables industry and international bodies, including NATO, to assess and respond to risks to subsea cables.

What recent progress his Department has made on designating a successor to the standard issue L85A3 service rifle.

The L85 rifle (‘SA80’) will be replaced over the coming decade through Project GRAYBURN. The project has entered the concept phase, where the capability requirements are being identified and understood in depth.

What steps he is taking to (a) retain and (b) recruit personnel into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) are highly valued, specialist personnel. We welcome the recent agreement of a pay award for the RFA and thank the Maritime Trade Unions for their support in reaching this resolution. This agreement is a significant step in a plan to reform the RFA. These reforms will improve the wider employee offer for those serving and ensure the RFA can continue to perform its vital role supporting the Royal Navy and our allies.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of losses in (a) personnel and (b) ships on the capability of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Recruitment and retention of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel remains a priority. We welcome the recent agreement between the Government and the Maritime Trade Unions of a pay award for the RFA, which is a significant step forward in the plan for RFA reforms. These reforms will improve the wider employee offer for those serving in the RFA and ensure that it can continue to perform its vital role supporting the Royal Navy and our allies.The retirement of RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler will have no impact on the RFA. Neither tanker was due to go to sea again and nor had they been to sea in years. The RFA continues to operate the newer Tide class tankers and is preparing for the introduction of all three Fleet Solid Support ships by 2032.

What recent progress has been made on the Future Combat Air System.

Progress continues to be made on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The core platform, that will sit at its heart, is being delivered through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The Prime Minister and his Italian and Japanese counterparts have reiterated their commitment to GCAP. The GCAP International Government Organisation to oversee delivery on behalf of all the partner governments has been created. On 13 December 2024, BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd (JAIEC), reached an agreement to form a new company under a business joint venture for GCAP, subject to regulatory approvals. The new joint venture will be accountable for the design, development and delivery of the next generation combat aircraft.

What steps his Department is taking to replenish stockpiles of precision-guided munitions; and what steps he plans to take to help increase domestic production capacity.

The Ministry of Defence is carefully investing to improve the health of our munitions stockpiles, including precision-guided munitions, within the available financial envelope. Through investing in munitions we seek to grow domestic production, strengthen our resilience and self-reliance, boost our sovereign defence industrial capacity, increase our exports and create good jobs in the UK. The Department will continue to develop our approach as the outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review become clear.

What recent steps his Department has taken to enhance interoperability between the Armed Forces and allied nations' forces on joint operations.

Enhancing interoperability continues to be at the core of our work, both between the branches of our Armed Forces and with our Allies. UK Strategic Command is defence's Integrated Design Authority ensuring integration across capabilities. Internationally, the UK continues to play a leading role in exercises and training, such as through hosting the upcoming Exercise Formidable Shield - the world's largest maritime Integrated Air and Missile Defence exercise. We continue to develop our key international partnerships - such as the Joint Expeditionary Force - to ensure our capabilities are interoperable across both NATO and wider allies.

What proportion of his Department's procurement contracts have been awarded to UK-based manufacturers in the last 12 months; and what steps he is taking to promote the growth of domestic defence manufacturing.

The Department does not record within our systems directly where a contract is manufactured or the location of the supplier manufacturing. The Department do however collect the prime location of the contract as marked by the contact owner on Contract Purchasing and Finance system (CP&F) when the contract is first created. Between 16 Dec 2023 to 15 Dec 2024 there have been 2,266 contracts created on the Mkinistry of Defence's CP&F commercial system. Of these contracts 583 (26%) have been marked with a known location for the contract. Of these 583 contacts, 531 (91%) have a prime contract location of the UK, while 52 (9%) are marked as a foreign country. By contract value this works out as £3.85 billion of £20.68 billion (19%) having a known location. This equates to 78% of the total contract spend with a prime contract location of UK (£2.99 billion UK vs £0.85 billion foreign country). The UK’s defence manufacturing industry is vital not only to our national security but to our prosperity and economic growth. The Government’s new Defence Industrial Strategy will aim to align the imperatives of national security and a high growth economy.