Ben Obese-Jecty MP: written questions

Written questions by answering department

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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4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality. Published records do not measure effort or effectiveness. Methodology.

Department or topic	Published records
Attorney General	12
Cabinet Office	109
Department for Business and Trade	60
Department for Culture, Media and Sport	28
Department for Education	58
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero	45
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	53
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	137
Department for Transport	93
Department for Work and Pensions	13
Department of Health and Social Care	87
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office	124
Home Office	313
Ministry of Defence	2023
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government	61
Ministry of Justice	178
Northern Ireland Office	2
Treasury	56

2023 published records · newest first.

Written questions

Merlin HelicoptersMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10778More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the current flight status of the Royal Navy’s Merlin Mk.4 fleet following the crash in Sourton, Devon on 3 June 2025.
Answer: Following the loss of a Merlin Mk4 (Me4) (ZJ131) on 3 June 2026, Me4 flying was paused and an investigation was directed. A return to flying of the Me4 fleet was authorised on 10 June 2026 post analysis of the initial evidence. The safety investigation is...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
F-35 Aircraft: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10777More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact on future F-35 procurement of the availability of low rate initial production material within the production chain.
Answer: The F-35 supply chain, including production material, is managed by the F-35 Joint Programme Office via the two F-35 prime contractors; Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney. The production planning process aligns requirements with supply chain capacity...
Answered 26 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Challenger TanksMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10769More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of unresolved turret gearbox issues on the delivery timeline of Challenger 3.
Answer: Challenger 3 remains in the Demonstration phase. The design continues to be refined by the manufacturer to ensure the vehicle meets its required performance standards. As design maturity has improved, the Prime Contractor has refined elements of the desig...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
F-35 Aircraft: Repairs and MaintenanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made in upgrading the power and thermal management system (PTMS) of the F-35B Lightning II.
Answer: The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) continue to explore a number of options for F-35B Enhanced Power and Cooling Systems. Once options are fully explored it will be a decision for the F-35 Program Partners on which to adopt.
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Unmanned Air Systems: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Malloy Aeronautics T-150 heavy lift UAVs have been procured for a) Ukrainian Armed Forces and b) British Armed Forces since 5 July 2024.
Answer: Since 5 July 2024, the Ministry of Defence has procured 175 Malloy Aeronautics T-150 heavy lift uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and 20 for the United Kingdom Armed Forces.
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Defence: Artificial IntelligenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10475More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps has he taken to use machine learning to train defence AI in targeting based on the current Ukrainian targeting dataset.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is drawing on lessons from Ukraine’s experience of modern warfare, particularly in the use of data and artificial intelligence. These insights are shaping our capability development, enhancing support for communications infrastruct...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Russia: ShippingMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2026 to question 6167 on Russia: Shipping, whether the maritime interdiction of the Russian Shadow Fleet vessel SMYRTOS was conducted under Article 110 of UNCLOS.
Answer: The interdiction of the vessel SMYRTOS was conducted in accordance with domestic and international law, including under Article 110 of UNCLOS.
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Hawk Aircraft: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2026 to question 6942 on Hawk Aircraft, what was the percentage of Final Fatigue Index used for a) XX159 and b) XX301 at the time they were deregistered and retired from service.
Answer: The final percentage of fatigue index when the airframes were deregistered and retired from service was as follows:XX159 70.81%XX301 68.98%
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Hawk Aircraft: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2026 to question 6942 on Hawk Aircraft, on what dates were (a) XX159 and (b) XX301 deregistered and retired from service.
Answer: XX159 entered Service in January 1979 and was retired from Service and deregistered in May 2025. XX301 entered Service in February 1980 and was retired from Service and deregistered in September 2025. I can confirm both platforms that have been retired en...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Defence: Cost EffectivenessMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the £3.5 billion of in-year efficiency savings to be made within his Department is included within the cost envelope for the Defence Investment Plan.
Answer: Work to finalise the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) will continue at pace with the new Defence Secretary, and the Prime Minister has been clear that he is determined to publish the DIP before the NATO summit in July.
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Defence: ExpenditureMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10462More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the size of the defence budget deficit was in 2010-11.
Answer: In their report of 21 July 2010, the NAO estimated that the shortfall between the estimated defence budget and the forward defence spending programme was between £6 billion and £36 billion over 10 years, depending on the budget assumptions used.
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
F-35 AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2026 to question 6959 on F-35 Aircraft, what progress he has made on facilitating the ability of the Lightning Force to deliver tactical mission set 3.
Answer: Fitted with the AN/APG-81 radar and BAE Systems AN/ASQ-239 system the F-35B has powerful Electronic Attack and Radar Jamming capabilities to suppress and disrupt adversary radars. It can also geolocate those adversary radar systems at range and share this...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Challenger Tanks: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10346More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of engineering problems caused by gearboxes on the delivery timeline of Challenger 3.
Answer: Challenger 3 remains in the Demonstration phase. The design continues to be refined by the manufacturer to ensure the vehicle meets its required performance standards. As design maturity has improved, the Prime Contractor has refined elements of the desig...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Nuclear Weapons: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10074More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2026 to Question 7775 on Defence Nuclear Enterprise, what is the (a) whole life cost, (b) 2025-26 cost and (c) 2026-27 budget for Astraea.
Answer: As the Astraea programme is in its early development, it is too early to provide an accurate whole life cost estimate. Cost estimates are being developed and are subject to Cabinet Office and HM Treasury major project scrutiny in the usual way. I am withh...
Answered 18 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Military Aircraft: TrainingMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10073More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 5095 on Military Aircraft: Training, what is the average length of holdover time for pilots waiting to commence their front-line Operational Conversion Unit.
Answer: As of 16 June 2026, the average length of holdover time for fast jet pilots waiting to commence front-line Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) following the completion of UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) courses, was 121 days.
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Hawk AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2026 to question 6942 on Hawk Aircraft, at the date of their respective registration and retirement were a) XX159 and b) XX301 part of the sustainment fleet.
Answer: XX159 entered Service in January 1979 and was retired from Service and deregistered in May 2025. XX301 entered Service in February 1980 and was retired from Service and deregistered in September 2025. I can confirm both platforms that have been retired en...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Hawk AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2026 to question 6942 on Hawk Aircraft, why were a) XX159 and b) XX301 deregistered and retired from service.
Answer: This activity was undertaken as part of the managed drawdown of the Hawk T1 fleet ahead of the planned Out of Service Date (OSD) in 2030.XX301 has been transferred to the Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering at RAF Cosford for use as an instructiona...
Answered 18 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
F-35 Aircraft: EnginesMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10070More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2026 to question 6171 on F-35 Aircraft: Engines, what the timeline is for the upgrade of the remaining TR-3 refresh.
Answer: The timeline for the remaining upgrades of the United Kingdom’s F-35B aircraft to Technology Refresh 3 standard has yet to be finalised.
Answered 18 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Russia: ShippingMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10067More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the official footage released by the MOD of the operation to board the Russian Shadow Fleet vessel SMYRTOS on 14 June 2026, were any of the shots within the footage staged for promotional purpos
Answer: Suggestions that the UK’s interdiction of the Russian shadow fleet vessel Smyrtos was staged for publicity purposes are false. While we don’t routinely comment on specific operational details, the footage released was of secondary clearance of all spaces ...
Answered 30 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Armoured Fighting Vehicles: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10051More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the answer of 14 January 2026 to Question 106075 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement, by when will the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry write to the Hon. Member for Huntingdon
Answer: To clarify the response provided to Question 101527, Project Rarden is a legacy project that introduced the Rarden cannon into service in the 1970s. The reference to Project Rarden in the 2024-25 Ministry of Defence (MOD) Accounts is due to the loss relat...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Ukraine: Artificial IntelligenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made in supporting an AI centre of excellence within the Ukrainian MOD.
Answer: Over the last two months, the UK has provided direct financial and institutional support as a key strategic partner to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence' AI Centre, named 'A1'. UK investment has been foundational in building up the governance, infrastruct...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Envoy IV AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9871More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 4889 on Envoy IV Aircraft, until what date has the work to enable operations in non-benign airspace been paused.
Answer: The work to enable Envoy IV aircraft operations in non-benign airspace has been paused, and there is currently no definitive date for when this activity will recommence. The Department's programme priorities are kept under regular review to ensure alignme...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Unmanned Air SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9868More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on Project Flytrap.
Answer: Project FLYTRAP continues to support the development of the Army’s counter-uncrewed aerial systems capabilities. The latest exercise under FLYTRAP in May 2026 successfully tested counter-drone capabilities and integration at scale. Analysis of the results...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Nuclear Submarines: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9866More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2026 to Question 7775 on Defence Nuclear Enterprise, what is the (a) whole life cost, (b) 2025-26 cost and (c) 2026-27 budget for the Submarine Build Modernisation Programme.
Answer: We are investing £6 billion over the Spending Review period to transform our industrial base and deliver continuous submarine production, allowing the UK to produce a submarine every 18 months. The Ministry of Defence publishes annual Defence Nuclear Ente...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
Ajax Vehicles: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the difference is between Ajax 2 and Capability Drop 4 of the Armoured Cavalry Programme.
Answer: AJAX 2 is not a separate programme but shorthand for a package of ongoing and planned improvements to the existing AJAX platform. Capability Drop 4 is the final build standard contracted to General Dynamics Land Systems under the existing Armoured Cavalry...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record

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