Topical Questions

Answer from Grant Shapps

My hon. Friend is right about the extent of the supply chain. In addition to the very large investment in Rolls-Royce, to which the Australians contributed £2.4 billion last week, and all the work in Barrow that is described in the Command Paper, there are benefits for virtually every constituency in the country.

Answer from Grant Shapps

We have a constant flow of foreign materiel that we are buying and sending into Ukraine. £325 million for British-Ukrainian drones was recently announced, with the overall amount increasing from £2.3 billion to £2.5 billion.

Answer from Andrew Murrison

Integrated care boards are running a pilot scheme to address people losing their places on waiting lists when they travel around the country. HeadFIT is being adapted and adopted at the moment.

Answer from James Heappey

We do not comment on operational matters of that sort.

Answer from James Heappey

I am not entirely sure that I do agree. We have an increasingly helpful partnership with Qatar across a whole load of things over the past few years, and it has great potential.

Answer from Grant Shapps

HMS Albion was visited by me recently and has not been mothballed. The other ship, HMS Bulwark, will also continue in operation.

Answer from Grant Shapps

My hon. Friend is right about the extent of the supply chain. In addition to the very large investment in Rolls-Royce, there are benefits for virtually every constituency.

Answer from Grant Shapps

ISIS has claimed responsibility for Moscow's attack; no link to Ukraine. Recent attempts include 27 contracts through the International Fund for Ukraine with £900 million.

Answer from Grant Shapps

My hon. Friend can absolutely have that assurance. It is shocking to see what is happening in the region, but it is too often forgotten—including in this House today by some Opposition Members—that this all began with the taking of those hostages. We will never forget.

Answer from Andrew Murrison

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. As he knows very well, consecutive Governments have made it plain that we do not make changes to pensions retrospectively. As for pensions for the armed forces overall, Mr Speaker, you will know, as I do as a beneficiary, that they are equitable, fair and generous.

Answer from James Cartlidge

I enjoyed my visit to my hon. Friend's constituency, where we looked at a range of infrastructure and accommodation. I appreciate that she wants to see progress, but I stress that while we are engaging as closely as possible with Gosport Council on this and want to make progress, it is a complex site with significant defence events assets still in place relating to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the Royal Navy. I am committed to looking at what more we can do and to engaging further with her.

Answer from Grant Shapps

We are working to try to bring supplies to all the citizens of Gaza. I did not run through the list of provisions, but it does include provisions for those in medical need, particularly women who may be pregnant. As I mentioned, we are working on plans with the Americans in particular, but also with the Jordanians, to provide vastly greater amounts of aid into Gaza.

Answer from James Heappey

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. There is a perception that Daesh has gone away. The Daesh core is cooped up in prisons in northern Syria, but Daesh affiliates are growing alarmingly quickly in other parts of the world. The attack in Moscow is a reminder to us all that we must continue to focus on the counter-terror threat as well as on the state threat.

Answer from James Heappey

It is disappointing to finish on a down note, but as the hon. Gentleman knows from a written answer that I gave him last week, it has taken longer than I wanted to establish an independent group of new casework assessors, and that 12 week period has therefore not yet begun. I was told by officials, when I reluctantly signed off the answer to him last week, that that process was nigh-on complete and that the 12-week period should therefore start imminently. He will not be surprised to learn that, pre-empting his question, I have encouraged them by suggesting that eight weeks would sound an awful lot better than 12, given the delay in getting started.