Kevan Jones
MP for North Durham
Lab
Questions Asked by This MP
Parliamentary questions and government responses.
Response classifications show how directly each question was answered.
Do the Prime Minister and the Business Secretary have confidence in Nick Read's leadership at the Post Office?
Context
Nick Read, the Post Office CEO, is under investigation following an 80-page report by the former head of HR at the Post Office.
Rishi Sunak
It would clearly be inappropriate for me to comment on an investigation before it has been completed. Our focus remains working closely with the Post Office to ensure that it delivers justice for postmasters caught up in this historic scandal, which is why we will imminently bring forward the legislation that we promised.
Assessment
The Prime Minister did not address whether they have confidence in Nick Read's leadership.
Inappropriate To Comment Before Investigation Completion
Session: PMQs
View Full Session -->
Following the 2020 agreement, Britain and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding elevating their relationship to a strategic partnership with extensive security and defence co-operation. Will the Minister outline the future of this partnership given the recent conflict?
Context
Concern over the future of the UK-Israel strategic partnership, particularly in light of the war in Gaza.
Leo Docherty
Our commitment to a two-state solution remains unchanged, aiming for Palestinians to achieve statehood through our diplomacy and defence posture throughout the region.
Session: UK-Israel Military Co-operation Agreement
View All Questions -->
I do not know whether the Minister has seen the article by the defence editor, Mark Nicol, about the lack of transparency on pinch points in the armed forces personnel workforce. Figures on that used to be produced regularly. When was the decision taken to no longer produce them, and will the Minister commit today to producing them in the interest of transparency?
Context
Figures on pinch points in the armed forces personnel workforce used to be produced regularly.
Andrew Murrison
I cannot give the right hon. Gentleman a straight answer to that because I cannot remember when the figures were withdrawn, but I can certainly look into it and write to him. On pinch points, he will be aware that, through Haythornthwaite-type processes, we are incentivising people to join parts of defence that are underpopulated at the moment, such as chefs and—
Session: Topical Questions
View All Questions -->
Has the MOD made further payments to General Dynamics beyond £480 million in March, and why are subcontractors not being paid as expected?
James Cartlidge
The right hon. Gentleman is knowledgeable on this; he can write to me about it. The Ajax contract is a firm price contract with positive feedback from the Household Cavalry on its capability, sensors and cannon.
Session: Topical Questions
View All Questions -->
What liaising does the Minister do with the Home Office? I have an Afghan special forces interpreter who came here having done valiant work during Operation Pitting. His mother, father and siblings left Afghanistan and ended up in Ukraine of all places, and they moved to the UK last year. The Home Office gave them temporary leave to remain, only for them to receive a letter in the past couple of months saying that they would have to be deported back to either Afghanistan, Ukraine or Rwanda. In that case I interceded and the Minister's office helped, but what is going on between his Department and the Home Office?
Context
The question arises from a specific case involving an Afghan special forces interpreter whose family received a letter threatening deportation.
James Heappey
From the question, I can see all sorts of ways in which that might present quite a confusing case to colleagues in the Home Office, especially if those in Ukraine proceeded to the UK under a mechanism other than the Afghan relocations and assistance policy. May I look at the detail of the case and come back to the right hon. Gentleman, rather than speculate?
Session: Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy 2023-09-11 (2)
View All Questions -->
Noting that NATO was created to protect democracy and safeguard values underpinning it, I reference a resolution from a year ago proposing a democracy resilience centre within NATO. Understanding this has been agreed by all nations but one, can the Secretary of State put effort behind persuading that member at the upcoming summit?
Context
The MP inquires about a resolution passed by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to create a democracy resilience centre, asking for efforts at the upcoming summit to persuade the last member nation to agree.
Ben Wallace
I think it is best if I write to the right hon. Member about the details and will look into it, happy to discuss what needs progress with him. We aim to get to the bottom of this issue.
Session: NATO
View All Questions -->
Is the Secretary of State confident that in the UK, the Department for Business and Trade and others realise that if we are to get the benefit of this exciting project, we need that national endeavour here, especially on skills and technology across Government?
Context
The AUKUS partnership is a significant national endeavour involving skills and technology.
Ben Wallace
The right hon. Gentleman will know that getting sign-off on a project such as this involves engagement across Government, including getting the Treasury's buy-in. Once that has been locked in, we can progress. I am confident that the whole of Government stand behind the project, which is important not just to regenerate places such as Cumbria and the north-west but to lock in the skills base that we need for our future. This is a very exciting project. It will be building long after the right hon. Gentleman and I have probably left this House, in many decades to come.
Session: AUKUS Submarine Project
View All Questions -->
May I say first that if the Secretary of State is going to quote the National Audit Office, he should read the entire statement rather than doing so selectively? In large, multibillion-pound contracts in the private sector, a project lead with expertise is usually put in place for a number of years. In defence procurement, well-meaning and committed individuals with very little expertise in project management are there for a short period. Is it not time to look at the ways in which we project-manage these large multi-year contracts, and to move from what appears to some to be an amateur approach to a more professional one?
Context
Concerns over the inconsistent and short-term nature of project management roles within large-scale defence procurement projects, affecting long-term success.
Ben Wallace
I do not disagree with some of the right hon. Gentleman's observations. Consistency in these programmes is incredibly important. Some of them, even when on track, can be 20-year programmes, and consistency is important. It is not just about the senior responsible owners by whom those programmes are led but he is right to suggest that we are seeking to see whether we can have more longer-term or permanent SROs.
Session: Defence Procurement
View All Questions -->
The Defence Committee recently had before us representatives from Boeing, which has been awarded some £6 billion-worth of contracts in recent years. A representative confirmed that Boeing directly employs only 1,600 people in the UK. Does the Minister not agree that that is a pretty poor return on the investment and that it certainly would not be the case in the United States?
Context
The Defence Committee had representatives from Boeing, awarded £6 billion-worth of contracts but directly employs only 1,600 people in the UK.
Alex Chalk
I met Boeing recently, and we are always keen to see investment in the UK. We are absolutely delighted that, because of the pipeline of investment that the Government have commissioned—from ships to cyber to space—we are investing in jobs and capability, and we are ensuring that we take expertise from wherever it is in the world, securing jobs in this country.
Session: Defence Jobs
View All Questions -->
Social value will be taken into consideration when awarding contracts. Could the Defence Secretary clarify exactly what social value means, in quantifiable terms?
Context
The MP seeks clarification on how social value is quantified when awarding defence contracts.
Ben Wallace
In strategy documents such as the national shipbuilding strategy, we pledged a minimum 20% weighting for social value with naval ships. Social value is one of the weightings that we put on the contract. We consider inequalities or economic factors within the weighting.
Session: Defence Jobs
View All Questions -->
Is the parent guarantee specific to this contract or is it just a gentleman's agreement?
Context
It has been nearly two years since issues with Ajax were identified, and there is no fix in sight. The Minister for Defence Procurement mentioned a parent guarantee in place between GDUK and the parent company.
Ben Wallace
Given the legal weighting of that question, I think it best if I write to the right hon. Gentleman with the detail. I would not want to say anything at the Dispatch Box that would either cause the taxpayer to suffer unnecessarily as a result of any legal remedy or jeopardise a very important programme as we are trying to fix its problems and roll it out.
Session: Ajax Programme 2022-06-13 (2)
View All Questions -->
What assessment has been made of the initial outcomes of the trials for the Ajax armoured fighting vehicle programme?
Context
The Ajax programme has faced issues with noise and vibration problems. General Dynamics proposed changes to address these issues, but there is no fix in sight.
Ben Wallace
General Dynamics has proposed changes to address noise and vibration problems. The changes have been assessed by Millbrook independently, and we expect to receive its final report shortly. We will not proceed without a high degree of certainty, and we will not accept a vehicle that is not fit for purpose.
Session: Ajax Programme 2022-06-13 (2)
View All Questions -->
On the radio last week, the Minister said that to undertake Operation Isotrope the Ministry of Defence will have to acquire new boats. Will he give an assurance to the House that they will be procured in the UK and not follow the example of the Home Office, which has, to date, purchased such equipment from Holland?
Context
In a previous interview, the Minister mentioned that boats may be leased rather than procured.
James Heappey
The right hon. Gentleman refers to an interview in which I mentioned that they may be leased, rather than procured. As I went on to explain in that interview, there are a number of different platform types that will have different degrees of relevance and utility in the channel, all of which are under consideration to ensure that the right balance of platforms is available for what will be a very tricky task.
Session: Tackling Illegal Migration
View All Questions -->
I thank the Minister for Defence Procurement for his letter on the Navy's special purpose vehicle and the changes he has made to the procurement process, but that will not get us away from the fact that the money has to be spent by March, which means that the vessel will be built or procured from a Dutch company, Damen. Why is he not backing British industry?
Context
The Navy's special purpose vehicle will be procured from a Dutch company, Damen, instead of a UK-based firm.
Jeremy Quin
The right hon. Gentleman has already decided how our competition will end, which is unwise. We have multiple potential providers and we are going through a buying process.
Session: Topical Questions
View All Questions -->
At his last outing before the Defence Committee, the Minister for Defence Procurement would not give a commitment that the future solid support ships would be built in Britain; he just said that the integration would take place here. Can he say today what percentage of the content of those vessels will be UK-sourced to protect not just jobs but technology in the UK?
Context
A previous defence procurement minister had not committed to building future solid support ships in the UK.
Jeremy Quin
As I recall, I said we expected a substantial amount of that build to be in the UK, and as the right hon. Gentleman well knows I cannot go much further on an ongoing procurement process.
Session: Topical Questions
View All Questions -->
In spring, international firms were invited to collaborate with UK entities for the fleet solid support ship project. I have previously asked numerous questions and feel that answers are evasive. Can you confirm if the £5 million design contract was awarded to a consortium or individual companies? Will the prime contractor who wins this build contract be a UK company?
Context
A £5 million design contract was awarded earlier this year. The MOD has been working with a consortium on the project, but details about which companies received these design contracts are not clear.
Jeremy Quin
The MOD is working with the entire consortium on this project. I would need to check for specifics but can say that four awards of £5 million each were made and these contracts are given to firms within the consortium, all having a UK component.
Session: Fleet Solid Support Ship Contract
View All Questions -->
If he will define the term “UK content” within the fleet solid support ship contract. I have tried numerous times to get answers on these questions and feel that his responses are evasive. May I ask him directly: who holds the design contracts—are they with the consortium or individual companies? Will he confirm that the winning prime contractor will be a UK company?
Context
The MOD invited international companies to collaborate with UK firms for the fleet solid support ship project. A £5 million design contract was awarded earlier in the year, but the specifics of who received this contract remain unclear.
Jeremy Quin
The contract will go to a UK business as part of a consortium or individually. The MOD is working with the consortium on design work and all awarded contracts are for £5 million each, given to firms within the consortium, which have a UK component.
Session: Fleet Solid Support Ship Contract
View All Questions -->
That is very interesting. I am not sure whether I should be asking this question of the Minister rather than the Prime Minister. Can he explain, then, what else in the defence budget will give to pay the £200 million that the Prime Minister announced?
Context
Concerns about the financial impact of the Prime Minister's £200 million announcement on other defence priorities.
Jeremy Quin
We are delighted to be playing our part in delivering this first-rate asset, which will be a tremendous boost to the UK and global Britain. We should recognise that we will have greater clarity on the costs and the profile of that when we have completed our market engagement. The prior information notice has just gone out. To put it in a helpful context for the right hon. Gentleman, over four years we are talking about an impact on the overall defence budget in the region of 0.1%.
Session: National Flagship Procurement
View All Questions -->
Whether the procurement costs for the proposed national flagship will be drawn from his Department's existing budget allocation. That is very interesting. I am not sure whether I should be asking this question of the Minister rather than the Prime Minister. Can he explain, then, what else in the defence budget will give to pay the £200 million that the Prime Minister announced?
Context
Inquiry about the capital costs associated with building a national flagship and whether these will be funded from the Ministry of Defence's existing budget.
Jeremy Quin
The capital costs of building the national flagship would accrue over a number of years and will be met from the defence budget. We are delighted to be playing our part in delivering this first-rate asset, which will be a tremendous boost to the UK and global Britain. We should recognise that we will have greater clarity on the costs and the profile of that when we have completed our market engagement. The prior information notice has just gone out. To put it in a helpful context for the right hon. Gentleman, over four years we are talking about an impact on the overall defence budget in the region of 0.1%.
Session: National Flagship Procurement
View All Questions -->
Will the Minister publish how he defines UK content in the F-35 programme?
Context
The MOD's definition of 'content' includes work carried out for UK companies by US subsidiaries.
Jeremy Quin
The MOD's definition of 'content' is by value, and we are proud of UK manufacturing contributions.
Session: Topical Questions
View All Questions -->
I accept that NDAs are important for financial contractual obligations, but is the Minister aware that his Department is asking industry at the pre-bid stage to sign NDAs that actually exclude companies from speaking to MPs or Ministers? I understand some US primes like Boeing and Lockheed Martin are refusing to sign these NDAs. Why is this happening?
Context
Concerns are raised about NDAs used in pre-bid stages, potentially restricting companies' ability to engage with Members of Parliament or Ministers. US primes like Boeing and Lockheed Martin reportedly refuse such agreements.
Jeremy Quin
I am not aware of any company complaining about NDAs. If the right hon. Gentleman is aware of some, I would really encourage those companies to get in contact with me directly and I will take it up.
Session: Non-disclosure Agreements
View All Questions -->
What recent assessment has been made of trends in the number of non-disclosure agreements used within my Department's defence programmes? I am concerned that these NDAs are being overused when they should be an exception.
Context
Kevan Jones inquired about the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) within his Department's defence programmes, focusing on recent trends and necessity.
Jeremy Quin
The Ministry of Defence only uses non-disclosure agreements in its commercial arrangements by exception, when there is a specific need. Although no trend analysis has been undertaken, it remains the case that NDAs are only used where absolutely necessary.
Session: Non-disclosure Agreements
View All Questions -->
Supply teachers play a vital role in our schools. Many thousands, including my constituent Ellie Atkinson, have found themselves out of work. May I urge the Treasury to look at ways of supporting these workers, either through direct financial support or ensuring they can work in open schools?
Context
Supply teachers have been affected by the school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Steve Barclay (Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General)
The right hon. Gentleman will know that school budgets have been allocated, so the schools already have that money to spend; that will not change. The announcement that the Chancellor has made about the PAYE system is about supporting people through that mechanism. If the right hon. Gentleman has other proposals, I am happy to engage with him to discuss them further.
Session: Topical Questions
View All Questions -->
Despite £430 million being spent, the Warrior programme remains in the demonstration phase. Can you indicate when a contract will be let? Will that happen only after the battlefield assessment phase is complete?
Context
Over £430 million has been spent on the Army's Warrior programme upgrade, but it is still at the demonstration phase after nine years.
Jeremy Quin
We are at the demonstration phase for the Warrior programme. Any future steps will be taken at the conclusion of that phase to ensure we have the right kit for the Army through 2040 and potentially beyond.
Session: Armed Forces Capability
View All Questions -->
Other Parliamentary Activity
Debates led and petitions presented.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan
15 March 2023
Responding: Maria Caulfield
Main Concerns
["Kevan Jones is concerned about the lack of progress in delivering timely mental health treatment, highlighting that around 1.7 million people are currently in contact with mental health services, and up to 8 million have unmet needs. He notes severe pressures on ambulance services and the police due to mental health crises and points out that almost a quarter of patients wait more than 12 weeks for any form of treatment. Jones also expresses disappointment over the scrapping of the 10-year mental health plan, which was replaced by a major conditions strategy that does not adequately address disparities or focus on children's mental health."]
Specific Asks
['Jones urges the government to be ambitious and implement a long-term mental health strategy that is integrated across all Departments and local government. He calls for universal access to counselling in schools, early intervention programs, and addressing economic factors impacting mental health, advocating for policies that recognize the connection between mental health and employment.']
UK Maritime Sector
16 September 2021
Responding: Robert Courts
Main Concerns
['Mr Kevan Jones is concerned about the public perception of the maritime sector as outdated, despite its critical role in supporting £46 billion of UK GDP and generating over a million jobs. He highlights that 95% of imports and exports are transported by sea, with 48% of food supplies and 25% of energy needs also relying on this industry. Jones emphasizes the importance of skilled workers, pointing out an ageing workforce in the maritime sector, and calls for investment to attract younger individuals into these roles.']
Specific Asks
["Jones asks the Government to provide a clear long-term strategy that includes substantial financial support for shipbuilding and repair industries, such as committing to a '30-year drumbeat of work'. He also requests a partnership approach rather than competition between consortia when procuring ships, emphasizing the need for certainty in securing skilled jobs and retaining technology domestically."]
National Security
14 May 2026
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Crime and Policing Bill 2025-06-18
18 June 2025
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Moves that the clause be read a Second time. The new clauses aim to criminalise commercial sexual exploitation, including enabling or profiting from prostitution and paying for sex acts either directl...
Postal Services Bill - Clause 2: Meaning of ‘relevant offence’
23 May 2024
Bill Debate
Contributed to this debate
Minister Kevin Hollinrake moves the amendment, describing it as an historic day for overturning convictions following a significant miscarriage of justice. He acknowledges the support from all parts o...
Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
21 May 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Ukraine
20 May 2024
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Mr. Andrew Mitchell opens the debate by condemning Putin's invasion and supporting Britain’s actions to back Ukraine, including a pledge of £3 billion in military aid per year until 2030. He details t...
War Graves Week
14 May 2024
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission does extraordinary work keeping alive the memories of over 1.7 million men and women who gave their life in both world wars, tending to graves, memorials and sit...
Backbench Business
09 May 2024
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Morris opened the debate by highlighting the struggle of miners and their pension issues. He criticised the Government for taking nearly £5 billion from the mineworkers' pension scheme without contrib...
Defence
07 May 2024
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
The Government have committed to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030, resulting in a £75 billion cash boost over six years from a flat cash baseline. The current commitment involves sound...
Defence Personnel Data Breach
07 May 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Conviction Quashing Bill - Clause 1 Amendment (25)
29 April 2024
Bill Debate
Contributed to this debate
Amendment 25 seeks to clarify that clause 1(1) will apply only to convictions made before the Act's coming into force. This ensures that the legislation does not retroactively affect cases outside its...
1
PMQs Asked
23
Ministerial Questions Asked
196
House of Commons Debates Involved
2
Westminster Hall Debates Led
5
Statements / Bills
0
Petitions Presented
0
Voting Record
Activity Compared to Peers
How does this MP's parliamentary activity compare to the national average across 1457 MPs?
Prime Minister's Questions
-73% below average
This MP:
1
Average:
3.7
Ministerial Questions
+72% above average
This MP:
23
Average:
13.4
Westminster Hall Debates Led
-21% below average
This MP:
2
Average:
2.5
Commons Chamber Debates
+3921% above average
This MP:
196
Average:
4.9
Statements / Bills Proposed
-47% below average
This MP:
5
Average:
9.5
Petitions Presented
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
2.5
Important Context
- - Ministers answer questions rather than asking them, so have different activity patterns
- - Activity quantity doesn't measure quality or effectiveness of representation
- - Some MPs focus more on constituency work than parliamentary questions
- - Newly elected MPs will have less parliamentary history
About This Page
This page tracks Kevan Jones's parliamentary activity including questions asked, debates (Commons Chamber + Westminster Hall), statements/bills, and petitions presented.