21 Mar 25. MOD Parliamentary Under-Secretary Luke Pollard to face questions on grey zone threats
Evidence Session: Defence in the Grey Zone
Tuesday 25 March 2025, 10.30, Committee Room 16
Watch on parliamentlive.tv
The Defence Committee will question Luke Pollard MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on grey zone threats, at 10.30 on Tuesday 25 March. Mr Pollard will appear alongside additional witnesses from the MOD.
In terms of the importance of the Grey Zone, the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff at the MOD, Lieutenant General Rob Magowan, told the Defence Committee in November 2024 that the upcoming Strategic Defence Review would focus on “four lenses” – NATO First; Global Responsibilities; Homeland Defence, and so-called hybrid grey zone activity.
This session is likely to be the final evidence session in the Committee’s inquiry into Defence in the Grey Zone. The session is likely to cover the nature of hybrid threats facing the UK and the contribution of UK defence in countering these threats, and acting as a deterrent. Questions are likely to focus on the potential for a whole-of-Government approach to grey zone threats, and whether the UK can learn from countries such as The Netherlands, Estonia and Finland in terms of better preparing society to respond to these threats.
10.30, Tuesday 25 March:
- Luke Pollard MP – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence.
- Gareth Martin – Director Operational Policy, Ministry of Defence.
- Air Commodore Matt Bressani – Head Military Strategic Effects, Ministry of Defence.
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Air Force and Army: Recruitment
Question for Ministry of Defence
Nadia Whittome
Labour Nottingham East
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help reduce the time it takes for (a) Army and (b) RAF applicants to complete the recruitment process.
Answer
Luke Pollard
Labour Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Commons
Answered on 20 March 2025
This Government inherited a recruitment crisis, with targets being missed every year for the past 14 years and is taking decisive action to get recruitment back on track. This has included the largest pay rise to personnel in decades and scrapping 100 outdated policies that slow recruitment down. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question 34507 to the hon. Member for Mid Derbyshire (Jonathan Davies).
MOD Ashchurch: Vehicles
Question for Ministry of Defence
Ben Obese-Jecty
Conservative Huntingdon
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what vehicles are held at MOD Ashchurch; and what their readiness state is.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 20 March 2025
MOD Ashchurch holds elements of the Army’s stored operational fleet and stored equipment (sustainment) fleet. These are comprised of many vehicle types and are held at varying readiness levels.
Multi-role Support Ships: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
James Cartlidge
Conservative South Suffolk
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 37236 on Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement, whether that answer should refer to Multi Role Support Ships.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 20 March 2025
The answer given to the hon. Member is correct. The Multi Role Support Ship has been renamed the Multi Role Strike Ship (MRSS). MRSS will be a Royal Navy crewed warship with a combat system, self-defence and offensive capabilities. The amended name better reflects the platform’s function and does not indicate any change of requirement.
Defence: Space Technology
Question for Ministry of Defence
James Cartlidge
Conservative South Suffolk
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase UK sovereign capability in the defence space sector.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 20 March 2025
The Ministry of Defence is supporting the Government’s ambition to strengthen the UK’s space sector. Through major investments from Defence, including £1.5 billion over 10 years in Defence space technologies and £5 billion over a similar period in satellite communications through the SKYNET programme, we have supported the development of technology and economic growth opportunities for the sector. Initiatives like ISTARI, a satellite constellation for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, will boost operational independence using unique technology developed in the UK. Collaboration with industry, academia, and Government is ongoing to ensure the necessary infrastructure, skilled personnel, satellites, ground stations and operators are in place for sovereign capability.
Defence Equipment: Manufacturing Industries
Question for Ministry of Defence
Edward Morello
Liberal Democrat West Dorset
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has conducted a feasibility study on increasing domestic production of critical weapon systems.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour
Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 20 March 2025
The Strategic Defence Review will determine the roles and capabilities required by UK Defence to meet the challenges and threats of the twenty-first century. The Prime Minister’s February announcement that spending on defence will increase to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027 reflects ongoing global instability.
This increased spending will sustain the UK’s globally competitive defence industry, supporting highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the whole of the UK. The Defence Industrial Strategy will also review consideration of the sovereign capability and capacity required in the UK.
An example of early action against our security and economic priorities is the £1.6 billion deal to supply thousands of advanced air defence missiles to Ukraine. The deal will support 700 existing jobs at Thales in Belfast, will see production of lightweight-multirole missiles at Thales’s factory treble and will also benefit companies in the Thales Supply Chain across the UK.
Armed Forces: Defence Equipment
Question for Ministry of Defence
Ian Roome Liberal Democrat North Devon
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that equipment used by the armed forces is interoperable with that of NATO allies.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 20 March 2025
The Ministry of Defence takes a number of steps to ensure our equipment is interoperable with NATO allies. These include leading on the development, ratification, and implementation of NATO standards; participation in joint exercises and training such as Formidable Shield; and promoting and encouraging allies to jointly procure and integrate capabilities, including through the UK-led NATO Multinational Procurement Initiatives and DIAMOND. We are also working with allies and industry to ensure the implementation of NATO’s Defence Production Action Plan, which places strong emphasis on the need to ensure the interoperability of existing and future military capabilities.
F-35 Aircraft: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
Ben Obese-Jecty Conservative
Huntingdon
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to purchase the second tranche of F-35B jets.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 20 March 2025
To provide the UK with the most relevant and capable Combat Aircraft force, the Ministry of Defence continually reviews the expected threat and the ability of our forces to counter it. Any further purchases would be set out in the usual way.
Defence: Satellites
Question for Ministry of Defence
Damien Egan
Labour Bristol North East
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of potential domestic alternatives for future launches of UK Space Command satellites, in the context of the launch of the Tyche satellite.
Answer
Luke Pollard
Labour Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Commons
Answered on 20 March 2025
The Government is developing the UK’s emerging space launch industry, aiming to become a European leader in commercial small satellite launches. This effort involves approximately £111 million being invested in the UK’s launch capabilities, including a recent £20 million investment to enable UK rocket manufacturer Orbex to complete construction of their launch vehicle Prime. Defence supports the UK’s launch ambitions, working with the UK Space Agency to help develop a thriving UK spaceflight sector and with our international partners to assist their launch requirements. This includes involvement in the early development of NATO’s STARLIFT programme to enhance space launch capabilities within the alliance, ensuring readiness for future launch needs.