As the project is at concept phase it is not clear yet what proportion of each weapon system will be manufactured in the United Kingdom but I can assure the hon. Member that it is desirable for the project to create skilled employment in the UK as set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy.

As per the pipeline notice 2026/S 000-002873, following direction from the Joint Requirements Oversight Committee (JROC), Project GRAYBURN will focus on UK manufacture, establishing a strategic supply relationship, the delivery of variants, reliability and engagement with industry.

Whilst the role of the JROC is not to provide direction to Defence Equipment and Support specifically, they are a mandated part of the commercial process and provide invaluable support to ensure Defence needs are met by providing strategic direction and cohering activities across Defence, overseeing the delivery of strategy and monitoring performance.

I can confirm that the scope of the wider dismounted close combat weapons portfolio ranges from pistols to machine guns.

Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) salary information is detailed in the DE&S Annual Report and Accounts (ARAC), which is published annually on the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-equipment-support-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025

The total salary costs for 2024-25 were £583 million, as noted on page 94 of the 2024-25 ARAC.

The term ‘statements of requirements’ is not used by the Ajax programme and therefore it is not possible to answer the hon. Member’s question.

Due to Defence Equipment and Support's flexible resourcing model, performance awards would have been made on an individual basis and as a result of overall organisational performance, rather than solely on the outcomes of a specific programme.

Staff employed by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) have both a Success Profile and an Email Tally. Success Profiles provide outlines of roles, key responsibilities and formal qualifications needed, as well as required technical competences and behaviours, which are aligned to wider Civil Service behaviours. No DE&S or SDA Success Profile title includes the words ‘equality’, ‘diversity’, ‘inclusion’, ‘gender’, ‘LGBT’ or ‘race’.

In DE&S Email Tallies comprise individual’s Profession, Skills Group and a unique number. In SDA Email Tallies are short summaries of an individual’s current team and role. In both cases these appear after individuals’ names in the MOD’s Global Address List.

In total fewer than five members of staff across DE&S and SDA have Email Tallies that include either the word ‘diversity’ and/or the word ‘inclusion’, or abbreviations thereof. No Email Tallies in either DE&S or SDA include the words ‘equality’, ‘gender’, ‘LGBT’ or ‘race’.

Defence Equipment and Support's (DE&S) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation Team uses a range of tools and techniques to develop software and AI within Defence. Their tools and techniques evolve quickly and in line with the rapid evolution of AI technology and the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) obligations to ensure responsible use of AI.

The tools used are commercially available cloud-based tools, including open source. The AI software is built on Defence's Digital Backbone (including MODCloud and Defence DevSecOps Service). DE&S make careful use of Cloud services such as Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service where appropriate. All such use is assured through Secure by Design and in line with MOD policy on AI.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 September 2024 to Question 1555.

The far-reaching changes in this Defence Reform programme will help cut waste, boost British growth and jobs and fast track the technologies of the future into the hands of our frontline forces.

It is too early to specify the overall staffing requirements for the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. This will be subject to refinement as planned implementation continues, and in response to operational and policy requirements as they emerge.

The NAD Group will benefit from a streamlined approach to governance overseen by a Leadership Board. This will send reports and advice to senior committees, e.g. the Ministry of Defence Executive Committee; and will receive reports and advice from supporting committees e.g. its Challenge Board, Strategy and Policy Board, and management boards of Defence Support, and of the delivery and enabling organisations: Defence Equipment and Support; Defence Digital; Defence Infrastructure Organisation; and, Defence Science and Technology Laboratories, which are now part of the collective NAD Group, and whose heads will all sit on the NAD Group Leadership Board.

The far-reaching changes in this Defence Reform programme will help cut waste, boost British growth and jobs and fast track the technologies of the future into the hands of our frontline forces.

It is too early to specify the overall staffing requirements for the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. This will be subject to refinement as planned implementation continues, and in response to operational and policy requirements as they emerge.

The NAD Group will benefit from a streamlined approach to governance overseen by a Leadership Board. This will send reports and advice to senior committees, e.g. the Ministry of Defence Executive Committee; and will receive reports and advice from supporting committees e.g. its Challenge Board, Strategy and Policy Board, and management boards of Defence Support, and of the delivery and enabling organisations: Defence Equipment and Support; Defence Digital; Defence Infrastructure Organisation; and, Defence Science and Technology Laboratories, which are now part of the collective NAD Group, and whose heads will all sit on the NAD Group Leadership Board.

As set out in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement the Ministry of Defence will establish UK Defence Innovation (UKDI). This new body will consolidate, cohere and simplify the current Ministry of Defence (MOD) structures for innovation. As well as capitalise on lessons from Ukraine. It supports the Government’s wider agenda for greater departmental agility, driven by advances in technology and increased productivity. UKDI will be granted greater freedoms to exploit and capitalise on new ideas, equip Britain’s Armed Forces with cutting-edge tech faster, support the growth of high-tech businesses across the UK and demonstrate the UK’s ability to respond at pace to external threats.

UKDI will report under the new National Armaments Director (NAD) and sit within the Ministry of Defence as part of the new operating model being established through Defence Reform. Its output will be fully accountable to Ministers and Parliament. UKDI will be part of cross Government growth boards. UKDI is not a new Arm's Length Body, nor will it pull in any existing Arm’s Length Bodies. UKDI is a key part of the biggest overhaul of Defence for over 50 years and will be an essential part of reforming defence acquisition.

UKDI will reach initial operating capability in July 2025, that output will provide more detail on the admin and running costs of UKDI, the detailed design and interactions with MSHQ, other Government departments and industry. This work will look at the size and shape of the workforce needed to deliver the ambition. UKDI will be given the appropriate delegation, resources and authority to achieve its goals.

To achieve these aims UKDI will be given a ringfenced budget to give confidence to industry in the acquisition programme and to be able to move from concept to delivery at pace. Investment cases will prioritise UK SMEs. The Spring Statement also confirmed that from next year the MOD will spend at least 10% of its equipment procurement budget on novel tech including dual-use technologies such as uncrewed and autonomous systems and AI-enabled capabilities. UKDI will be closely linked to the DE&S and DASA teams which have recently been involved in recent rapid procurement activities where appropriate.

The creation of UKDI underlines this Government's commitment to exploiting new ideas and technologies to equip our Armed Forces with cutting edge tech and grow high tech businesses across the UK.

The estimated financial remuneration for financial year 2024-25 for the Department’s public appointments (which includes a range of roles including non-executive board members, statutory officeholders and expert committee members, etc) is as follows:

a) Departmental - £1,270,920 (95 roles)

b) Defence Equipment & Support - £318,000 (7 roles)

c) Atomic Weapons Establishment - £359,965 (8 roles)

d) All other connected agencies - £1,305,257 (55 roles)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

Working with the Defence Science and Technology group, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) has continued to develop approaches for using AI to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our work. DE&S has launched a number of secure services, which provide access to Large Language Models (these are AI systems capable of understanding and generating natural language by processing large amounts of text data) and has successfully employed the use of AI techniques to improve the exploitation of large, unstructured and semi-structured datasets. This has provided opportunities that were not previously viable or cost effective through traditional data processing practices. All assessments are kept under continuous review.

Defence is dedicated to recruiting and retaining the best talent, drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills, and background, to reflect the society we serve and ensure we maintain an advantage in a competitive age. It is mission critical to our operational effectiveness and to ensuring we continue to meet the threats we face and safeguard the security, stability, and prosperity of our nation. We will only meet these threats if all our people, regardless of background, are confident that their efforts and skills are properly recognised, their individuality and experience respected and are able to achieve their full potential.

Defence is involved in a number of relationships that directly link to both apprenticeships and graduate opportunities, including national and multicultural apprenticeship awards; National Apprenticeship Week; Apprenticeship Ambassador Network; Universities and Colleges Admission Service; university careers fairs; the 5% Club and the Youth Futures Foundation. In the time available to answer this question it has not been possible to identify the number or location of all such interactions over the last 12 months, but given that most of these relationships operate nationwide, London is undoubtedly included.

The Department continues to fill the highest priority roles first in accordance with current and future output requirements. I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

We are in the process of finalising the job advert for the National Armaments Director role. The National Armaments Director recruitment is expected to launch imminently.

The pathway to 2.5% will set the overall envelope for Defence spending. Funding for specific programmes is considered as part of the Department’s annual budget setting process.