Oral Answers to Questions

David Duguid Excerpts

Monday 20th November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

12. What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the armed forces have the skills required for the future.

[David Duguid (Banff and Buchan) (Con)]

20. What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the armed forces have the skills required for the future.

[The Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families (Dr Andrew Murrison)]

In June 2023, the Ministry of Defence published the Haythornthwaite review of armed forces incentivisation. Multiple teams are being stood up across Defence to implement all 67 recommendations, working to establish a reward and incentivisation architecture that will attract and retain skills. Meanwhile, I am delighted to say that the Army has just been named the UK’s No. 1 employer of apprentices for the third consecutive year.

[Dr Murrison]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I enjoyed my relatively recent visit to Harrogate. More than 95% of all non-commissioned recruits across the armed forces are offered apprenticeships mapped to their training. As he rightly says, that benefits not only Defence but the individual and the wider economy.

[David Duguid]

Given that the defence of our United Kingdom is reserved and education and skills are devolved, what discussions is my right hon. Friend having with the devolved Administrations to ensure that the skills needed by our British armed forces are being developed across our whole United Kingdom?

[Dr Murrison]

The Ministry of Defence actively engages with the devolved Administrations to align education, skills and development, and will continue to do so, using the UK-wide pan-Defence skills framework, which ensures that the armed forces skills requirements are met across the country and contribute to the wider economy that we share.

Oral Answers to Questions

David Duguid Excerpts

Monday 18th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[David Duguid (Banff and Buchan) (Con)]

17. What steps his Department is taking to support defence jobs.

[Nicola Richards (West Bromwich East) (Con)]

20. What steps his Department is taking to support defence jobs.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Wallace]

Yes, the defence industrial strategy embraces the social value model from the Treasury in competitive procurement and ensures that tackling economic inequality and equal opportunity are factors that are taken into consideration in procurement. Under my direction and that of the Minister for Defence Procurement, the Ministry of Defence always has regard for onshore sovereign capability and industrial skills.

[David Duguid]

Scottish businesses receive more investment than average across the UK from defence procurement, so how will my right hon. Friend continue to encourage the building of the skills that we need to help Scottish businesses to continue doing their bit in defence of our United Kingdom?

Oral Answers to Questions

David Duguid Excerpts

Monday 28th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Jacob Young (Redcar) (Con)]

6. What steps his Department is taking to help support defence jobs across the UK.

[David Duguid (Banff and Buchan) (Con)]

12. What steps his Department is taking to help support defence jobs across the UK.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jeremy Quin]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We were already focused on securing our critical defence supply chains, but DSIS has provided renewed impetus. Specifically on steel, as he mentions his home patch, it is for the prime contractors to place orders but they are all flagged well in advance with UK industry. Unfortunately, there are occasions—we have had this recently—when specific types of steel that we require are not being produced in the UK. I would urge UK manufacturers to really explore these opportunities. We are very keen to see them do so.

[David Duguid]

The Minister will be familiar with the company Score in my constituency. It is a major supplier of valves across different industries, including for naval vessels. May I invite him to see for himself the fantastic facilities, technology and expertise, including the award-winning apprenticeship schemes, utilised by the single largest employer in my constituency of Banff and Buchan?

[Jeremy Quin]

Our increase in naval procurement benefits jobs throughout the UK. I am delighted to hear of the Score Group’s apprenticeship scheme to build talent for the future and I am keen to visit. The UK Government’s shipbuilding programme is proving a great success in supporting Scottish jobs unlike, it appears, that of other Governments with which my hon. Friend, as a Scottish Member, may be familiar.

Oral Answers to Questions

David Duguid Excerpts

Monday 15th November 2021 Commons Chamber

[Leo Docherty]

We provide support for resettlement for two priors to the end of people’s service and for two years after. That is a very important component of our offer to service people.

[David Duguid (Banff and Buchan) (Con)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that the new AUKUS partnership will not only help keep our people safe by preserving security and stability in the Indo-Pacific but will also help deliver this Government’s ambitions to level-up across the whole United Kingdom, including through the creation of hundreds of jobs in Scotland?

[Jeremy Quin]

I very much hope so. We spend over £20 billion a year on UK defence and over 10% of that goes to Scotland. We have increased the number of direct Scottish defence jobs by a fifth over the last three years, and that goes right the way across Scotland including Score Marine in my hon. Friend’s constituency. Other opportunities will arise over the next few years and AUKUS is a great basis for the future, not only for defence but for our joint security and for prosperity.

Oral Answers to Questions

David Duguid Excerpts

Monday 26th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[David Duguid (Banff and Buchan) (Con)]

5. What steps his Department is taking to support service personnel in making the transition to civilian life.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Tobias Ellwood)]

Every single year, 15,000 personnel depart from our armed forces, and I hope that I say on behalf of the entire House, “Thank you for your service.” They learn incredible skills while serving, and we need to ensure that the transition back into civilian life is as smooth as possible. I am pleased to say that 90% of those who participate in our transition scheme are either in education or back in employment within six months of departing the armed forces.

[David Duguid (Banff and Buchan) (Con)]

What discussions has my right hon. Friend had with the Office for National Statistics, or the Registrar General for Scotland, about the feasibility of adding the category “armed forces veteran” to the national census, to help us to identify the location of our veterans?

[Mr Ellwood]

I am pleased to say that we have spoken to the National Audit Office, and we are proceeding with the census question to ensure that we have a better understanding of who is actually a veteran in this country. I think it would be very helpful in securing a better estimation. We understand that there are currently 2.5 million veterans, and that the figure will fall to 1.5 million over the next 10 years, but better data through the census will certainly help.