Defence and Hormuz Dominate as Grenfell Memorial Bill Passes

High-Level Summary

The Commons concentrated on defence policy and operations, tensions in the Middle East, cost‑of‑living and NHS primary care matters, and completed all stages of the Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill. Defence questions covered the Defence Investment Plan’s timing and affordability, support to Ukraine, protecting UK personnel in the Middle East, service conditions, and defence industrial skills and jobs. An urgent question on the Strait of Hormuz set out work with allies on a collective plan to restore navigation while avoiding wider escalation. Ministers announced targeted support for off‑grid households using heating oil and answered questions on the new GP contract. The Grenfell Bill passed all Commons stages without amendment, with cross‑party support for a community‑led memorial.

Detailed Summary

Oral Answers to Defence Questions

On Scotland, Minister Luke Pollard said he had launched “the Scotland defence growth deal” to boost jobs, SMEs and skills, alongside increased naval shipbuilding. He later cited “£5 million for the Arrol Gibb centre in Rosyth [and] £5 million for the Clyde engineering campus”.

On the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), Secretary of State John Healey said it would be “affordable and deliverable” and that government was “putting £270 billion into defence in this Parliament”. Pressed on timing, he said it would be published “as soon as it is ready” and noted that “86%” of over 1,200 contracts since the election went to British‑based businesses.

On Ukraine, Minister Alistair Carns announced a new package “worth more than £500 million… [to] deliver an additional 1,200 air defence missiles and 200,000 rounds of artillery”. On the Middle East, Healey said the RAF had flown “over 550 hours of defensive operations… We now have more jets flying in the region than at any time in the last 15 years”. On personnel and families, he said the Government had delivered “the biggest forces pay increase for two decades” and was renewing “nearly 40,000 military family homes”. Minister Louise Jones reported rising Royal Fleet Auxiliary applications and reduced outflow since 2023. On alliances and industry, Carns said AUKUS work would create “over 7,000 additional jobs at UK sites… with over 21,000 working on the programme at its peak”. In Topical Questions, Healey said the UK had delivered “3,500 drones, 18,000 artillery rounds and 3 million rounds of small ammunition” to Ukraine, and that allied navies were monitoring Russian activity near critical infrastructure.

Speaker’s statement: death of Phil Woolas

The Speaker noted the death of former MP Phil Woolas, offering condolences and acknowledging his ministerial service: “I should note the recent death of Phil Woolas… The thoughts of all of us… are with… his family and friends”.

Urgent Question: Strait of Hormuz

Minister Stephen Doughty said the UK is working with allies on “a viable collective plan” to reopen the strait and “restore freedom of navigation… as quickly as possible”, adding the UK “will not get drawn into a wider war” and that this is “not a simple task”. He declined operational detail but said “we had resources and capability in place” in the region, and updated that “35 flights arrived back in the UK carrying more than 8,000 British nationals… We have chartered six flights”. The Foreign Secretary would give a wider update the following day.

Urgent Question: Government response to the Humble Address (Peter Mandelson appointment)

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said the Government is “committed to publishing all documents relevant to the Humble Address” and that “further material will be published in due course”. Some material is being withheld at the Metropolitan Police’s request to avoid prejudicing an investigation. The PACAC Chair has been briefed and sensitive material routed to the Intelligence and Security Committee as appropriate. Jones said the inherited appointments process “was not strong enough” and will be strengthened. He did not provide new dates for further tranches, and confirmed plans to legislate to remove peerages for misconduct: “We are committed to bringing forward that legislation”.

Urgent Question: GP Contract 2026–27

The Health Secretary announced “an additional £485 million, taking the total investment… to more than £13.8 billion this financial year”, with a requirement that “all clinically urgent requests are dealt with on the same day”. He highlighted use of “advice and guidance”, claiming 1.3 million referrals diverted since April 2025. Asked to define urgency and liability, he said, “We trust our clinicians” to judge urgency, and said patient‑reported access had improved to “almost 77%… up from just 60%… in July 2024”. He said the Carr‑Hill formula review is under way, with implementation aimed “from 1 April 2027”, and that recruitment had exceeded the pledge “to bring back the family doctor”, delivering “2,000” new frontline GPs. On prevention, contract incentives would “boost childhood vaccination rates, [give] better care for patients living with obesity and [require] GPs to share data with the lung cancer screening programme”.

Statement: Heating oil support for households

The Energy Minister announced targeted help for off‑grid households affected by price spikes, “committing over £50 million to help low‑income families who use heating oil”, including “£17 million” for Northern Ireland. In England, funding will flow via local authorities “through the crisis and resilience fund… from 1 April”, with £3.8m to Wales and £4.6m to Scotland. He warned against profiteering and said the CMA had been asked to “tackle unjustified increases”. The Government is “exploring… stronger consumer protections” and “the creation of a new ombudsman or the appointment of a regulator such as Ofgem” for the heating oil market. He confirmed allocations are based on census data on oil use, not Barnett, and reiterated availability “from 1 April”. He did not commit to a VAT holiday or a formal price cap, instead emphasising CMA scrutiny and longer‑term energy security measures.

Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill

Introducing the Bill, the Secretary of State said it is a “simple Bill with a simple purpose: to ensure that the Grenfell Tower memorial is properly supported today and for the long term”. He stressed that design decisions remain community‑led and that “The aim is to start construction of the memorial from mid‑2027”. The Opposition confirmed support: “we will support it today on Second Reading and during its further stages”. In Committee, Ministers confirmed clause 1 authorises expenditure for construction, long‑term management, preservation/archiving and land acquisition, and “does not determine the design… governance or ownership arrangements”. A money resolution was agreed. The Bill completed all Commons stages without amendment and was passed.

Adjournment Debate: Compensation Act 2006 and asbestos‑related lung cancer

Douglas McAllister urged extending section 3 of the 2006 Act (joint and several recovery for mesothelioma) to asbestos‑related lung cancer, noting “around 5,000 people in Great Britain die from cancers caused by asbestos… each year”. Citing Heneghan, he said a family “received just £61,100” against a £175,000 valuation due to missing employers/insurers. Minister Sarah Sackman explained the legal framework (Fairchild, Barker, Compensation Act 2006), said there were “no immediate plans to review the current legal framework in England and Wales”, but committed to engagement: “I will of course meet him and relevant organisations to discuss how the law might be reviewed”.