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Question follow-through · 116720

Armed Forces: Medals

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the criteria for awarding the Wider Service Medal permit the inclusion of operations conducted on UK territory.

answeredMinistry of Defence

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Ministry of Defence
Tabled
2 Mar 2026
Target answer date
4 Mar 2026
Answer
10 Mar 2026 · 8 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Defence and foreign affairs

Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.

Votes on this topic

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Recorded timeline

  1. 2 Mar 2026

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the criteria for awarding the Wider Service Medal permit the inclusion of operations conducted on UK territory.

  2. 4 Mar 2026

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 10 Mar 2026

    Answer published

    Eligibility for the Wider Service Medal (WSM) in relation to Operation INTERFLEX was last reviewed by the Operational Recognition Board (ORB) on 20 November 2025. The Board recognises the challenges of prolonged separation for personnel serving on Operati...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

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Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Commonwealth

3 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage and support Commonwealth citizens to join the Armed Forces.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Commonwealth

3 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the application windows for Commonwealth citizens seeking to join the Armed Forces are closed in some services; and when those windows will reopen.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Commonwealth

3 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to review the annual cap of 1,350 Commonwealth recruits, in light of continued high demand from eligible applicants across the Commonwealth.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Commonwealth

3 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of temporary recruitment pauses for Commonwealth citizens on staffing levels in the Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Commonwealth

3 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to review eligibility and residency requirements for Commonwealth citizens applying to join the UK Armed Forces, particularly in relation to security vetting and immigration condition

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Cuba: Shipping

4 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list enforcement and detention incidents involving Cuban vessels in each of the last five years.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Pitcairn Islands: Exclusive Economic Zone

4 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in (a) France and (b) New Zealand on EEZ enforcement in the Pitcairn Islands.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Middle East: Ballistic Missile Defence

9 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of deploying additional missile defence systems to allies in the Gulf, such as the UAE and Bahrain.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Navy

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the operational readiness of the Royal Navy.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Cyprus: HMS Dragon

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what factors contributed to the time taken between the drone attack on Cyprus and the deployment of HMS Dragon from Portsmouth.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Cyprus: Unmanned Air Systems

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the French Navy responded more quickly than the Royal Navy to the recent drone incident in Cyprus.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Falkland Islands: Defence

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s military capability to defend the Falkland Islands from potential aggression.