James Cartlidge MP: written questions 2025
2176 published records · newest first.
Written questions
USA: Import DutiesMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43982More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of US tariffs on defence exports.
Answer: The Government is assessing the impact of, and our response to, US tariffs across the full spectrum of UK industries. Nobody wants a trade war. The United States remains the United Kingdom's foremost defence and security partner. The UK has a strong and b...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: Import DutiesMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43981More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of US tariffs on (a) current, (b) pending and (c) future contracts held by his Department.
Answer: Officials remain engaged with our suppliers to continually monitor the situation. This Government will continue to hold discussions with the US administration on a wider economic deal that strengthens our existing fair and balanced trading relationship.
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Armaments Director GroupMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Statement dated 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS573, whether the National Armaments Director Group will have an advisory board.
Answer: The far-reaching changes in this Defence Reform programme will help cut waste, boost British growth and jobs and fast track the technologies of the future into the hands of our frontline forces. It is too early to specify the overall staffing requirements...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Armaments Director GroupMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43975More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the National Armaments Director Group will have a governing board.
Answer: The far-reaching changes in this Defence Reform programme will help cut waste, boost British growth and jobs and fast track the technologies of the future into the hands of our frontline forces. It is too early to specify the overall staffing requirements...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Armaments Director Group: StaffMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43974More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the staffing requirements are for the National Armaments Director Group.
Answer: The far-reaching changes in this Defence Reform programme will help cut waste, boost British growth and jobs and fast track the technologies of the future into the hands of our frontline forces. It is too early to specify the overall staffing requirements...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: ChildcareMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43936More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 39502 on Armed Forces: Childcare, which defence sites provide opportunities for local childcare.
Answer: Defence recognises that access to appropriate childcare can be an enabler to ensure our Serving personnel are able to fully perform their duties. While it is not a core output of Defence to provide childcare, in some areas where the local provision cannot...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces Covenant: BusinessMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43935More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39045 on Armed Forces Covenant: Business, what the requirements are to pass the Covenant Test.
Answer: If an organisation is alleged to have failed to uphold the values they have agreed to, the Ministry of Defence has policy in place to assess their continued suitability, known as the ‘Covenant Test’. The key question (the Covenant Test) to be answered is:...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces CovenantMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 39047 on Armed Forces Covenant, if he will provide a summary of the meeting of 19 March 2025.
Answer: The most recent Covenant Community Action Group meeting covered the following agenda:Progress update on the extension to the Armed Forces Covenant Legal DutyThe 2025 Covenant Annual ConferenceOffice for Veterans’ Affairs updateForces in Mind Trust update ...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Air Systems: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43933More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 39917 on Unmanned Air Systems: Procurement, which other platforms were procured through an Urgent Capability Requirement since 5 July 2024.
Answer: The Urgent Capability Requirements process is used to address urgent operational capability risks and risks that present a threat to life. Due to operational sensitivity, it is inappropriate to comment further.
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Air Systems: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43932More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 38649 on Unmanned Air Systems: Procurement, if he will provide a date.
Answer: I have nothing to add to the answer given on 24 March to Question 38649 on Unmanned Air Systems Procurement.
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHelicopters: FinanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43931More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39042 on Helicopters: Finance, if he will make an estimate of the budget across front line commands for (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
Answer: Departmental spending priorities will be subject to the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review and therefore it is not practical to provide an estimate at this stage.
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: GrantsMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to end bursary schemes in the (a) Army, (b) RAF, (c) Royal Navy and (d) Royal Marines.
Answer: Bursaries are available only for applicants wishing to join the Armed Forces and are not available to existing Service personnel or any others. They are offered to students in full-time education to attract high-calibre individuals to a career in Defence,...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Armaments Director GroupMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43589More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether the National Armaments Director Group will have its own secretariat.
Answer: Defence Reform is making significant changes as part of this Government's ongoing efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of UK Defence. These do not require formal Parliamentary approval, but the Government remains committed to transparency a...
Answered 15 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMilitary Strategic Headquarters and Strategic CommandMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43588More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether the Chief of Joint Operations will report to (a) the Military Strategic Headquarters and (b) Commander Stra
Answer: The detailed requirement for the Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) organisational structure is in development and will include a small central team integrating activity and Force Design. This will be drawn from existing resource within the Department...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ReformMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43586More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing his proposed reforms.
Answer: Defence Reform is delivering meaningful change through a phased approach over the course of this Parliament to reform Defence. However, it is too early to capture the required level of investment in this programme of work, which we expect will deliver net...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChiefs of StaffMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43585More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether he has considered changing the ranks for the (a) service chiefs and (b) Chief of the Defence Staff.
Answer: This Government is bringing in the deepest reforms in UK Defence for 50 years, to speed up decision-making, secure faster delivery and achieve the best value for money for our troops and taxpayers. It is too early to specify the overall staffing requirem...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43584More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether the small central team integrating across activity and force design will require (a) newly created posts an
Answer: The detailed requirement for the Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) organisational structure is in development and will include a small central team integrating activity and Force Design. This will be drawn from existing resource within the Department...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: RedundancyMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43583More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether he plans to make any service personnel redundant as part of his reforms.
Answer: We are undertaking the biggest UK defence reforms for more than 50 years, including building an Armed Forces and Defence Civil Service workforce which will be more skilled, agile and which better exploits technology. This means tackling bureaucracy and st...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Civil ServantsMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43582More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of his proposed Departmental reforms on the number of civil s
Answer: We are undertaking the biggest UK defence reforms for more than 50 years, including building an Armed Forces and Defence Civil Service workforce which will be more skilled, agile and which better exploits technology. This means tackling bureaucracy and st...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Armaments Director GroupMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the creation of the National Armaments Director Group on t
Answer: Under Defence Reform, Civil Servants and Service personnel in organisations across the Ministry of Defence are re-aligning under four Areas – Department of State, Military Strategic Headquarters, National Armaments Director Group, and Defence Nuclear Ente...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Armaments Director Group: Senior Civil ServantsMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43580More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the creation of the National Armaments Director Group on t
Answer: Under Defence Reform, Civil Servants and Service personnel in organisations across the Ministry of Defence are re-aligning under four Areas – Department of State, Military Strategic Headquarters, National Armaments Director Group, and Defence Nuclear Ente...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMilitary Strategic Headquarters and Strategic CommandMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43579More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether he has considered absorbing Strategic Command into the Military Strategic Headquarters.
Answer: The detailed requirement for the Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) organisational structure is in development and will include a small central team integrating activity and Force Design. This will be drawn from existing resource within the Department...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordStrategic CommandMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43578More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether he has considered the (a) abolition, (b) absorption and (c) resubordinating of Strategic Command.
Answer: The detailed requirement for the Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) organisational structure is in development and will include a small central team integrating activity and Force Design. This will be drawn from existing resource within the Department...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMilitary Strategic HeadquartersMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43577More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, what the staffing requirements are for the Military Strategic Headquarters.
Answer: The detailed requirement for the Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) organisational structure is in development and will include a small central team integrating activity and Force Design. This will be drawn from existing resource within the Department...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ReformMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43576More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 1 April 2025 on Defence Reform, HCWS 573, whether these reforms will result in a reduction in senior officers.
Answer: This Government is bringing in the deepest reforms in UK Defence for 50 years, to speed up decision-making, secure faster delivery and achieve the best value for money for our troops and taxpayers. It is too early to specify the overall staffing requirem...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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