Written questions by Qureshi.

What progress has been made in developing King’s Guard’s hats made of faux-fur.

The Department has not yet identified a synthetic alternative that meets the standards required to provide an effective replacement for bearskin ceremonial caps. However, the Ministry of Defence remains committed to finding a synthetic alternative and continues to welcome submissions of test results, from a testing house accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, on synthetic alternatives that meet our criteria for a suitable, affordable and sustainable alternative to bearskin caps.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing levels of defence spending on (a) employment and (b) investment in Bolton.

We are ensuring UK defence is on the cutting-edge of technology and innovation, with Defence spending meeting our military needs, supporting 434,000 jobs across the breadth of the UK and increasing the productive capacity of the UK economy to drive sustainable, long-term growth. The increase in defence spending will fund critical investments in areas like autonomous systems, AI, cyber, rebuilding stockpiles and munition reserves, and therefore will support the security and resilience of the whole of the UK, including Bolton. The full details will be set out in the Strategic Defence Review.

With reference to the Written Statement of 1 February 2024 on Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy Scheme Update, HCWS233, whether he plans to investigate the reasons for the inconsistent application of ARAP criteria for members of (a) CF333 and (b) ATF444.

I am deeply concerned that many members of CF333 and ATF444 (the Triples) - our friends and allies - who should be eligible for ARAP remain in grave circumstances. As such, my clear focus is getting the Triples Review back on track and bringing all those individuals receiving overturned decisions to safety in the UK. I have been working closely with officials since my Ministerial appointment to put in place the necessary conditions to get this right and ensure that the ARAP criteria are applied consistently across all applications in scope. I fully intend to update the House on the review as soon as possible.