Ben Obese-Jecty MP: written questions
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Written questions
Business Rates: ValuationTreasuryTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127551More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the methodology and the formula used in the current rateable value calculation.
Answer: The Valuation Office calculates a rateable value for each business property in England and Wales. A rateable value is an estimate of what it would cost to rent a property for a year, on a set date known as the Valuation Date.The methodology and approach u...
Answered 24 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Policy paper: “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods”, published on 11 November 2025, w
Answer: The commitments to increase investment and expand challenge led innovation for alternative methods are being led by UKRI.The Strategy was supported by £75m of funding and commits to increasing investment in alternative methods. UKRI has been in discussion...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Policy paper: “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods”, published on 11 November 2025, w
Answer: The Government will publish a delivery update, alongside key performance indicators on progress across all elements of the strategy, later in 2026.
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordService Pupil PremiumDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 908740More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the level of the Service Pupil Premium to match the Pupil Premium.
Answer: Service families make extraordinary sacrifices for our country. The department continues to support Service children in a range of ways, principally through the Service Pupil Premium, targeted funding that state schools in England are allocated so that th...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordResearch and Development Expenditure CreditTreasuryTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127222More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential a) merits of extending the R&D Expenditure Credit to include capital expenditure and the b) impact of that measure on allowing start-ups and pre-profit companies to inve
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government made a number of commitments on R&D tax reliefs as part of the Corporate Tax Roadmap to provide the stability and certainty that help support investment decisions. The Government committed to maintaining the gener...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordFalkland Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127191More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of calls by the President of Argentina on 2 April 2026 for renewed negotiations with the UK over t
Answer: No such assessment is required. The UK's steadfast support for the Falkland Islanders' right of self‑determination remains unchanged, and our position on sovereignty and the defence of the Falkland Islands remains equally steadfast and consistent.
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordDefenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127190More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, Keeping Britain Safe: secure at home and strong abroad, page 30, by when does he plan to have established a new Defence Diplomacy Cadre for civilian policy profes
Answer: As part of the implementation of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, the Ministry of Defence is establishing a Defence Diplomacy Cadre to increase training and education for our international facing policy staff. The cadre will be piloted with an initial focu...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Integrated Security FundMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127189More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, Keeping Britain Safe: secure at home and strong abroad, page 30, what are the complementary International Security Fund programmes.
Answer: All of Defence's international security programmes are deliberately designed to be complementary, mutually supportive, and burden sharing, whether funded by the Ministry of Defence or cross-government funding, such as the Integrated Security Fund. The Cab...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: FinanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127188More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Defence Investment Plan will be a ten year plan from the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) is the next step in turning the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) into action. It is a 10-year plan, and the first zero-based review of Defence’s budgets in eighteen years and goes significantly further than the last Governm...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAjax VehiclesMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127187More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2026 to question 122290 on Ajax Vehicles, which alternative platforms have been assessed since Initial Operating Capability was paused.
Answer: Work on Ajax is ongoing. As I have previously updated the House, we have commissioned a number of safety reports. These have now been received, and we are working through their findings. I will update the House shortly on progress, as I have done since Ex...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAjax VehiclesMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127186More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2026 to question 122290 on Ajax Vehicles, what recent assessment he has made of the suitability of CV90 to replace Ajax.
Answer: Work on Ajax is ongoing. As I have previously updated the House, we have commissioned a number of safety reports. These have now been received, and we are working through their findings. I will update the House shortly on progress, as I have done since Ex...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAjax VehiclesMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2026 to question 122290 on Ajax Vehicles, what recent assessment he has made of the suitability of SPz Puma to replace Ajax.
Answer: Work on Ajax is ongoing. As I have previously updated the House, we have commissioned a number of safety reports. These have now been received, and we are working through their findings. I will update the House shortly on progress, as I have done since Ex...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127184More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progr
Answer: The Home Office has two key strands of work to improve licence approval processes under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulatory framework. First, it is working with the Animals in Science Regulation Unit, funders and wider stakeholders to ...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: Departmental CoordinationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127183More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2
Answer: The Ministerial Alternative Methods Strategy Delivery Group met for the first time in March and is scheduled to meet quarterly, with the next meeting due to take place in June.
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: ResearchDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127182More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2
Answer: The strategy sets out a long‑term, cross‑government programme to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of non‑animal methods. By achieving the commitments set out in the strategy this government will achieve equal and better research and testi...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceHome OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127181More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her oral response to the hon. Member for Huntingdon on 5 January 2026, Official Report, column 25, by what date she will write to the hon. Member for Huntingdon.
Answer: A letter to the hon. Gentleman was sent on 28 April.
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAjax Vehicles: ExportsMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127180More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2026 to question 122289 on Ajax Vehicles: Merthyr Tydfil, what future exports the Ajax programme will be able to generate.
Answer: As previously stated, future exports of the Ajax platform is a matter for General Dynamics Land Systems UK.
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordType 45 Destroyers: Defence EquipmentMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127179More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 10 April 2926 to question 120448 on Type 45 Destroyers: Defence Equipment, on what date the first Type 45 destroyer will be fitted with Sea Ceptor CAMM.
Answer: The CAMM capability is being fitted to the Type 45 fleet under the Sea Viper CAMM programme, which will augment the existing Anti-Air Warfare capability of those platforms. Installation on the first vessel will be completed in late Summer 2026.
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Cables and Telecommunications Cables: Seas and OceansMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127178More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the telecoms industry on countering the threat posed to undersea telecommunications infrastructure by Russian sub-threshold interference.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is committed to a collaborative approach between government and private sector to work together on national resilience. Supporting the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology’s lead on telecoms security, the Secre...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordIran: RAF AkrotiriMinistry of DefenceTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127177More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on identifying the origin of the drone that struck RAF Akrotiri on 1 March 2026.
Answer: The full assessment of the drone that struck RAF Akrotiri is completed. Due to damage to the airframe, it is not possible to identify the exact point of origin.
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordEmergencies: Departmental CoordinationCabinet OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127176More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made in updating the Government War Book.
Answer: The UK has well-developed contingency plans to respond to a wide range of eventualities. The plans and supporting arrangements have been developed, refined and tested over many years. They are risk-based, built on the principle of generic capabilities abl...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordChief Secretary to the Prime Minister: AustraliaCabinet OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127175More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister visited Australia in April 2026.
Answer: The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister visited Australia in April 2026 to build critical policy and security links with state and regional authorities in Australia. This included defence visits for the AUKUS programme, and discussions with Ministers at...
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: Diplomatic ServiceMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126830More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 30 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, published on 24 March 2026, by when he plans to have introduced a new Defence Security and Diplomacy Portfolio.
Answer: Defence Security and Diplomacy Portfolio officially launched this financial year.
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: RussiaHome OfficeTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126829More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the maritime interdiction of Russian Shadow Fleet vessels in British waters on asylum applications from Russian service
Answer: The Home Office is working closely with other Government departments in relation to the Russian Shadow Fleet. It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on those discussions or on security matters.The Home Office monitors impacts of HMG actions, pol...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordIran: United NationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126828More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the UK supported the nomination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN Committee for Program and Coordination on 8 April 2026.
Answer: The Hon Member is misinformed. The Asia-Pacific Group of states agreed within their group to put forward Iran, India, Japan and Pakistan as candidates for the four available regional seats on the committee in question. As per normal practice, those region...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament record
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