Andrew Snowden MP: written questions
4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026
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Our reporting years run from 4 July to 3 July, starting with the 2024 general election. They are not official parliamentary sessions. Office costs keep IPSA’s April–March financial years. Records may cover only part of a year; a missing record does not mean no work was done.
Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.
76 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Typhoon AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14517More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 44 of the Defence Investment Plan, if he will provide a breakdown of the £5.4 billion expenditure on the Typhoon capability element.
Answer: The £5.4 billion Typhoon spend detailed in the DIP comprises the planned spend to maintain and upgrade the UK’s 107 Typhoons. It includes radar, communications, and software upgrades, new defensive aids systems, and improvements to weapons systems such as...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14499More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any Ministry of Defence programmes have been delayed, cancelled or rescoped as a consequence of budgetary constraints since July 2024.
Answer: Since July 2024, the Department has not recorded any programme cancellations that were directly attributable to budgetary constraints. However, the Ministry of Defence routinely reviews its programme portfolio to ensure the Armed Forces receive the capabi...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HousingMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to recruit and develop the required specialist skills to deliver the Defence Housing Strategy.
Answer: The new Defence Housing Service will enable the additional focus, specialist expertise and changed culture to deliver a significantly expanded renewal and development programme set out in the Defence Housing Strategy. The Interim Chair of the Defence Hous...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HousingMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12858More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the total capital investment required to bring the Service Family Accommodation estate up to the standard envisaged in the Defence Housing Strategy.
Answer: The Secretary of State for Defence reaffirmed the commitment to the £9 billion overall funding envelope assigned to the implementation of the recommendations in the Defence Housing Strategy, with the publication of the Defence Investment Plan on 30 June 2...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HousingMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12857More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to publish a detailed timetable for the refurbishment, redevelopment and rebuilding of Service Family Accommodation properties acquired through the repurchase agreement with Annington Property Ltd
Answer: Under the Defence Housing Service, the Department will report annually to Parliament on how Defence family homes perform against the Decent Homes Standard and any additional standards set by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The D...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HousingMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12856More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the total cost of the 2024 repurchase of approximately 36,000 Service Family Accommodation properties from Annington Property Ltd, including transaction and advisory costs.
Answer: The total cost of the 2024 repurchase of 36,347 Service Family Accommodation properties from Annington Property Ltd, was £5.99 billion with additional transaction, advisory and legal costs of £ 6.6 million.
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMilitary Aircraft: HelicoptersMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11023More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the Fleet Helicopter Support Unit contract to Royal Navy readiness.
Answer: The Fleet Helicopter Support Unit (FHSU) contract makes a significant contribution to Royal Navy readiness by providing essential maritime rotary‑wing support, including training, safety and readiness checks and wider aviation generation tasks. A new FHSU...
Answered 26 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTyphoon Aircraft: EnginesMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11019More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of work undertaken under the Typhoon Engine Support Solution contract will be carried out within the UK.
Answer: The Typhoon Engine Support Solution (TESS) contract is the UK national support solution for the EJ200 engine. Within the TESS contract, Rolls-Royce, as prime contractor, sources spares and repairs from the other Partner Nations within the EuroJet (EJ) con...
Answered 26 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTyphoon AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11016More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of RAF Typhoon aircraft are available for operational tasking.
Answer: There are currently 95 aircraft in the Typhoon Forward Fleet. The Forward Fleet comprises serviceable and short-term unserviceable aircraft. Typically, the short-term unserviceable fleet aircraft are undergoing minor works, forward maintenance or other un...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtillery: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11015More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the RCH 155 programme's value will be delivered by UK-based companies.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 June 2026 to Question 4686 to the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock (James McMurdock): Approximately 33% of the UK Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) platform value will be in the UK...
Answered 26 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtillery: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 11014More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RCH 155 systems the Army plans to procure under the Mobile Fires Platform programme.
Answer: The UK is procuring 72 RCH 155 platforms under a contract worth nearly £1 billion, supporting at least 500 British jobs.
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: FinanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9141More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish the Defence Investment Plan on armed forces morale.
Answer: Work to finalise the Defence Investment Plan is continuing at pace, and the Prime Minister has been clear that he is determined to publish the DIP before the NATO summit in July. Morale in the Armed Forces increased in the last survey, and we have announc...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: Higher EducationMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 8393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any of the courses funded by the Strategic Priorities Grant will require students to obtain security clearance.
Answer: The Strategic Priorities Grant funds additional capacity from home-fee students in level 4 to 6 engineering and computing courses. The nature of these undergraduate degrees and technical qualifications does not require access to classified information and...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: Higher EducationMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 8392More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the geographical distribution of the additional student places funded through the Strategic Priorities Grant competition.
Answer: As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy skills package, the Ministry of Defence is investing £80 million into the Strategic Priorities Grant. This is administered by the Office for Students (OfS), who are responsible for designing and evaluating the co...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HousingMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 8391More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of family accommodation for defence personnel.
Answer: As of 1 June 2026, 96.2% of Service Family Accommodation properties meet or exceed the Decent Homes Standard.The Department is delivering a step change in the quality and management of military housing through implementing the recommendations of the Defen...
Answered 16 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordMilitary Bases: CateringMinistry of DefenceTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5770More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, If he will make it his policy to ban meat products from all defence establishments which have been produced using non-stunned slaughter.
Answer: The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. We respect the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. The National Procurement Policy Statement underscores the government...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: DeploymentMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the readiness levels of the armed forces.
Answer: We inherited a hollowed out and underfunded Armed Forces. The Strategic Defence Review sets out a path to war fighting readiness, and the Defence Investment Plan will set out the capabilities required to deliver the Strategic Defence Review. The readiness...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSweden: Military AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4589More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Swedish fighter jet agreement on the future of the Global Combat Air Programme.
Answer: The UK and Sweden are proud to work together on Gripen. The recent export successes are a testament to UK and Swedish expertise and will provide hundreds of millions of pounds of benefits to our supply chain businesses. We will continue to support Gripen ...
Answered 3 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSweden: Military AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4588More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Swedish fighter jet deal on defence jobs in (i) the UK and (ii) Lancashire.
Answer: The Sweden-led export of Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine will provide Ukrainian forces with modern, agile, and highly capable multirole air combat platforms. It also represents a step change in defence industrial cooperation. This initiative will strengthe...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Government backing future British defence unicorns published on 19 May 2026, what steps he is taking to ensure fair competition between established firms
Answer: The defence unicorns were selected by the Defence Secretary through the Commercial X function to deliver specific projects which align strongly with the objectives of the Defence Industrial Strategy, including the need to innovate at wartime pace, grow th...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: FinanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3128More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the Defence Investment Plan has not yet been published.
Answer: We are working to finalise the Defence Investment Plan (DIP). We will publish it as soon as we can, but our aim is to ensure decisions in the DIP are robust and support the development of both current and future capabilities, helping to drive the transfor...
Answered 28 May 2026
Original Parliament recordReserve ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether former reservists subject to recall under the Armed Forces Bill will apply retrospectively to Reservists who served before the bill passed.
Answer: Former reservists who left before the Armed Forces Bill 2026 was passed will not be subject to recall retrospectively. However, those who have left service may choose to opt in to recall liability if they wish. Those personnel who are currently serving wi...
Answered 27 May 2026
Original Parliament recordWarships: Medical EquipmentMinistry of DefenceTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide an estimate as to when the Medical Navy Persistent Operational Deployment System (NavyPODS) will be available for use by the Royal Navy.
Answer: The Medical Navy Persistent Operational Deployment System (NavyPODS) is currently in development as part of the Royal Navy’s wider efforts to enhance deployed medical capability and increase operational flexibility. Delivery timelines remain subject to on...
Answered 27 May 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: CybersecurityMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107491More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many students have enrolled in the Defence Digital and Cyber Bursary scheme in each academic year since it was launched; and how many of those students are based in Lancashire.
Answer: 285 new students have enrolled in the latest cohort, taking the total number of students to 500. This follows an announcement in October 2025, where the Ministry of Defence expanded the scheme to 500 fully funded places for college-age students across Lan...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: CybersecurityMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107490More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding has been allocated to the Defence Digital and Cyber Bursary scheme since its inception; and what proportion of that funding has been spent to date.
Answer: To date, £2 million has been allocated to this scheme, of which £1.2 million has already been spent. A further £0.8 million is scheduled to be released within the next two weeks to support the latest intake.
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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