Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Wallace and Stephen Metcalfe

Monday 21st February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Wallace]

The right hon. Gentleman is right to draw attention to the fragility in the submarine supply chain, which concerns not just us but the United States, and indeed all those involved. These are highly complex boats, and keeping them maintained and ensuring that they are also a skill base is a real challenge for us all. That is why we have invested in a record number of apprentices, and have increased much of the necessary funding. As the right hon. Gentleman suggests, AUKUS must be not only about capacity-building and capability in themselves, but about how the United Kingdom and the United States industrial base can assist, support and develop those capabilities in Australia. It cannot be done on its own; it has to be done with all of us.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

14. What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the defence space strategy.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Wallace and Stephen Metcalfe

Monday 21st October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Wallace]

The hon. Gentleman is tempting me to comment on an ongoing competition. As he knows, if we were to prejudice that competition, both the UK taxpayer and potentially UK industry would be at risk of being sued by the other consortium. The Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Anne-Marie Trevelyan), whom I welcome to my team, was not the Minister at the time of that competition, so to hold her to account in that way is unfair.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

8. What steps his Department is taking to maintain the capabilities of UK defence manufacturing.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ben Wallace)]

To help sustain future capabilities we have published strategies for shipbuilding and combat air and refreshed our defence industrial policy with a new emphasis on supporting growth and competitiveness, which are central to our procurement programmes, including, for example, the Type 31 frigate and Tempest.

[Stephen Metcalfe]

The UK has a world-beating defence industry that is dependent on high-value design. How is the Department supporting the Government’s “Engineering: Take a Closer Look” campaign to ensure that people understand how vital engineering is to our defence industry?