Project Royal Oak allocated £26 billion across our three naval bases and provided £3.9 billion for HMNB Portsmouth. Project Bentham is part of that funding and work on the delivery programme for Project Bentham is ongoing. Completion dates for the individual elements will be confirmed as the programme progresses and delivery schedules are finalised.

The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

There is a range of test and evaluation activity planned across Project CORVUS, Project NYX, Uncrewed Ground Vehicle development activities and other Army uncrewed and autonomous capability programmes. However, costs specific to test and evaluation are not accounted for separately from wider programme and operating costs.

As set out by the Secretary of State in her oral statement of 7 September, the Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused decisions for the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible. We also recognise that areas will have committed resources to reorganisation and ministers will consider this matter alongside the review.

The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

There is a range of Test and Evaluation activity planned across the Protector RG1 programme, the Stormshroud programme, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and other technology development programmes. However, costs specific to Test and Evaluation are not accounted for separately from wider programme and operating costs.

In line with NATO guidance, all relevant Government expenditure will be counted towards defence spending, including Departments outside of MOD, provided it specifically meets the needs of the UK Armed Forces.

Defence will invest at least £1.5 billion over the next four years to begin delivering the Hybrid Navy, including the integration of autonomous underwater, surface and airborne systems to deliver mass and persistence. By 2030, we aim to have brought the first large autonomous vessels of into service, including a prototype uncrewed missile platform and extra-large uncrewed underwater vessels (XLUUVs), with payloads developed through AUKUS. The optimal breakdown of this £1.5 billion investment between different types of vessel will now be developed in consultation with industry.

The information required to answer the question is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost to the Department.

The UK's Defence Investment Plan (DIP) allocated £300 million specifically to launch a dedicated UK Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme. This targeted funding is aimed at kickstarting a domestic autonomous jet programme, with the government expecting a flying technology demonstrator by 2030.

Across the remainder of this Parliament the Ministry of Defence plans to spend £1.26 billion on Land domain uncrewed systems and £482 million on deployable counter drone systems for the Army. This latter figure does not include funding for counter drone systems being procured for UK Homeland Defence or deployable Ground Based Air Defence systems capable of targeting drones.

The breakdown of spend per Financial Year is not held centrally and therefore cannot be provided within this response.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the standard rate of 20 per cent applies to most goods and services, including most construction works. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability concerns.

To support the repair and maintenance of places of worship, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport administer the Places of Worship Renewal Fund which will allocate £92m over four years. The Fund provides upfront capital grants to enable essential capital works for buildings in greatest need.

Project Royal Oak will deliver more than £26 billion of investment over the next decade to modernise HM Naval Bases Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth. Detailed commercial and procurement arrangements are being developed.

All procurement activity undertaken by the Ministry of Defence is conducted in accordance with the relevant procurement legislation, policy and value-for-money requirements. The procurement approach for individual contracts will be determined as programme requirements are developed and approved.

Project Royal Oak will deliver more than £26 billion of investment over the next decade to modernise His Majesty’s Naval Bases at Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth. As the programme remains in its early stages, detailed commercial and contracting arrangements are still being developed. It is therefore not yet possible to forecast the proportion of contracts that will be awarded to UK-based suppliers.

The hon. Member will be aware of this Government’s commitment to a Back British approach to Defence. The Ministry of Defence will continue to work closely with industry to deliver Project Royal Oak, maximising economic opportunities across the United Kingdom while ensuring value for money for the taxpayer.

The Government has not decided whether to extend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to decapod crustaceans. The Home Office is continuing a phased, evidence-based programme of work to improve protections for decapods used in science and inform and inform any future decision on regulation.

This includes developing baseline welfare standards, voluntary reporting arrangements and identifying evidence, guidance and technical gaps. The Home Office is establishing an expert working group to support this work and is developing a roadmap setting out the key stages towards considering the potential future inclusion of decapods as protected animals under the Act.

Any decision to bring forward legislation will be informed by the evidence and advice produced. It would therefore be premature to set a date for the conclusion of that consideration. The Government will provide further updates as the work progresses through appropriate forums.

The Government has not decided whether to extend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to decapod crustaceans. The Home Office is continuing a phased, evidence-based programme of work to improve protections for decapods used in science and inform and inform any future decision on regulation.

This includes developing baseline welfare standards, voluntary reporting arrangements and identifying evidence, guidance and technical gaps. The Home Office is establishing an expert working group to support this work and is developing a roadmap setting out the key stages towards considering the potential future inclusion of decapods as protected animals under the Act.

Any decision to bring forward legislation will be informed by the evidence and advice produced. It would therefore be premature to set a date for the conclusion of that consideration. The Government will provide further updates as the work progresses through appropriate forums.

The Skills and Development Centre scope is currently being refined. The number of apprentices and adult learners it will be capable of supporting will be confirmed once that work has concluded.

As part of Project Royal Oak, £7.1 billion will be invested in HMNB Devonport and Devonport Dockyard over the next decade. This investment includes continued upgrades to 15 Dock to enhance capability and resilience for the submarine maintenance programme, the modernisation of 10 Dock, and completion of the 14 Dock recommissioning programme, which will enable legacy submarine defuelling operations to resume. It also includes broader infrastructure renewal and maintenance across the site.

This significant investment reflects both historic underinvestment in infrastructure and evolving operational requirements. The 15 Dock programme has already enabled the successful docking of the first Astute-class submarine at Devonport.

Following the nuclear regulatory review, we are currently exploring opportunities to accelerate work on 10 and 14 Dock, and we continue to drive forward delivery of these projects at the earliest possible opportunity.

As part of Project Royal Oak, £7.1 billion will be invested in HMNB Devonport and Devonport Dockyard over the next decade. This investment includes continued upgrades to 15 Dock to enhance capability and resilience for the submarine maintenance programme, the modernisation of 10 Dock, and completion of the 14 Dock recommissioning programme, which will enable legacy submarine defuelling operations to resume. It also includes broader infrastructure renewal and maintenance across the site.

This significant investment reflects both historic underinvestment in infrastructure and evolving operational requirements. The 15 Dock programme has already enabled the successful docking of the first Astute-class submarine at Devonport.

Following the nuclear regulatory review, we are currently exploring opportunities to accelerate work on 10 and 14 Dock, and we continue to drive forward delivery of these projects at the earliest possible opportunity.

As part of Project Royal Oak, £7.1 billion will be invested in HMNB Devonport and Devonport Dockyard over the next decade. This investment includes continued upgrades to 15 Dock to enhance capability and resilience for the submarine maintenance programme, the modernisation of 10 Dock, and completion of the 14 Dock recommissioning programme, which will enable legacy submarine defuelling operations to resume. It also includes broader infrastructure renewal and maintenance across the site.

This significant investment reflects both historic underinvestment in infrastructure and evolving operational requirements. The 15 Dock programme has already enabled the successful docking of the first Astute-class submarine at Devonport.

Following the nuclear regulatory review, we are currently exploring opportunities to accelerate work on 10 and 14 Dock, and we continue to drive forward delivery of these projects at the earliest possible opportunity.

The £26 billion investment of Project Royal Oak is an aggregate package inclusive of HMNB Clyde, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth. This package encompasses a broad range of infrastructure, estate renewal, accommodation, engineering, sustainment and operational support activity. The disaggregation of these outputs includes aspects that are commercially and operationally sensitive, however financial data on MOD major projects is published in the Annual Report on the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).