← Back to feed
Luke Akehurst
LAB✓ Current MP
🏛️ North Durham
📅 2024–2026
101 speeches on Hansard record
✅ Votes attended: 76.65% (#255 of 650 MPs)
🟢 Rebelled against party: 0.00%
📝 Topics: Guided Weapons, Apprentices: Finance, Guided Weapons: Procurement
🤝 Member of 14 All-Party Parliamentary Groups
Written Answers
← Back to speeches
Cabinet Office
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what comparative assessment he has made of the resilience of a broadcast-based digital terrestrial television platform with an internet-only service during (a) widespread power outages, (b) cyber incidents, and (c) other emergencies; and what contingency…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when homeland defence plans were last reviewed.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to publish guidance to the public on action to take in the days following an armed attack on the UK by another state.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what cross-government policies exist on procuring UK-made vehicles for use by Government Departments.
View full answer ↗
Department for Business and Trade
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of the Motability Scheme in supporting the automotive sector in the North East.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the United States’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act; and whether he plans to introduce similar legislation.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to simplify audit requirements for quoted companies.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that audit requirements are accessible and affordable for small and mid-sized quoted companies.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to reform corporate reporting requirements to support economic growth and competitiveness.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps are being taken to prevent organisations with extreme proximity to sanctioned groups, individuals, and jurisdictions from establishing UK-registered companies.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the time taken to award compensation payments to victims of the Horizon Scandal.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of public complaint records from the Hong Kong Ombudsman Office’s online archive on UK businesses operating in that country.
View full answer ↗
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the (a) one-off and (b) ongoing costs to households, including those with low incomes and in fuel poverty, of a switch-off of the digital terrestrial television network, including (i) new set-top boxes, (ii)…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of switching off digital terrestrial television on levels of digital and social exclusion among older people, disabled people, those on low incomes and people in rural areas; and what…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress has the Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum made.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government has carried out scenario testing of the potential impact of the switch-off of digital terrestrial television on emergency communications.
View full answer ↗
Department for Education
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that reintroduced maintenance grants reach students who need them most; what proportion of the student population will be eligible for support; and what steps she is taking to ensure take-up rates among students from…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the (a) revenue from the international student levy on higher education providers’ income from international students and (b) cost of introducing maintenance grants for the most disadvantaged students.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will extend funding for the holiday activities and food programme beyond 21 March 2025.
View full answer ↗
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits to North Durham constituency of returning the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme Investment Reserve to members.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the level of the UK’s reliance on Chinese technology in (a) solar panels, (b) wind power generation and (c) batteries.
View full answer ↗
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87510 on Internet: Children and Young People, when the Media Literacy Vision Statement will be published.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which (a) Department and (b) Minister will lead on the online guidance hub for parents and carers on children and young people’s online safety and the Media Literacy Vision Statement.
View full answer ↗
Department for Transport
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Motability Scheme in supporting the work to meet ZEV mandate targets.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of barriers to transport faced by disabled people across the UK on disabled people; and what steps are being taken to deliver transport equity for disabled people.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the risk that electric buses operating in the UK could be remotely rendered inoperable via their internet-connected systems by hostile state actors.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on how their Departments' procurement policies can support UK vehicle manufacturers to meet the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) insurance requirements and (b) enforcement mechanisms are in place for (a) private hire and (b) delivery drivers.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of planned East Coast Main Line timetable change in December 2025 on local rail services in (a) County Durham and (b) the North East.
View full answer ↗
Department for Work and Pensions
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026 on workforce development in public services, including the NHS.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026 on trends in the level of social mobility for people from low-income households.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026 on regional inequality (a) in County Durham and (b) England.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence his Department used to inform its decision to amend eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026; and if she will publish that evidence.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what alternative progression routes he plans to put in place for experienced staff affected by the cut to Level 7 apprenticeship funding who cannot afford postgraduate study but are expected to operate at senior professional or leadership level.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with employers on the level of support for retention, succession planning and productivity for jobs affected by the potential impact of changes to eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026 on raising the status and attractiveness of technical and vocational pathways relative to academic options.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the role of the Motability Scheme in supporting service personnel and disabled veterans and to access transport solutions.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to protect NHS workers from occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help prevent retaliatory actions against staff who have made internal disclosures about disability discrimination.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether government departments meet duties to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled staff.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Health Adjustment Passport in supporting disabled people to (a) enter and (b) remain in employment.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will introduce Access to Work Adjustment Passports for all claimants.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the backlog of cases within the Child Maintenance Service; and what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to (a) process new applications and (b) resolve disputes.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is provided to Child Maintenance Service caseworkers to ensure fair treatment of non-resident parents for (a) complex or disputed and (b) other cases.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Child Maintenance Service does not deduct excessive amounts from non-resident parents.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve transparency in Child Maintenance Service (a) calculations and (b) deductions (i) in general and (ii) where deductions from earnings orders are applied.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the importance of furniture provision as an element of the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 to ensure that hazardous medicinal products with reprotoxic effects are controlled to the same standard…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to promote the use of (a) engineering controls, (b) biological safety cabinets and (c) closed‑system drug‑transfer devices during the (i) preparation and (ii) administration of hazardous medicinal products; and…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he will require NHS employers to provide ongoing (a) education, (b) training and (c) health surveillance for all staff who (i) handle and (ii) may be exposed to hazardous medicinal products.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to (a) (i) develop and (ii) adopt a list of hazardous medicinal products and (b) require safety data sheets for finished medicines; and if he will take steps with the Health and Safety Executive to make such a list…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of young people out of work, education and training in North Durham constituency.
View full answer ↗
Department of Health and Social Care
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing Level 7 apprenticeship funding on the delivery of the (a) NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and (b) Fit for the Future 10 Year Health Plan.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help improve Tourette syndrome services in every region.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) diagnostic and (b) treatment pathways for Tourette syndrome in areas of England that do not have a dedicated service.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) include Tourette syndrome in neurodevelopmental strategy work and (b) mandate Integrated Care Boards to establish diagnostic and treatment pathways similar to those for autism and epilepsy.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that Integrated Care Boards provide clear diagnostic and treatment pathways for children and adults with Tourette syndrome.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the absence of a regular, comprehensive national workforce census on neurology workforce planning; and if he will commit to establishing such a census.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Association of British Neurologists’ Workforce Report 2025, which shows that the UK has approximately 1–2 consultant neurologists per 100,000…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is his Department taking to increase neurology specialty training posts and consultant neurologist numbers.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increased funding and planning for the neurology workforce; and what steps his Department is taking to increase neurology specialty training posts and consultant numbers.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the views and lived experience of teenagers and young adults with cancer are being incorporated into his forthcoming national cancer plan; and how their involvement will be reflected in the plan’s…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the first-wave Neighbourhood Health Centre sites have prioritised neurology within a) initial service plans and b) delivery models.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance has been issued to Neighbourhood Health Centre sites on integrating specialist neurology services with neighbourhood-based care teams.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve glioblastoma survival rates.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when people with brain cancer will have access to personalised vaccines as part of their NHS treatment.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has commissioned on (a) reproductive health outcomes and (b) long‑term health effects of the occupational exposure of nursing staff to hazardous medicinal products; and what estimate he has made of the cost…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) nurses and (b) other healthcare professionals exposed to hazardous medicinal products.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to improve service provision for people with (a) Tourette's syndrome and (b) other tic disorders in the North East.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including Primary Progressive Aphasia in the list of conditions requiring nationally commissioned services.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Biggest investment into hospices in a generation, dated 19 December 2024, how much of the £100 million funding will be allocated to the North East and North Cumbria integrated…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce (a) mandatory training and (b) policies on surgical fires within all NHS hospital settings.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients requiring radiotherapy start their treatment with 31 days of a doctor deciding on their treatment plan.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NHS long-term health plan complements the National Cancer Strategy in the context of the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of (i) radiographers and (ii) radiologists.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with local partners to ensure the availability of (a) parenting and (b) other programmes to improve the mental health of (i) infants, (ii) children and (iii) young people mental health.
View full answer ↗
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK will join France in calling for the resignation of UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories Ms. Francesca Albanese.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the human rights situation in Nicaragua.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK objected to the recent election of Abbas Tajik of Iran as a Vice-Chair to the Bureau for the sixty-fifth session of the UN's Commission for Social Development.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer to Question 104985, whether the Government is aware of which independent audit firm the Palestinian Authority has contracted to complete the review of curriculum reform.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 98592, what independent audit firm the Palestinian Authority has contracted to complete the review of curriculum reform; and which grades that audit will cover.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to review elements of UK support for the Palestinian Authority in the context of textbooks for the 2025–26 school year.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 79968, whether she plans to publish the findings of the independent audit of Palestinian Authority curriculum reform.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 79968 on Palestine: Education, what discussions his Department has had with the Palestinian Authority on seeking an independent audit into the implementation of the…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of whether the Palestinian Authority's decision to end the martyr payment system, announced in February 2025, has been implemented.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled UK-Occupied Palestinian Territories development partnership summary July 2023, published on 17 July 2023, whether the Palestinian Authority has informed…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken with international partners to encourage international humanitarian access to Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterparts on the right of the Tibetan Buddhist authorities to select the successor to the Dalai Lama without interference.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether the Myanmar military is violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 2417 in (a) Rakhine State and (b) other places.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure UK aid to Myanmar (a) reaches people impacted by the recent earthquake and (b) is not intercepted by the military regime.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether a proportion of UK aid to Myanmar will be ringfenced for healthcare provision.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the nuclear weapon capabilities of the People’s Republic of China in (a) 2015 and (b) 2025.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department’s policy paper entitled UK-Occupied Palestinian Territories development partnership summary July 2023, published on 17 July 2023, whether he has made an assessment of trends in…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure the stability of the (a) hostage and (b) ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure the release of (i) Keith Siegel and (ii) other hostages with links to the UK.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 23546, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the Kamtok Dam project.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether drones have been used by the military regime against civilians in Myanmar.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of China's Kamtok Dam project on the (a) environment, (b) society and (c) economy in Tibet.
View full answer ↗
Home Office
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2026 to Question 117978 on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, how many registrations have been entered on the enhanced tier since the scheme's inception; and which countries have been identified on…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many registrations have been made under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme; and how many of those registrations have included the Islamic Republic of Iran.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will develop a transnational repression framework to enable the police to recognise and tackle transnational repression.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the siting and operation of the proposed new vehicle base will improve the logistical servicing of Derwentside IRC; and what interim arrangements are being made to improve escorting and transport moves to and from Derwentside IRC.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people who act as (a) anchors, (b) presenters and (c) regular contributors for Press TV are required to register under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Islamic Human Rights Commission is required to register under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations have been opened under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme into (a) the Islamic Human Rights Commission, in the context of Iran’s Al-Quds Day in the UK, (b) David Miller, in the context of the Iranian state…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason she considers that further legislation is required to help tackle threats of terrorism by (a) the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and (b) other state bodies.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to create a new power of proscription to cover state threats.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what demographic information is held about the subjects of DBS checks in England and Wales.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to help stop (a) Palestine Action’s direct action training days and (b) the spread of violent direct action training materials.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the adequacy of legislation related to the policing of the operations of (a) Palestine Action and (b) other direct action groups.
View full answer ↗
Ministry of Defence
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the difference in time horizons between venture capital of three to four years, and defence procurement cycles that exceed a decade, on private investment in the domestic defence sector.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has examined options for cooperation with France on the M51.4 submarine‑launched missile.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of serving British soldiers are classified as medically fit for immediate deployment; and how this compares to NATO readiness benchmarks.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether contractual mechanisms exist to recover costs if Ajax is cancelled; and what is the estimated financial exposure to the MoD.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what investigations are underway into the safety case for Ajax and the decision-making process that led to Initial Operating Capability being signed off.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the timetable expected for a full safety report into Ajax family vehicles.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of converting Type 31 frigates into air‑defence or land‑attack variants through installation of Mk41 Vertical Launch Systems.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of delays to Challenger 3, Boxer, RCH155 and the Protected Mobility fleet on the British Army’s war‑fighting ability.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that original equipment manufacturers pay their supply‑chain suppliers within 30 days; what reporting and transparency requirements apply to foreign prime contractors in respect of their payment…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department takes to help ensure that overseas‑owned original equipment manufacturers keep work in the UK supply chain in the event of delays or pauses to defence programmes.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many large-scale brigade-level live exercises have been conducted by the armed forces in the previous five years; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of those exercises on operational readiness.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the retention payment introduced by the armed forces to private soldiers and lance corporals in 2025 on recruitment and retention of personnel.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the medical capacity of the armed forces.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure sufficient artillery ammunition stockpiles for sustained operations in a peer-on-peer conflict.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the total value of recent UK warship exports, including those of the Type 26 and Type 31 frigate programmes.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the levels of demand among allied navies for specialised anti-submarine warfare frigates.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the UK shipbuilding industry to sustain the production of complex warships.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adapting Type 31 frigates for enhanced air defence or strike roles to support carrier operations.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of cancelling the Ajax programme on planned British Army equipment numbers.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of war stocks held by the British Army to replace damaged or destroyed equipment in a high-intensity conflict.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the equipment that would be required to enable a UK Army division to operate as a war-fighting formation.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for this policies of the absence of a mechanised infantry combat vehicle in British Army equipment plans.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether anti-submarine warfare is the primary operational focus of the Royal Navy for the foreseeable future.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for UK maritime security of the United States Navy placing increased strategic emphasis on the Pacific region.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department expects to incur any cost of safety trials for Ajax vehicles.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps is his Department is taking to ensure interoperability of Type 26 frigates across UK, Canadian, and Norwegian fleets.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with Canada, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands on cooperation in the North Atlantic in connection with the Atlantic Bastion concept.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role general-purpose frigates within the Royal Navy will have following the development of the Atlantic Bastion concept.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates are expected to be available for operations in the North Atlantic in support of the Atlantic Bastion concept.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure future armoured vehicle programmes secure intellectual property rights to avoid sole-source support contracts.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with industry stakeholders on mitigating the impact of delays to the Defence Investment Plan on investment planning.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of F-35As that need to be procured to undertake training for the wider UK F-35 fleet and perform the tactical nuclear delivery mission.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of the announcement that 12 F-35As will be bought, beyond the £1.1 billion already announced, once weapons, simulators, and infrastructure are taken into account.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are any formal agreements in place with allied nations for the provision of ground-based air defence for the UK homeland.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on developing a policy for the active engagement of unmanned aerial systems.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has reviewed existing command arrangements for ground-based air defence in relation to the protection of critical national infrastructure.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has assessed the role of air defence artillery systems in countering unmanned aerial systems.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of current UK stockpiles of short-range ground-based air defence missiles compared with stock levels held in 2022.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Starstreak and Lightweight Modular Missiles have been ordered since 2022 to replace stocks donated to Ukraine.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many additional Aster 30 missiles have been ordered for the Type 45 destroyer fleet since 2022.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s ground-based air defence capability in the event of the UK having to operate without direct United States support.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of planned expenditure on UK Integrated Air and Missile Defence during the current Parliament will be allocated to effectors, as opposed to sensors and command-and-control systems.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether spending on UK ground-based air defence and Integrated Air and Missile Defence effectors will be deferred until the 2030s.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) current and (b) planned capabilities the UK has for defence against attacks by (i) cruise missiles, (ii) drone swarms and (iii) ballistic missiles.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many unmanned aerial vehicles the armed forces have procured in 2025 and will procure in 2026.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to expand the Short-Range and Medium-Range Air Defence launcher fleet beyond the eight Sky Sabre units set out in the Strategic Defence Review.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the replacement for Hawk fast jet trainer aircraft will be manufactured in the UK.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the UK’s ability to sustain production of major defence equipment during a high-intensity conflict without reliance on overseas supply chains.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the UK’s ability to improve Challenger 3 production rates.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to expand the UK industrial footprint for Boxer vehicle assembly to increase surge capacity in the event of a prolonged conflict.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential operational risks arising from reliance on funding from European allies in Ground-Based Air Defence and Integrated Air and Missile Defence.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current lead times are for procuring new tanks, artillery systems and missile platform and how do those times compare to other NATO countries; and what steps he is taking to reduce those timelines.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on reducing procurement timelines for major military platforms from six years to two.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether additional 155mm artillery shell production orders will be placed with BAE Systems’ Washington plant.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of whether current and planned orders for Starstreak and Lightweight Modular Missiles are sufficient to replenish stockpiles provided to Ukraine.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status is of the Remote Controlled Howitzer (RCH) 155 gun system programme.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on adapting Type 45 destroyers to carry Sea Ceptor missiles.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status is of the Future Combat Air System Tempest programme.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status is of the New Medium Helicopter programme.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status is of the SKYNET 6 programme.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on the Land Precision Strike programme.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2024 to Question 69090 on Challenger Tanks: Supply Chains, what proportion of the (a) UK Challenger 3 work will be in the tier 2 supply chain and (b) lead consortium work will be undertaken in the North East.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what components of the Challenger 3 will have been manufactured in the UK; and what other industrial processes associated with the programme will have taken place in the UK during its (a) demonstration and (b) manufacturing phase.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the Ajax programme supply chain is based in the North East.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the supply chain for the Boxer programme is based in the (a) UK and (b) North East.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the supply chain for the Challenger 3 programme is based in the (a) UK and (b) North East.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for developing the deep precision strike capability with Germany.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Ministers next plan to meet their Australian counterparts.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the policy paper entitled Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) 2024: joint statement, published on 17 December 2024, what progress he has made on exploring enhanced collaboration on Land Mobility Platforms.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of direct action taken by Palestine Action on the (a) defence sector and (b) adequacy of the supply of assets to the Armed Forces.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the (a) design, (b) manufacture and (c) support for Type 83 destroyers will be carried out by UK companies.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Type 83 destroyer programme on (a) sovereign capabilities, (b) supply chain involvement and (c) social value.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on procuring UK-made vehicles for his Department’s White Fleet.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his speech delivered at the ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January 2025, what progress he has made on the Snapper system.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his speech delivered at the ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January 2025, what progress he has made on the Wasp system.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his speech delivered at the ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January 2025, what progress he has made on the Gravehawk system.
View full answer ↗
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Ministry has to support economic growth in former coalfield communities; and what discussions he has had with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust on its proposal for £50 million of match-funded capital…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on former coalfield communities not covered by the Pride in Place programme of current government growth funding; and what consideration has been given to the Coalfields…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Pride in Place funding on the Stanley South neighbourhood in North Durham constituency.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department have made of the levels of furniture poverty in North Durham; and what assessment he has made of the potential role of furnished tenancies in tackling such poverty.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to mandate that at least 10% of social homes be let as furnished; and if his Department will make an assessment of the feasibility of such a policy.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to make provision for a portion 1.5 million homes planned to be built over the course of the Parliament to be let as furnished.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing mission critical neighbourhoods, as defined by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, on the effectiveness of the Government's policies on…
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she expects to receive the final report of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to revert the voting system for (a) mayoral and (b) Police and Crime Commissioner elections to the supplementary vote system.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to remove the requirement to present voter ID at polling stations.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to remove the requirement to provide a National Insurance number when registering for a postal vote.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to remove the requirement to renew postal vote applications every three years.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in levels of retail and commercial units that are vacant in (a) Chester-le-Street, (b) Stanley and (c) England.
View full answer ↗
Ministry of Justice
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the population of England and Wales has a criminal record.
View full answer ↗
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal aid provision in cases relating to disputes in the benefits system.
View full answer ↗
Treasury
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure small and mid-sized quoted companies (a) invest in and (b) are listed in the UK.
View full answer ↗