Question follow-through · 26894
South China Sea: Shipping
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to defend freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
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
- 3 Sept 2026
- Target answer date
- 7 Sept 2026
- Answer
- 8 Sept 2026 · 5 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
- Devonport Dockyard: Repairs and Maintenance · 10 Sept 2026
- HMS President · 15 Sept 2026
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Opposition Day Motion: Defence spending and readiness - Prime Minister's Amendment · 23 Jun 2026
- Opposition day: Defence spending and readiness · 23 Jun 2026
- Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: Amendment 11 · 22 Jun 2026
These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.
Recorded timeline
3 Sept 2026
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to defend freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
7 Sept 2026
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
8 Sept 2026
Answer published
The UK is committed to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to freedom of navigation and overflight. We raise the importance of Freedom of Navigation regularly in bilateral and multilateral engagements. M...
Official data retrieved 1 Oct 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Devonport Dockyard: Repairs and Maintenance
10 Sept 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to accelerate upgrades to the Devonport nuclear submarine dock.
HMS President
15 Sept 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of HMS President's significance as one of the last surviving Royal Navy First World War warships.