Ben Obese-Jecty MP: written questions
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Written questions
Iran: RAF AkrotiriMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118984More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what protection RAF Akrotiri has against Iranian Medium Range Ballistic Missiles, in the context of the move of the US Navy USS Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Red Sea on 5 March.
Answer: In addition to the equipment and capabilities stationed at RAF Akrotiri, the Ministry of Defence have added 400 additional personnel, increased air defence radar and missiles since January. We have deployed F-35 and Typhoon aircraft, three Wildcat helicop...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHMS Middleton: Strait of HormuzMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118983More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential impact on minehunting and disposal capability in the a) Strait of Hormuz and b) wider Gulf region of withdrawing HMS Middleton on 25th January.
Answer: The UK is committed to supporting our interests and the interests of our allies in the Gulf region. We collaborate closely with allies and partners to maintain an Expeditionary Mine Warfare capability – this includes the introduction of the latest autonom...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNavy: Arctic and North Atlantic OceanMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118982More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what ships from NATO allies will deploy as escorts to HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group on Operation Firecrest.
Answer: Operation Firecrest is intended to include key allies, including the US, Canada and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) nations. We are continuing to refine with our allies the specific capabilities these will contribute to the deployment, although this infor...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEstonia: Armed ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118981More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the establishment of the Baltic Military Mobility Area on UK armed forces operations in Estonia.
Answer: The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to Estonia as the framework nation for NATO’s forward land forces. The purpose of the Baltic Military Mobility Area (MMA) is to harmonise procedures for the movement of military personnel and equipment across Es...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoyal Marines: Arctic and North Atlantic OceanMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118980More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Royal Marines will deploy any sub-units on Operation Firecrest.
Answer: Detail on Operation Firecrest can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-carrier-strike-group-to-deploy-to-north-atlantic-to-keep-uk-s… I am unable to comment further at this time to do so would compromise the security of ou...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPride in Place Programme: HuntingdonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding from the Pride in Place programme will be allocated to Huntingdon constituency.
Answer: The Pride in Place programme specifically targets funding to communities with the poorest social and economic outcomes, identified using a composite measure of deprivation (Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)) and community need (Community Needs Index (CN...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNATO Response ForceMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118329More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026 to question 116103 on NATO Response Force, will UK contributions to the ARF Special Operations Forces element be exclusively under NATO Command or still available for UK ope
Answer: As with all UK contributions to NATO, the UK retains the ultimate authority over their use, including the option to employ them for national operations if necessary. Any such decision would be taken in close consultation and coordination with NATO. The UK...
Answered 30 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAllied Reaction Force: Armed ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118328More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026 to question 116103 on NATO Response Force, what size of sub-unit from the a) Royal Marines Commando Force, b) Ranger Regiment and c) RAF Regiment will be committed to the NA
Answer: As with all UK contributions to NATO, the UK retains the ultimate authority over their use, including the option to employ them for national operations if necessary. Any such decision would be taken in close consultation and coordination with NATO. The UK...
Answered 30 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChina: Nuclear WeaponsMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118327More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026 to question 115862 on China: Nuclear Weapons, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the a) diversification and b) modernisation of it
Answer: The UK’s nuclear policy, most recently outlined in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, remains unchanged. China is undertaking a significant programme of nuclear expansion and modernisation. The pace and scale of these developments, coupled with limited tr...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Mental Health ServicesMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026 to question 114218 on Veterans: Mental Health Services, by when will he establish a) a VALOUR HQ and b) a network of VALOUR Field Officers.
Answer: VALOUR will give veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support available to them. VALOUR Recognised Centres (VRC) will enable veterans, and in due course the wider Armed Forces Community, to access in-person guidance and support. ...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Mental Health ServicesMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026 to question 114218 on Veterans: Mental Health Services, how will services become a VALOUR Recognised Centre and what will the eligibility criteria be.
Answer: VALOUR will give veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support available to them. VALOUR Recognised Centres (VRC) will enable veterans, and in due course the wider Armed Forces Community, to access in-person guidance and support. ...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDaniel BoakyeMinistry of JusticeTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118324More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026 to question 115637 on Daniel Boakye, what additional management checks are being undertaken in relation to operational staff who may be called upon to undertake escort duty.
Answer: We have introduced a period of enhanced management assurance for all external escorts. Under these strengthened measures, a manager of the same grade or a more senior grade is required to check the application of restraints prior to an escort and ensure a...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDaniel BoakyeMinistry of JusticeTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the outcome of the formal investigation into the abscondment of Daniel Boakye.
Answer: The formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape from custody is due to be completed by 20 March.Reports of internal investigations of this nature are not normally published.
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDaniel BoakyeMinistry of JusticeTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118322More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, by what date will the formal investigation into the abscondment of Daniel Boakye be completed.
Answer: The formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape from custody is due to be completed by 20 March.Reports of internal investigations of this nature are not normally published.
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAjax Vehicles: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps has he taken to revise the Army fielding plan for the Ajax family of vehicles in order to reflect delays caused by the ministerial-led review.
Answer: Investigations into Ajax remain ongoing, and time must be given to ensure that all information and evidence is considered. The fielding plan will be updated once these investigations conclude. I will continue to keep the house informed of developments as ...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAjax Vehicles: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118320More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026, to question 111945 on Ajax Vehicles: Procurement, for what reason will some Ajax vehicles move to Capability Drop 3 before Capability Drop 4 and others will be upgraded to
Answer: Capability Drop 3 is the current approved standard for the Ajax fleet. Vehicles which are scheduled to be upgraded before the Capability Drop 4 standard is approved will move to Capability Drop 3. Vehicles which are later in the upgrade schedule will move...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordExtradition: BangladeshHome OfficeTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118319More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026 to question 114022 on Extradition, how many of the requests received were from Bangladesh.
Answer: Further to our response to question 114022, which requested the number of Category 2 Type B requests we had received between 5th July 2024 and the date of that request 23rd February 2026.In accordance with our policies and after careful consideration we h...
Answered 1 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordEspionage: ChinaHome OfficeTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118318More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many China-linked instances of (a) espionage or (b) assisting a foreign intelligence service have been identified in the UK since 5t July 2024.
Answer: As is longstanding government policy, it would be inappropriate to comment on specific national security matters.Where there are individuals who pose a threat to our national security, we will use the full range of powers available to disrupt them. This i...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: CambridgeshireDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118317More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for School Standards during the oral question on EHCP Backlog: Cambridgeshire of 2 March 2026, Official Report, column 565, how much Cambridgeshire County
Answer: To ensure all local authorities have the capacity to undertake meaningful transformation planning and delivery over this spending review period while maintaining current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, we will provide £200 mill...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: CambridgeshireDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118316More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to actively monitor Cambridgeshire’s recovery plan to reduce EHCP backlogs.
Answer: The department is providing targeted help for Cambridgeshire, including a specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) adviser and sector-led improvement support from Islington Council. Officials collect monthly data on Cambridgeshire’s ed...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordUSA: RAF AkrotiriMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118315More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the operational use of RAF Akrotiri by the United States Air Force on Operation Olive Harvest.
Answer: For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nation’s military operations. Permissions to utilise UK military bases are considered on a case-by-case basis and the decision to grant permission is dependent on...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRAF Akrotiri: Unmanned Air SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118314More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the drone that struck RAF Akrotiri on 2 March 2026 struck an aircraft hangar.
Answer: The drone that struck RAF Akrotiri on 2 March 2026 did strike a hangar causing minimal damage.
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChina: Guided WeaponsMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the Chinese DF-17 (Dongfeng-17) solid-fuelled medium-range ballistic missile fitted with the DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle on the safety of British forces.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence does not comment on states’ specific capabilities or how we would respond to them, as doing so could provide an operational advantage to those who may seek to harm the UK.
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMilitary Aircraft: Defence EquipmentMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118312More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made in installing the (a) defensive aid suite and (b) missile countermeasures to the RAF’s Envoy IV fleet.
Answer: Options to expand the future capability of the Envoy IV fleet are under consideration, including the installation of a defensive aid suite.
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSaudi Arabia: ArmyMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118311More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British Army Stormers are deployed to Saudi Arabia under Operation Crossways.
Answer: Operation CROSSWAYS provides military support to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, primarily focused on training and tailored military advice to the Saudi armed forces. For operational security reasons, we do not comment publicly on exact details around deployment...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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