Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the combat readiness of the armed forces.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Our Armed Forces are always ready to protect and defend the UK and we continue to meet all operational commitments, including participating in every single NATO mission.
The Defence Command Paper 23 sets out our plan to deliver a credible warfighting force, generated and employed to protect the nation and help it prosper now and in the years to come. This plan will deliver the biggest transformation and strengthening of our national defence since the Cold War.
To support this, defence spending will increase to £87 billion a year by the end of the decade. As part of this, we're investing £10 billion in munitions production to ensure we have rapid production capacity and stockpiles of next generation munitions.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the Integrated Defence Review in 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Integrated Review Refresh published in March 2023 updated the 2021 Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy which anticipated some but not all the global turbulence of the previous two years including Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The refreshed Integrated Review published in March 2023 set out our new approach through an updated strategic framework delivered through four pillars. The department continues to work to implement and deliver its ambition. A decision to refresh the Integrated Review is for the Prime Minister and currently no such decision has been made.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help support small and local businesses within the defence industry.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The MOD recognises the vital contribution that Small and local businesses make within the defence industry. UK MOD is continuously working to address issues that limit access for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to defence opportunities, both directly with the department and through prime suppliers’ supply-chains. MOD’s SME Action Plan outlines the actions and commitments we have made to support SMEs seeking to work in defence. Increasing the diversity of the defence supply-chain helps us to identify and exploit innovation and improves the resilience of the defence industry overall.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution of the AUKUS defence partnership to R&D in the defence technology industry; and what steps he is taking to support innovation by UK companies.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In the two years following the AUKUS announcement, the UK continues to make good progress in working collaboratively with our UK defence industry to facilitate future opportunities attached to the AUKUS partnership including, but not exclusive, to: trade, R&D, and defence innovation.
Innovation continues to be a priority across Defence, with a well-established innovation system - supported through the Defence Innovation Fund - spanning various areas of the Department. Through AUKUS, the UK is also seeking to ensure that defence and technology trade and exports are as frictionless as possible between AUKUS partner nations. Export control reform is key to removing the layers of red tape impeding collaboration between our defence industry and governments.
Progress continues to be made to ensure that businesses can participate in investment opportunities attached to AUKUS. UK businesses are behind the design and manufacture of the world's most advanced submarines. As a decades-long programme, AUKUS will create thousands of jobs and wider opportunities across different sectors of the economy. In the short-term, this endeavour will almost double the size of the UK's (Raynesway) site, creating 1,170 high-skilled jobs in Derby, alongside thousands of job vacancies across the UK in the defence sector and the wider economy, supporting the Prime Minister's commitment to levelling up.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the AUKUS defence agreement on other sectors of the economy.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In the two years following the AUKUS announcement, the UK continues to make good progress in working collaboratively with our UK defence industry to facilitate future opportunities attached to the AUKUS partnership including, but not exclusive, to: trade, R&D, and defence innovation.
Innovation continues to be a priority across Defence, with a well-established innovation system - supported through the Defence Innovation Fund - spanning various areas of the Department. Through AUKUS, the UK is also seeking to ensure that defence and technology trade and exports are as frictionless as possible between AUKUS partner nations. Export control reform is key to removing the layers of red tape impeding collaboration between our defence industry and governments.
Progress continues to be made to ensure that businesses can participate in investment opportunities attached to AUKUS. UK businesses are behind the design and manufacture of the world's most advanced submarines. As a decades-long programme, AUKUS will create thousands of jobs and wider opportunities across different sectors of the economy. In the short-term, this endeavour will almost double the size of the UK's (Raynesway) site, creating 1,170 high-skilled jobs in Derby, alongside thousands of job vacancies across the UK in the defence sector and the wider economy, supporting the Prime Minister's commitment to levelling up.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help support the defence industry to participate in trade arising from the AUKUS agreement.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In the two years following the AUKUS announcement, the UK continues to make good progress in working collaboratively with our UK defence industry to facilitate future opportunities attached to the AUKUS partnership including, but not exclusive, to: trade, R&D, and defence innovation.
Innovation continues to be a priority across Defence, with a well-established innovation system - supported through the Defence Innovation Fund - spanning various areas of the Department. Through AUKUS, the UK is also seeking to ensure that defence and technology trade and exports are as frictionless as possible between AUKUS partner nations. Export control reform is key to removing the layers of red tape impeding collaboration between our defence industry and governments.
Progress continues to be made to ensure that businesses can participate in investment opportunities attached to AUKUS. UK businesses are behind the design and manufacture of the world's most advanced submarines. As a decades-long programme, AUKUS will create thousands of jobs and wider opportunities across different sectors of the economy. In the short-term, this endeavour will almost double the size of the UK's (Raynesway) site, creating 1,170 high-skilled jobs in Derby, alongside thousands of job vacancies across the UK in the defence sector and the wider economy, supporting the Prime Minister's commitment to levelling up.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) collaborative projects and (b) joint ventures with (i) Australian and (ii) US defence companies on the (A) defence sector and (B) economy.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
AUKUS provides a generational opportunity to enhance our collaborative relationship and collective national security, as well as better supporting how our industrial bases work together for the future. Progress continues to be made to ensure that businesses can participate in investment opportunities attached to AUKUS. To truly realise the benefits of the AUKUS partnership and the generational opportunity it presents, it is critical we break down existing and future barriers to collaboration. Modernising export controls will empower our government and industries to work together at the pace of relevance, accessing the best technologies and enhancing our mutual capabilities; ultimately to ensure our long-term collective security.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to provide infrastructure to help ensure that businesses can participate in (a) investment, (b) joint ventures and (c) projects under the AUKUS framework.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
AUKUS provides a generational opportunity to enhance our collaborative relationship and collective national security, as well as better supporting how our industrial bases work together for the future. Progress continues to be made to ensure that businesses can participate in investment opportunities attached to AUKUS. To truly realise the benefits of the AUKUS partnership and the generational opportunity it presents, it is critical we break down existing and future barriers to collaboration. Modernising export controls will empower our government and industries to work together at the pace of relevance, accessing the best technologies and enhancing our mutual capabilities; ultimately to ensure our long-term collective security.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of potential changes in the level of job vacancies in the defence sector as a direct result of the AUKUS partnership.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In the two years following the AUKUS announcement, the UK continues to make good progress in working collaboratively with our UK defence industry to facilitate future opportunities attached to the AUKUS partnership including, but not exclusive, to: trade, R&D, and defence innovation.
Innovation continues to be a priority across Defence, with a well-established innovation system - supported through the Defence Innovation Fund - spanning various areas of the Department. Through AUKUS, the UK is also seeking to ensure that defence and technology trade and exports are as frictionless as possible between AUKUS partner nations. Export control reform is key to removing the layers of red tape impeding collaboration between our defence industry and governments.
Progress continues to be made to ensure that businesses can participate in investment opportunities attached to AUKUS. UK businesses are behind the design and manufacture of the world's most advanced submarines. As a decades-long programme, AUKUS will create thousands of jobs and wider opportunities across different sectors of the economy. In the short-term, this endeavour will almost double the size of the UK's (Raynesway) site, creating 1,170 high-skilled jobs in Derby, alongside thousands of job vacancies across the UK in the defence sector and the wider economy, supporting the Prime Minister's commitment to levelling up.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) ship and (b) submarine construction sector; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of these steps on the (i) growth, (ii) competitiveness and (iii) sustainability of that sector.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh supports our ambition to grow the UK shipbuilding enterprise and support UK jobs. For specific detail about how the Strategy has supported UK shipbuilding to date, I refer the hon. Member to the answers provided on 14 December 2022 to Question 104345 and 13 March 2023 to Question 159089 to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Kieran Mullan).
Alongside the other measures in the Strategy, the naval pipeline makes a significant contribution to the sustainability and growth of the sector, with Type 26, Type 31 and Fleet Solid Support contracts supporting over 8,500 jobs across the UK supply chain well into the 2030s.
The future for the submarine sector is also healthy. The Astute and Dreadnought classes of submarine are currently under construction, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and involving hundreds of UK companies throughout the supply chain. Additionally, the construction of the next generation of AUKUS nuclear submarines will create thousands of UK jobs, particularly in Barrow-in-Furness - the home of British submarine building.