Every parliamentary written question tabled by Richard Holden this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 75 · Ministry of Defence
Pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 39690 on Military Aircraft: Ministers, what is the definition of a task; and whether this involves a one-way or return journey.
A task can include multiple legs between the point of departure and the final destination.
Whether his Department has issued guidance to senior members of the armed forces on speaking at (a) conferences and (b) panels where (i) Ministers and (ii) media are present since July 2024.
The Ministry of Defence's guidance on contact with the media and public communication was last updated on 6 February 2025.
How much air passenger duty was paid for ministerial domestic travel on RAF-provided flights between 4 July 2024 and 31 March 2025.
The total amount of Air Passenger Duty paid for Ministers who travelled on the RAF Envoy, on domestic flights, between 4 July 2024 and 31 March 2025 is £1,950.
Whether his Department is taking steps to further develop the Trinity House Agreement.
Since the signing of the landmark Trinity House Agreement, the Ministry of Defence has worked with our German counterparts to take the first steps towards turning the words of the text into real, practical co-operation. The Secretary of State met with Minister Pistorius on 15 May 2025 to hold the first Defence Ministerial Council under the agreement; detail on progress was set out in a Joint Statement, available on GOV.UK entitled ‘Joint statement on UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement progress - 15 May 2025’. My Right Hon Friend the Foreign Secretary is also driving forward a new bilateral Treaty with Germany, building on the success of the Trinity House Agreement. Due to be signed later this year, this new Treaty will underline the full breadth of the partnership between our countries.
If he will publish the (a) media grid and (b) media plan for the Government response to the Strategic Defence Review 2025.
Communications plans and products were drafted and issued in line with standard procedures. On Monday 2 June 2025, Ministers conducted 21 interviews with 16 outlets.
Which aircraft from the RAF Command Support Aircraft Fleet are available for ministerial visits from across government; and what the call-signs are of each aircraft.
The Ministry of Defence provides two Envoy aircraft, for Ministerial visits from across Government. I am not prepared to release the details of the call-signs for security reasons.
Pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 45917 on Armed Forces: Equality, if he will publish the training manuals and documentation prepared for each of those courses provided by the Defence Academy.
No. The course material is subject to Crown copyright. There are many companies that deliver ED&I training who could financially benefit from copying our course material.
Pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13435 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether there are non-routine circumstances in which (a) Ministers, (b) senior officials and (c) senior members of the armed forces remain eligible to use military helicopters for official travel.
Ministry of Defence policy allows for senior leader use of military helicopters in emergency circumstances, linked to matters of immediate national security only.
How many RAF Envoy IV flights have been provided to (a) the Prime Minister and (b) other Ministers for domestic travel since 4 July 2025.
It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of Ministers and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom. Information about official overseas travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.
Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44594 on Ministers: Aviation, how many of the five tasks were (a) domestic flights within Great Britain and (b) flights from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
None. All tasks were outside of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the EU's Security Action for Europe procurement programme of the effectiveness of the UK’s defence procurement; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 programme.
This is a critical moment for the security of Europe. We welcome European efforts to increase defence spending, through the ReArm initiative and proposed Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism. This must be a whole-of-Europe effort, in alignment with NATO, which remains the cornerstone of European security. We share many of the same priorities to those identified by our European allies and continue to work with the European Union to ensure defence industrial initiatives maximise our offer of support to Ukraine. It is in our shared interest for SAFE to allow EU Member States to partner with the UK, recognising the vital role the UK’s defence industry plays for European security.
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39113 on Armed Forces: Equality, when he took the decision to (a) pause and (b) cancel the review into armed forces equality, diversity and inclusion.
Following the announcement of the General Election on 22 May 2024, a decision was taken to pause work on the Secretary of State’s review of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy. On 4 September 2024 direction was given that the Review would not be staffed to Ministers as it was commissioned by the previous Government and did not align with the new Government’s priorities for the Department.
Whether he has made an estimate of expenditure by the armed forces on equality, diversity and inclusion.
Ministry of Defence accounts are published annually and made public; there are no plans to provide a further breakdown of the data to include, among other things, an estimate of expenditure relating to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Whether the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory is taking steps to protect the expression of gender-critical views within that organisation.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is fully committed to being a place of work where people can be themselves, feel included and where all voices are heard. Dstl values and embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities in all its employment practices, and this forms an integral part of the way people in Dstl work and behave.
Whether the appointment of a Diversity and Inclusion Learning and Development Professional was approved by Ministers as an exception to the Civil Service equality, diversity and inclusion spending controls.
The appointment of a Diversity and Inclusion Learning and Development professional within the Defence Academy was in keeping with Civil Service recruitment policy and did not require Ministerial approval. Recruitment in this case was compliant with internal efficiency measures as stipulated in the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion spending controls.
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39113 on Armed Forces: Equality, if he will list the terms of reference of the previous review into Armed Forces equality, diversity and inclusion.
As previously advised in the answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39113 on Armed Forces: Equality, the review was commissioned by the previous Government and was not published. As such, there is no intention to publish any internal correspondence related to this work.
If he will publish the learning content for the diversity and inclusion elements of the Defence Leadership Centre portfolio.
The Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) elements of the Defence Leadership Centre portfolio include D&I Fundamentals, D&I Practitioner, D&I Advisor, Holistic Allies Training, Leading Diverse and Inclusive Organisations (currently pending revision) and Active Bystander. Further information on these courses can be found on the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom website at the following links:https://www.da.mod.uk/courses/diversity-and-inclusion-fundamentals/https://www.da.mod.uk/courses/diversity-and-inclusion-practitioner/https://www.da.mod.uk/courses/diversity-and-inclusion-adviser/https://www.da.mod.uk/courses/holistic-allies-training/https://www.da.mod.uk/courses/leading-diverse-and-inclusive-organisations/https://www.da.mod.uk/courses/active-bystander-fundamentals/ These courses are consistently reviewed and updated, to ensure that they are in accordance with relevant policies.
Pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 39690 on Ministers: Aviation, whether all of the RAF Envoy flights were domestic flights; and how many different Minsters travelled on them.
The RAF Envoy flights over the period were predominantly international, not domestic and were taken by 2 ministers. It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of Ministers and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom. Information about official overseas Ministerial travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.
Pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36276 on Military Aircraft: Helicopter, which Ministers are now eligible to use the rotary wing air transportation service.
All Defence Ministers have access to the Cabinet Office Ministerial Air Transport Office administered helicopter transport contract, in line with their cross-Government peers. This contract is not administered by the Ministry of Defence.
If he will publish the declared interests of each of the external reviewers to the Strategic Defence Review 2024-2025.
The Reviewers were all Direct Ministerial Appointments (DMAs) and are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Board Members and follow the Seven Principles of Public Life.