Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi 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.
54 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Defence: Iron and SteelMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59761More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to increase domestic steel production capabilities for products required by the UK defence industry.
Answer: The UK steel sector provides vital support to the UK’s defence capabilities. Steel used in our major Defence programmes is sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, as programmes may often have requirements for speci...
Answered 18 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HousingMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59760More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average waiting time was to resolve urgent repairs requested for service family accommodation in the last 12 months.
Answer: The average response time to resolve urgent repairs requested for Service Family Accommodation from April 2024 to March 2025 is below: MonthAverage Response Time In HoursApril 202438.48May 202437.99June 202433.50July 202438.10August 202440.43September 202...
Answered 18 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59759More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the proportion of British-made steel procured by the UK defence industry in the last year.
Answer: The UK steel sector provides vital support to the UK’s defence capabilities. Steel used in our major Defence programmes is sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, as programmes may often have requirements for speci...
Answered 18 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: Foreign NationalsMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59032More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will review Indefinite Leave to Remain visa fees for family members of non-UK armed forces personnel.
Answer: This Government is committed to removing visa fees for non-UK veterans who have served our country for four or more years, and their dependents. The Ministry of Defence is actively working with the Home Office to take this forward.
Answered 19 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Military AidMinistry of DefenceTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has provided military assistance to Israel since March 2025.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence has provided military assistance to Israel since March 2025 for the sole purpose of rescuing hostages in Gaza.
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: SurveillanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide an update on surveillance flights over Gaza in the last month.
Answer: Since December 2023 the Ministry of Defence has conducted surveillance flights within the airspace over Israel and Gaza, solely for the purpose of locating hostages. I am unable to comment further on detailed intelligence matters.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53965More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with SMEs on barriers to defence procurement.
Answer: As part of our development of the Defence Industrial Strategy I have attended a series of Roundtable events with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the United Kingdom. These events provide an opportunity to engage with SMEs across the defence supp...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Supply ChainsMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53964More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on an unified security clearance system across the (a) Ministry for Defence, (b) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and (c) Home Office for prospec
Answer: I can confirm that there is a unified security clearance system for His Majesty's Government, provided by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), which is part of the Cabinet Office. UKSV is the single government vetting provider of National Security Vett...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSemiconductors: Supply ChainsMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the stability of the semiconductor supply chain for the UK defence industry.
Answer: The Department is actively engaged in de-risking critical defence supply chain vulnerabilities, including for semiconductors, working collaboratively with industry and our international partners to mitigate risks. We aim to identify critical pinch points ...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: TrainingMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with defence manufacturers on skills levels in that sector.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is working closely with the defence industry to ensure we have the skilled workforce we require across the defence sector and this is an important focus in the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy. We will continue working with ind...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordApprentices: DefenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53961More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within the defence sector.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the UK with over 25,000 apprenticeships across the Armed Forces and Civil Service in 2024. The MOD is working closely with the Department for Education and with the defenc...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53952More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of animals used for Defence Science and Technology Laboratory research in 2024.
Answer: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) remit to provide safe and effective countermeasures for UK Armed Forces could not currently be achieved without some use of animals. The Ministry of Defence does not conduct animal experiments for the...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: WeaponsMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53139More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department segregates armaments into (a) defensive and (b) offensive categories.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence does not categorise armaments as defensive or offensive during the procurement process. Items are generally considered in terms of the capability that they provide, and many items are capable of being used both offensively and defe...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Identity CardsMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53138More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timeline is for the introduction of the Digital Veteran Card.
Answer: The digital HM Armed Forces Veteran Card is scheduled for release by the end of summer 2025.
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Government AssistanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52644More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with local councils on the implementation of VALOUR support centres.
Answer: On 5 May 2025 my hon. Friend, the Minister for Veterans and People (Al Carns) announced VALOUR, a new UK-wide approach to veteran support, to foster the enterprising spirit of veteran charities, better connect local and national services and ensure that v...
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Artificial IntelligenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025WithdrawnUIN 44020More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of AI in his Department on security.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Artificial IntelligenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44014More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the use of AI in their Department on security.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence takes all aspects of security very seriously, and our AI and Security teams are working closely to ensure that the impact of AI on our work is positive and does not adversely affect security. We do not comment on details of securit...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: ComputersMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40585More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the median age is of computers issued to officials in their Department.
Answer: The median age of computers issued to officials in the Department is four years.
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Military AidMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40305More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) French, (b) Italian and (c) other EU nations' counterparts on accelerating the transfer of (i) ammunition and (ii) other armaments to Ukraine.
Answer: We are in frequent contact with partner nations to discuss how to collectively accelerate the transfer of ammunition and other armaments to Ukraine. As co-leaders of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group the UK is taking a leading role in ensuring coordinatio...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: WeldingMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40278More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to expand (a) apprenticeship schemes and (b) skills training to meet demand for welders within the defence industry.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is working closely with Skills England and the Department for Education to ensure the boost in defence spending supports the training and development of new generations of defence sector workers required to support critical c...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Bomb DisposalMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40269More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with charities that provide assistance to veterans who have (a) conducted and (b) assisted with Explosive Ordnance Disposal duties.
Answer: The Government works closely with the Armed Forces charity sector, who play a vital part in the wider support system for veterans; I meet regularly with representatives of Armed Forces charities to discuss the support available and how we can work effecti...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBomb DisposalMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40268More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's explosive ordnance removal capabilities in (a) the UK and (b) internationally.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence has a world leading Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search capability, providing critical support to military operations and UK resilience. Additionally, Defence recognises the importance of Explosive Ordnance Clearance (EOC) capab...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: TrainingMinistry of DefenceTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39951More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking tackle skills gaps within the defence industry.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that attracting and retaining the right mix of skills is critical to sustaining a vibrant, innovative and competitive UK defence sector. This is an important area of focus in the development of the Defence Industri...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: WeldingMinistry of DefenceTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39950More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of vacancies for welders within the defence industry.
Answer: The demand for craft skills, including welders, is recognised across the defence sector and is a particular area of interest for the joint Government and industry Shipbuilding Skills Delivery Group. Meeting this demand is also recognised as a challenge ac...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSubmarines: DeploymentMinistry of DefenceTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39947More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to reduce the duration of submarine patrols.
Answer: The Royal Navy has successfully maintained Operation RELENTLESS – the Continuous At Sea Deterrent – without interruption for over 56 years. We do not disclose details of the operation, including the duration of time spent at sea, as such information could...
Answered 27 Mar 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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