No.

The Department received a revised settlement of RDEL following the Spending Review 21 last autumn, which noted the cost pressures on the Department as a result of changes in the economic forecast.

The department has measures in place to limit the impacts including the forward purchase of foreign exchange, firm price contracts and purchase of long-lead items. The potential effects of the current levels of inflation on our pay and programmes remain under continuous review.

We are reviewing information sources. I will write to the hon. Gentleman in due course and place a copy of my response in the Library of the House.

The longest, shortest and average period of time taken to make repairs to a Service Family Accommodation between November 2021 and March 2022 are shown below:

Longest 234 days (in respect to repairing a damaged fence)

Shortest 21 minutes

Average 15.9 days

The Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) Accommodation contracts came into effect on 1 April 2022. In developing the new FDIS Accommodation contracts DIO collaborated closely with key stakeholders, including the Single Services and the Families Federations, to ensure that Service families’ needs are fully considered and an improved ‘lived experience’ is provided.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 March 2022 to Question 132161 to the Rt hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (Mr Healey).

The cost of holding and maintaining empty Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties managed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the UK in Financial Year 2021-22 was £37.9 million; of this, £33.8 million is attributed to rental costs.

The total cost of the MOD’s UK residential property portfolio for Financial Year 2021-22 was £429 million.

The MOD has an active management programme to continue to reduce the number of empty properties it holds. The SFA void rate has reduced from 23% in 2018 to c18% on 1 May 2022. Currently, in the UK, 1,100 vacant houses are earmarked for disposal and 2,600 are being kept vacant currently for modernisation and improvements. 25,000 moves were managed across the UK Defence Estate during the year 2021-22.

The Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) has a range of supply options for what is a wide variety of surplus equipment not all of which represents military capability, routes are principally Government to Government sales as well as wider to UK industry. In addition, DESA coordinates several specialist contractors (selected through open competition) for the sale of defence equipment to the public and industry, both in the UK and overseas.

All revenue is returned directly back to each of the Front Line Commands.

RAF Shawbury will continue to be an essential part of the RAF's training delivery establishments.

In line with the announcement by Secretary of State for Defence on 25 November 2021, I can confirm that, following detailed assessment, the disposal of Clive Barracks will be delayed by four years from 2025 to 2029. Officials will continue to engage with the local authority to release the site for meaningful future use. All sites identified for disposal are maintained to ensure they support military capability and remain safe and legally compliant.

The Ministry of Defence has no plans to stop using Nesscliffe Training Area. In fact, this year has seen investment through the construction of three new carbon efficient accommodation blocks on the site.

In line with the announcement by Secretary of State for Defence on 25 November 2021, I can confirm that, following detailed assessment, the disposal of Clive Barracks will be delayed by four years from 2025 to 2029. Officials will continue to engage with the local authority to release the site for meaningful future use. All sites identified for disposal are maintained to ensure they support military capability and remain safe and legally compliant.

The Ministry of Defence has no plans to stop using Nesscliffe Training Area. In fact, this year has seen investment through the construction of three new carbon efficient accommodation blocks on the site.

In line with the announcement by Secretary of State for Defence on 25 November 2021, I can confirm that, following detailed assessment, the disposal of Clive Barracks will be delayed by four years from 2025 to 2029. Officials will continue to engage with the local authority to release the site for meaningful future use. All sites identified for disposal are maintained to ensure they support military capability and remain safe and legally compliant.

The Ministry of Defence has no plans to stop using Nesscliffe Training Area. In fact, this year has seen investment through the construction of three new carbon efficient accommodation blocks on the site.

These are not contracts awarded by the Ministry of Defence and I refer the Hon. Gentleman to the relevant Departments.

I refer the hon. Member to HCWS260, the Written Statement I laid in this House on Monday 6 September, and also the oral statement I made on Wednesday 9 September, which provided a comprehensive update on the Armoured Cavalry (Ajax) programme. The assessments are ongoing and I will provide an update to the House in due course.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to supporting the Government's commitment to Net Zero Green House Gas Emissions by 2050. Over the last 10 years we have already reduced emissions across our UK estate by 50%.

We acknowledge we need to go further and in March this year, MOD launched the Defence Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach, which sets out the ambition, principles and the methods needed for UK Defence to meet the challenge of climate change, enhance our sustainably activities and lower our emissions.

MOD is initially prioritising energy efficiency and decarbonisation initiatives to lower our carbon footprint across our estate. A natural capital register and modelling tools are being developed for the Defence estate which includes an assessment of the available carbon sequestration opportunities.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to protecting and enhancing the biodiversity on the Defence Estate and delivering on its statutory obligations and Government policy commitments.

Each project, plan or programme that may impact biodiversity is subject to a sustainability appraisal process which identifies, assesses and manages potential biodiversity issues, constraints and opportunities.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to supporting the Government's commitment to Net Zero Green House Gas Emissions by 2050. Over the last 10 years we have already reduced emissions across our UK estate by 50%.

We acknowledge we need to go further and in March this year, MOD launched the Defence Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach, which sets out the ambition, principles and the methods needed for UK Defence to meet the challenge of climate change, enhance our sustainably activities and lower our emissions.

MOD is initially prioritising energy efficiency and decarbonisation initiatives to lower our carbon footprint across our estate. A natural capital register and modelling tools are being developed for the Defence estate which includes an assessment of the available carbon sequestration opportunities.

In recognition of Government policies in support of sustainability and biodiversity on the Ministry of Defence estate, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) applies the same supporting principles to the sale of its land assets.

DIO will investigate the biodiversity value of a site in disposal and engage with Local Authorities and other agencies to agree protection measures and potential gains. This is in accordance with National and Local Planning policies.

The numbers of Vulcan Unexploded Ordnance clearance systems purchased in each of the last ten calendar years from Alford Technologies Limited are provided in the following table:

The Royal Navy’s Area Diving Groups, part of the Fleet Diving Squadron, are responsible for the disposal of underwater ordnance along the UK coastline, up to 12 nautical miles offshore. In the last ten years they have conducted the following numbers of underwater demolitions involving High Order detonation of munitions at sea. No Low Order detonations were conducted.

I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given in the House of Lords on 23 September 2020 by my right hon. Friend Baroness Goldie to Lord Campbell of Pittenweem to Question HL8176.

The UK's F-35B aircraft are procured using a 'Block Buy' approach through the US-led Joint Programme Office. The UK has ordered 35 aircraft to date, and procurement of the next 13 has already commenced, these will be delivered through the 'Block Buy 2' Programme (also referred to as Lot 15-17). This will take the UK to 48 F-35B aircraft. Further decisions on procurement beyond the 48 aircraft will follow the ongoing Integrated Review.