Written questions by Dhesi.

If he will raise the issue of the safety of UK military vessels transiting to and from Gibraltar, and to seek reassurances that Royal Navy vessels will not be impeded or put at risk by Spanish authorities.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the Answer on 26 March 2026 to Question 121801 on Armed Forces Re-employment, what progress has been made in making the requested information available and placing a copy in the Library.

The information the hon. Member has requested will be placed in the Library of the House in the next few days.

With reference to his letter to the Defence Committee of 31 January 2025, whether Defence Officials have published an official summary of the Defence Planning Assumptions.

The Defence Planning Assumptions (DPAs) have not yet been published as a stand alone document as the Strategic Defence Review took precedence, and therefore there is currently no high-level OFFICIAL summary. The DPAs will be formally issued after the Defence Investment Plan is published and will be shared with the Defence Committee, alongside a high-level OFFICIAL summary for public release.

How many contracts his Department has entered into in each of the last five years.

This information can be found at MOD trade, industry and contracts: 2025 - GOV.UK.

How many major contracts which have been signed by his department since July 2024 were a) sustainment or refresh contracts or b) new procurement contracts.

The Department can confirm that, since July 2024, the department has signed a total of 1,398 major contracts. Ministry of Defence (MOD) contract records do not distinguish between sustainment or refresh (i.e. follow-on) contracts. Consequently, we can only provide the number of new contracts initiated since 5 July 2024.

What steps he has taken to negotiate an administrative agreement with the European Defence Agency.

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union in May 2025 is an example of this Government delivering on its manifesto commitments to strengthen European security, support growth, and reinforce NATO. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy as set out in the Security and Defence Review. The Security and Defence Partnership outlines the possibility for establishing an Administrative Arrangement between the UK and the European Defence Agency. Officials remain in discussions with the EU to explore this. Any potential future UK commitment – financial or otherwise – will ensure value for taxpayers and support wider defence priorities.

Whether his Department has an agreed target spend with SMEs.

The Ministry of Defence has set an ambitious target to increase direct and indirect spending by 50% compared to FY 23/24 baseline. This increase in total spend would equate to £2.5 billion total spend increase with Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to £7.5 billion by May 2028.

Over the period since its first commissioning, what proportion of days HMS Prince of Wales has been at sea.

We do not comment on the detailed readiness or availability of individual units for operational security reasons.

What steps they are taking to increase the amount of UK made steel used in procurement contracts overseen by their Department.

This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry. The sector provides vital support to the UK’s defence capabilities, including specialist cast and forged steel components for a range of defence programmes. The department publishes its future pipeline for steel requirements, enabling UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for upcoming contracts.The National Security Strategy, Strategic Defence Review, and Defence Industrial Strategy set out how a strong industrial base is critical for maintaining our national security infrastructure. While steel used in our major Defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, Ministry of Defence (MOD) procurement activity will continue to apply PPN 022, a policy aimed at increasing the use of British-produced steel in public contracts. The MOD also supports the recently published UK Steel Strategy which sets out a long-term plan to revitalise the UK steel sector and restore domestic production to sustainable levels.

In each of the last 10 years, how many members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have died while a) undertaking training or b) while on active service.

One member of the Royal Fleet Auxillary is recorded as dying on duty by accident or injury in the past 10 years; this occurred in 2019. All on duty deaths are investigated by the appropriate body such as the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch, Defence Accident Investigation Branch, or civilian police where necessary.

What proportion of roles are primarily land based for a) the whole Royal Navy and b) the Catering Services branch of the Royal Navy.

It has not been possible to provide the answer within the timeframe given, I will write to the hon. Member as soon as practical and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Whether members of the Armed Forces who a) are absent without leave and b) have deserted remain eligible to receive pay, pensionable benefits, allowances, or other benefits during the period of their absence.

Armed Forces Personnel who are Absent Without Leave or who have Deserted are not eligible to receive pay, pensionable benefits, allowances, or other financial benefits during the period of their absence.

What was the size of the armed forces was on (a) 24 February 2022 and (b) 6 April 2026.

As of 1 October 2025, Armed Forces intake was greater than outflow. This is the first time in four years, and this welcome trend continues in the latest data. As of 1 January 2026, compared to 12 months ago, the overall strength of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force had increased by over 1%, and the Army’s had increased by 0.2%. For all three Services, intake is increasing and outflow is reducing. Figures relating to Armed Forces strengths are published in the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics, the most recent edition of which can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2026. The closest published editions to the dates requested are 1 April 2022 and 1 January 2026; the size of the Armed Forces on those dates were, respectively, 196,244 and 182,052.

What is the turnover rate for each of the last 5 years in a) the whole Royal Navy and b) the Catering Services branch of the Royal Navy.

The Ministry of Defence regularly publishes outflow and voluntary outflow statistics at Service level, with the latest statistics available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2026 However, granular data, including on the turnover rate for the Royal Navy Catering Services Specialisation, is not available in the format requested. As part of wider efforts to support retention and workforce sustainability, the Royal Navy has implemented the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body recommendation for targeted retention payments for the Royal Navy Catering Services, applications have been accepted since July 2025.

How many days of maintenance on Royal Navy vessels were lost due to nearby nesting birds in the last 12 months.

No days of maintenance on Royal Navy vessels were lost due to nearby nesting birds in the last 12 months.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the defence posture of the Falkland Islands in the context of statements by (a) the President of Argentina on 2 April 2026 and (b) the US President in March 2026 on military support to allies.

The UK is steadfast in its support for the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination. As the Strategic Defence Review set out, a core role for Defence is the protection of the UK’s Overseas Territories, which includes maintaining a defensive military posture in the Falkland Islands. We review that posture regularly to ensure it is appropriately scaled to ensure the security of the Islands.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122333 on Armed Forces: Workplace Pensions, by which date does he plan to conclude the work with the scheme administrator to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to issuing all members with their RSS as quickly as possible and is working with the scheme administrator to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs. Once a timeline has been finalised, this will be communicated with members.The Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) continues to provide quarterly updates of progress and volumes of Remedy cases completed to date on gov.uk and in the Quarterly Digest.The next quarterly update will be published on gov.uk at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#remediable-service-statement-delivery-update

What is the a) target timeframe and b) current timeframe for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme to implement divorce pension-sharing orders.

The statutory period to implement a standard Pension Sharing Order (PSO) is four months. However, the McCloud Remedy has made pension sharing in divorce cases more complex, as the correct valuation depends on a member’s final Remedy choice for service between 2015 and 2022.While guidance exists for standard PSOs, some older, complex cases require careful handling to ensure legal compliance and avoid errors. As a result, these cases take longer to resolve than standard ones. It is not possible to provide a definitive timeline for complex PSOs, as each case is different.To ensure fairness, all cases are handled in the order they are received, with prioritisation applied only when legally required. Each case is carefully managed and reviewed to prevent errors and ensure decisions withstand external scrutiny. The Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) continues to provide quarterly updates of progress and volumes of Remedy cases completed to date on gov.uk and in the Quarterly Digest. The next quarterly update will be published on gov.uk at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#remediable-service-statement-delivery-update

When the list of Ministry of Defence acronyms and abbreviations was last reviewed, and when the next update is expected to be published.

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) terminology database, known as 'Reference Data Manager' (RDM) is maintained by a dedicated team which continuously reviews and updates entries based on both direct and indirect engagement across MOD.

How many armed forces personnel, who were serving as of 01 January 2026, had legacy accruals under (a) AFPS75 and (b) AFPS05.

As of 1 January 2026, 22,600 Armed Forces personnel had legacy pension accruals under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 (AFPS75), and 38,115 had accruals under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 (AFPS05).