Written questions by Lowe.

How many personal data breaches were reported by his Department to the Information Commissioner’s Office in each year since 2020; and how of those resulted in enforcement action.

22 personal data incidents have been reported by the Ministry of Defence to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) since 2020. Three of those resulted in enforcement action. The personal data incidents reported to the ICO are listed in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts: Financial YearNumber of personal data incidents reported to the ICOIncidents resulting in enforcement action2020-2021702021-20221232022-2023202023-202410 The Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-2025 has not yet been published. This report will include an additional incident identified in 2023 which happened in February 2022 but was not reported previously due to an injunction being in place.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on (a) the unit price (b) the supply chain and (c) wastage of supplying halal-certified meat by default at the Defence Academy.

There is no requirement in law to inform customers of specific slaughter methods, and this practice is not commonplace within the Ministry of Defence (MOD). At the Defence Academy catering outlets, all halal-certified meat is explicitly labelled at the point of sale as ‘Halal Friendly’. Catering staff are also trained to provide dietary information upon request. Halal meat is not supplied by default across Defence contracts. The unit price, supply chain and wastage of supplying halal-certified or any other meat at the Defence Academy is not held by the MOD, as this is a matter for our contractors. Information on the audit and traceability checks undertaken to verify Halal certification is also the responsibility of the providing contractor. All halal meat supplied to the Defence Academy must comply with UK animal welfare legislation, including the requirement for pre-slaughter stunning. Certification bodies are not centrally mandated, but suppliers must meet MOD food safety and assurance standards.

What (a) audit and (b) traceability checks are conducted to verify halal (i) certification and (ii) segregation in the Defence Academy catering supply chain; and how often compliance is reviewed.

There is no requirement in law to inform customers of specific slaughter methods, and this practice is not commonplace within the Ministry of Defence (MOD). At the Defence Academy catering outlets, all halal-certified meat is explicitly labelled at the point of sale as ‘Halal Friendly’. Catering staff are also trained to provide dietary information upon request. Halal meat is not supplied by default across Defence contracts. The unit price, supply chain and wastage of supplying halal-certified or any other meat at the Defence Academy is not held by the MOD, as this is a matter for our contractors. Information on the audit and traceability checks undertaken to verify Halal certification is also the responsibility of the providing contractor. All halal meat supplied to the Defence Academy must comply with UK animal welfare legislation, including the requirement for pre-slaughter stunning. Certification bodies are not centrally mandated, but suppliers must meet MOD food safety and assurance standards.

If he will set out the labelling requirements that apply at point-of-sale in Defence Academy catering outlets to identify halal-certified meat; and whether customers are informed when certification involves specific slaughter methods.

There is no requirement in law to inform customers of specific slaughter methods, and this practice is not commonplace within the Ministry of Defence (MOD). At the Defence Academy catering outlets, all halal-certified meat is explicitly labelled at the point of sale as ‘Halal Friendly’. Catering staff are also trained to provide dietary information upon request. Halal meat is not supplied by default across Defence contracts. The unit price, supply chain and wastage of supplying halal-certified or any other meat at the Defence Academy is not held by the MOD, as this is a matter for our contractors. Information on the audit and traceability checks undertaken to verify Halal certification is also the responsibility of the providing contractor. All halal meat supplied to the Defence Academy must comply with UK animal welfare legislation, including the requirement for pre-slaughter stunning. Certification bodies are not centrally mandated, but suppliers must meet MOD food safety and assurance standards.

What (a) animal welfare and (b) assurance standards are required of halal-certified meat supplied at the Defence Academy; whether stunning is mandated; and which certification bodies are recognised.

There is no requirement in law to inform customers of specific slaughter methods, and this practice is not commonplace within the Ministry of Defence (MOD). At the Defence Academy catering outlets, all halal-certified meat is explicitly labelled at the point of sale as ‘Halal Friendly’. Catering staff are also trained to provide dietary information upon request. Halal meat is not supplied by default across Defence contracts. The unit price, supply chain and wastage of supplying halal-certified or any other meat at the Defence Academy is not held by the MOD, as this is a matter for our contractors. Information on the audit and traceability checks undertaken to verify Halal certification is also the responsibility of the providing contractor. All halal meat supplied to the Defence Academy must comply with UK animal welfare legislation, including the requirement for pre-slaughter stunning. Certification bodies are not centrally mandated, but suppliers must meet MOD food safety and assurance standards.

If he will ensure that halal food is not the default option in (a) his Department, (b) military academies and (c) the armed forces.

It is current Defence policy that Halal food is not the default option for the Ministry of Defence (MOD), military academies, or the Armed Forces. There are currently no Defence institutions where Halal food is the only option. Suppliers are required to enable the MOD inclusive Dining Offer by accommodating catering requests for all personnel, irrespective of gender, race, religious beliefs and committed lifestyle choices. Food products used by ethnic groups following traditional dietary practices associated with their cultural background and religious beliefs, shall be sourced, prepared, processed and packaged in accordance with the requirements of the relevant religious law.

How many employees in his Department earn (a) £100,000 and (b) £166,000 or more per year.

As at 31 March 2025, of the 57,501 Civil Servants in the Ministry of Defence (MOD), a total of 401 individuals, representing 0.7 per cent, earn over £100,000. The below table shows the number of MOD Civil Servants earning above £100,000 and £160,000 as at 31 March 2025. Total number of MOD Civil Servants on full/reduced payGross Earnings > £100K and <= £166kGross Earnings over £166k (not included in over £100K figure)57,50138417Source: Analysis Civilian - Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) data Gross salary is adjusted for Full Time Equivalent (FTE). Gross salary is calculated as per Cabinet Office ACSES guidance. This excludes allowances associated with short-term circumstances or duties (e.g. deputising allowances, reimbursements and overtime), salary sacrifices and non-consolidated performance related pay during the year. The population for these figures includes all MOD civil servants on full or reduced pay as at 31-Mar-2025. Civil Servants on other pay arrangements and people that left during the year are excluded. Statistics on the composition of the Civil Service workforce, including regional, diversity and earnings data is published by the Cabinet Office on gov.uk at the following link:www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics

What proportion of procurement contracts were awarded to UK companies in the 2024-25 financial year.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder). Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023 above £12,000 inc VAT are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service. This includes a note of the winning supplier. (https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search).

What proportion of food served in military catering contracts was sourced from the UK, in the latest period for which data is available.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 March 2025 to Question 36360 to the hon. Member for South Holland and the Deepings (Sir John Hayes MP).

How many staff in his Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.

A total of 45 Ministry of Defence (MOD) Civil Servants have been permitted international remote working since the temporary concession was introduced in 2021. The vast majority were to accompany their partners/spouses who work in the Armed Forces and are posted abroad to NATO countries. This figure does not include MOD Civil Servants who are posted overseas on Government business. MOD Civil Servants are not normally allowed to work remotely overseas, unless they have been exceptionally approved for a temporary concession. The criteria for the temporary concession includes accompanying their spouse/civil partner/unmarried cohabiting partner who is a member of the Armed Forces who has been formally posted overseas, or exceptional personal/domestic reasons.

How much his Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months.

A full Departmental response could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The majority of Departmental advertising expenditure is undertaken by the three branches of the Armed Forces to aid recruitment. Generic advertising expenditure outside of this remit is not held centrally. The most recent available information on tri Service recruitment advertising can be found here: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament and here Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

How much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.

The Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation (excluding Arm’s Length Bodies) £27,611,694.85 ex VAT in FY24/25 Excluding (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting the Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation (excluding Arm’s Length Bodies) £27,596,855.85 ex VAT in FY24/25. Within Strategic Command, the Permanent Joint Headquarters has an ongoing requirement for interpreters and written translation services to support operational activity overseas and in the UK. Within the contract, over 99% of the value is spent on interpreters who support training and Headquarters activity. Estimated Annual spend against this contract is £30 million.

If they will make it their policy to not provide (a) translation and (b) interpretation for speakers of non-UK languages for services provided by their Department.

No, translation and interpretation for a range of languages other than English (‘non-UK’ languages) is, and will continue to be, required to provide a wide variety of services across multiple areas of Defence. Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

Whether his Department has had discussions with NATO allies on the potential impact of the (a) capture, (b) injury and (c) killing of UK personnel while operating in Ukraine on the potential for (i) escalation and (ii) retaliation.

The Defence Secretary regularly speaks with his NATO counterparts on practical plans for how our militaries can support security guarantees for Ukraine’s future. The UK is playing a leading role in accelerating work on security arrangements for Ukraine. This includes putting our own troops on the ground if necessary. Advanced operational planning within the Coalition of the Willing, which is not NATO led, remains ongoing for options across land, sea and air, and to regenerate the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

What estimate he has made of the long-term cost to the public purse of (a) military logistics, (b) equipment support, (c) personnel risk, (d) reconstruction liabilities and (e) other costs arising from proposals for UK ground deployment to Ukraine.

This Government is committed to providing at least £3 billion a year in military support to Ukraine. As the Defence Secretary has made clear in the Commons, Ukraine’s security is our security, and we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. The UK will also provide £2.26 billion in additional military support to Ukraine for financial year 2025-26 through the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration loan. Additional support is being provided through UK Export Finance guaranteed loans.Other Government Departments are also providing non-military support to Ukraine including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Business and Trade.

What assessment he has made of the Royal Navy’s capacity to intercept small boats in the Channel carrying people seeking unlawful entry to the UK.

The Home Office is the lead gGvernment department responsible for border security and migration. It has established the Border Security Command to strengthen global partnerships and enhance the UK’s efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute people smugglers profiting from the dangerous movement of people across the channel. Defence assets are procured for Defence tasks.

Whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

16 April 2025 saw the Supreme Court ruling that sex is to be understood as biological sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. The Ministry of Defence notes and will follow this ruling. It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), as Britain’s equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling. The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.

What (a) religious and (b) cultural holidays are observed by their Department.

The UK Civil Service only formally observes the government-set bank holidays.

How many and what proportion of main battle tanks are operational to a deployment standard.

I hope the hon. Member will understand that we do not routinely disclose figures relating to Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks in the active fleet in the interests of security and operational effectiveness.

With reference to the oral statement by the Prime Minister of 26 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, column 631, on what his Department plans to spend the increase in defence spending.

Full details will be set out in the Strategic Defence Review to be published in spring 2025.