Ben Obese-Jecty MP: written questions
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Written questions
Military AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79252More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential capability of the proposed Lockheed Martin F-55.
Answer: The Strategic Defence Review set out that Typhoon will be replaced by a sixth-generation jet, to sustain UK interests in this specialist sector and exploit emerging technology through partnerships such as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). We will de...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordF-35 Aircraft: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79251More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date did the UK sign the deal with Lockheed-Martin to procure 12 F-35A Lightning II jets.
Answer: Negotiations with the Joint Program Office are ongoing. Further information regarding the procurement of the 12 F-35A Lightning aircraft will be communicated in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordF-35 Aircraft: RadarMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79250More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of changing the UK’s F-35B Lightning II force to use the AN/APG-85 radar.
Answer: All UK F-35 aircraft are fitted with the APG-81 radar. There is currently no plan to change to an alternative radar.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNavy: Baltic Sea and North Atlantic OceanMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79249More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which areas are covered by Operations (a) Atlantic Bastion and (b) Baltic Sentry.
Answer: Atlantic Bastion is a portfolio of programmes to secure the North Atlantic for the UK and in support of NATO against a range of underwater threats. It will develop a range of capabilities that enhance existing systems and deploy new platforms into the Nor...
Answered 18 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPoland: Arms TradeMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79248More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing levels of defence exports to Poland to support its East Shield programme.
Answer: The UK is committed to supporting Poland to develop its border security in the face of Russian aggression and has considered how to support Poland's East Shield programme in light of this. We continue to work with UK industry to consider and review export...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Manufacturing IndustriesMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79247More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 43 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress he has made on building at least six new (a) munitions and (b) energetics factories.
Answer: The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) committed to invest £1.5 billion in an 'always on' pipeline for munitions and to build at least six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK this parliament. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently developing ...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMilitary AlliancesMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79246More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 46 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress he has made on increasing the ability of the UK to pool defence capital with allies.
Answer: We are working with partners on a series of potential opportunities to pool defence capital with allies, including through multilateral initiatives, aggregating defence demand, increasing European interoperability and standardisation, enhancing cooperatio...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Defence InnovationMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 43 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress he has made on establishing UK Defence Innovation.
Answer: UK Defence Innovation launched on 1 July 2025 and expects to be fully operational by July 2026. Work continues at pace on implementing, transitioning, and operationalising the full system. The Strategic Defence Review set out clear priorities for defence,...
Answered 18 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAutonomous Weapons: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79244More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 43 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, which projects are in scope of the £4 billion funding for autonomous systems.
Answer: A wide breadth of autonomous systems are under consideration for autonomous funding as described in the National Security Strategy and will be subject to prioritisation to ensure optimum operational benefit. The projects to be included within the £4 billi...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: IndustryMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79243More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 42 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, in what ways the defence industrial base will be redefined to include (a) academia, (b) dual-use civilian-militar
Answer: The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) (published on 8 September 2025) sets out our approach to redefining the defence industrial base. In order to adopt a whole of society approach to keeping the UK safe and boosting economic growth, our definition must r...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTrident Submarines: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79242More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 42 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, how much of the £10 billion contingency for the Dreadnought programme he estimates will be spent this Parliament.
Answer: To date £3.37 billion contingency has been utilised with the remainder allocated to future years including beyond the current Parliament. Dreadnought contingency spend is reported to Parliament via the Defence Nuclear Enterprise Annual Update, once final ...
Answered 18 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNational SecurityMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 41 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, in which cases does the UK plan to become a more activist state willing to intervene more deeply in the economy.
Answer: The Government will not hesitate to intervene, where necessary, to protect our national security interests, and we will use the Defence Industrial Strategy to make Defence an engine for growth, backing British jobs, British industry and British innovation...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNational SecurityMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 41 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress he has made on (a) identifying, (b) protecting and (c) cultivating other sovereign capabilities tha
Answer: The Defence Industrial Strategy (published on 8 September 2025) outlines a dynamic, defence and innovation-focused industrial base, emphasising the growing importance of ensuring UK sovereignty, operational advantage, and freedom of action. It sets out th...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAdvanced Research and Invention Agency: AntarcticDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what research programmes the Advanced Research and Invention Agency is conducting in Antarctica.
Answer: As part of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency’s (ARIA) ‘Scoping Our Planet’ Opportunity Space, ARIA is funding two research projects in Antarctica.The first project aims to assess the role of ocean mixing on Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise. ...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordICTDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79238More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the UK’s level of sovereign compute capacity.
Answer: The UK is scaling sovereign compute to protect national interests and unlock growth.In July, DSIT published the Compute Roadmap that sets out how we will significantly bolster compute capacity by 2030. This builds on our commitment during the Spending Rev...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79237More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 46 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress she has made on strengthening the UK’s asymmetric position in sovereign
Answer: As stated in the National Security Strategy 2025, the Government is delivering on its ambition for the UK to become world-leading in priority areas where we have a strategic edge, such as high-impact sectors like defence, healthcare, and computing. Throug...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence Growth BoardTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79236More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 53 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many meetings of the Defence Growth Board she has chaired in 2025 to date.
Answer: The Chancellor has chaired one meeting of the Defence Growth Board in 2025 to date. The Defence Industrial Strategy, published on 8 September 2025, details how this government is making Defence an engine for growth, and the Chancellor and Defence Secretar...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79235More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what pre-clinical animal testing was conducted prior to reaching the clinical vaccine trial stage for AHEAD-MERIT (BNT113).
Answer: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that all medicines and vaccines, including cancer vaccines, meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy before they are approved for use in humans. N...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Manufacturing IndustriesTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79234More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 46 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress she has made on reducing the cost of finance for defence companies.
Answer: As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, a Defence Finance and Investment Strategy will be published by early next year, explicitly looking at how barriers to investment in defence can be removed while making the sector more attractive for private i...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Security Strategic Investment FundTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79233More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 42 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress she has made on scaling up the National Security Strategic Investment Fund.
Answer: The government’s recent Spending Review included the scaling of the National Security Strategic Investment Fund – further funding will therefore be provided from the next financial year. Officials from relevant government departments are currently working...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Manufacturing IndustriesTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79232More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 42 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress she has made on supporting priority sectors through a new National Wealth Fund investment for defence
Answer: The National Wealth Fund was directed in its Statement of Strategic Priorities to consider the role it can play in supporting the delivery of the wider Industrial Strategy, including in the defence sector. It was also directed to consider investments in d...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Influence Registration Scheme: ChinaHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 39 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, whether she plans to place China on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Answer: As set out in the National Security Act 2023, the Secretary of State may make a specification under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) where they consider it is reasonably necessary to do so to protect the safety or inte...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Security: ChinaCabinet OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79230More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 39 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what measures are contained within each pillar of the Strategic Framework in order to bolster overall security w
Answer: The three pillars of the National Security Strategy 2025 set out comprehensive measures on how we will bolster the UK's overall security. Our approach to China, as a country that poses both a series of threats to UK national security and significant econo...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Soft Power CouncilForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to page 45 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress she has made on establishing a new Soft Power Council.
Answer: The Soft Power Council was launched on 15 January 2025. The Council is supporting the UK to take a more strategic approach to soft power, helping to build relationships, deepen trust, enhance our security and drive economic growth.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDiplomatic RelationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to page 45 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what recent progress she has made on establishing a College of British D
Answer: The College will be launched in the coming months. In preparation, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) launched on 6 October a new pilot Global Network Programme, a flagship initiative of the forthcoming College. Further details will...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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