Rebecca Paul MP: written questions
4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025
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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.
15 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Armed Forces: Labour TurnoverMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49659More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in levels of recruitment and retention in the armed forces on operational capacity.
Answer: The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration, and we are committed to addressing this through a range of targets, initiatives and measures. The Ministry of Defence continually monitors the recruitment...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNavy: VacanciesMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49658More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many trained personnel is the Royal Navy short of in its full establishment.
Answer: As of 1 January 2025, the total Full-Time Trained Strength of the Royal Navy was 28,080. These figures are published on a quarterly basis and can be found at the following website - Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics: 2025 - GOV.UK. The Ministry of De...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChallenger Tanks: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has help increase the speed of the delivery of Challenger 3 main battle tanks, in the context of the supply chain.
Answer: We are engaged with the supply chain and additional resources have been directed towards ensuring the materials required for Challenger 3 main battle tanks are available to meet the delivery timescales.
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Peace Keeping OperationsMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with NATO allies on the (a) size, (b) composition and (c) remit of a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
Answer: The Defence Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Staff met with counterparts in Paris last week to discuss the next steps for a coalition of the willing to defend Ukraine’s security – with 37 nations attending the military meeting, alongside NATO and EU...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Peace Keeping OperationsMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38309More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK troops that could be safely deployed in a peacekeeping capacity to Ukraine without abridging other defence and security commitments.
Answer: Discussions regarding how our military can support security guarantees for Ukraine’s future are ongoing. I hope the hon. Member will understand that I can’t comment on operational details at this stage as revealing our force structure only helps Putin.
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSeas and Oceans: InfrastructureMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38306More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions his Department has had with international partners on increasing the protection of undersea cables and pipelines, in the context of Russian maritime activity.
Answer: Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and we are committed to maintaining and enhancing the security and resilience of that infra- structure. We continue to co-ordinate with HMG partners, particularly the Department f...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNATO: ExpenditureMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38305More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of European NATO's ability to fill capability gaps that would be created by a potential US troop withdrawal from Europe in (a) air defence, (b) intelligence-sharing and (c)
Answer: European security is this Government’s foreign and defence priority and NATO is the cornerstone of our defence. The Prime Minister has been clear that European Allies must take greater responsibility for our own security, spending more and producing more....
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNATO: ExpenditureMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38304More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with NATO allies on the potential redistribution of military capabilities in Europe in the event of a significant reduction in US troop presence.
Answer: European security is this Government’s foreign and defence priority and NATO is the cornerstone of our defence. The Prime Minister has been clear that European Allies must take greater responsibility for our own security, spending more and producing more....
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRiflesMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made on designating a successor to the standard issue L85A3 service rifle.
Answer: The L85 rifle (‘SA80’) will be replaced over the coming decade through Project GRAYBURN. The project has entered the concept phase, where the capability requirements are being identified and understood in depth.
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRoyal Fleet AuxiliaryMinistry of DefenceTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22505More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of losses in (a) personnel and (b) ships on the capability of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answer: Recruitment and retention of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel remains a priority. We welcome the recent agreement between the Government and the Maritime Trade Unions of a pay award for the RFA, which is a significant step forward in the plan for RFA...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRoyal Fleet Auxiliary: Labour Turnover and RecruitmentMinistry of DefenceTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22504More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to (a) retain and (b) recruit personnel into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answer: The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) are highly valued, specialist personnel. We welcome the recent agreement of a pay award for the RFA and thank the Maritime Trade Unions for their support in reaching this resolution. This agreement is a significant step in ...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFuture Combat Air SystemMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21430More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the Future Combat Air System.
Answer: Progress continues to be made on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The core platform, that will sit at its heart, is being delivered through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The Prime Minister and his Italian and Japanese counterparts have reite...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAmmunition: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to replenish stockpiles of precision-guided munitions; and what steps he plans to take to help increase domestic production capacity.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is carefully investing to improve the health of our munitions stockpiles, including precision-guided munitions, within the available financial envelope. Through investing in munitions we seek to grow domestic production, strengthen...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21428More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of his Department's procurement contracts have been awarded to UK-based manufacturers in the last 12 months; and what steps he is taking to promote the growth of domestic defence manufacturing.
Answer: The Department does not record within our systems directly where a contract is manufactured or the location of the supplier manufacturing. The Department do however collect the prime location of the contract as marked by the contact owner on Contract Purc...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: Joint ExercisesMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21427More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps his Department has taken to enhance interoperability between the Armed Forces and allied nations' forces on joint operations.
Answer: Enhancing interoperability continues to be at the core of our work, both between the branches of our Armed Forces and with our Allies. UK Strategic Command is defence's Integrated Design Authority ensuring integration across capabilities. Internationally,...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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