Oral Answers to Questions

Johanna Baxter Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

2. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the potential impact of defence expenditure in Northern Ireland on defence supply chain companies in the rest of the UK.

[Johanna Baxter (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) (Lab)]

10. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the potential impact of defence expenditure in Northern Ireland on defence supply chain companies in the rest of the UK.

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Hilary Benn)]

The Government’s commitment to increasing defence expenditure to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027 will provide an opportunity for defence companies in Northern Ireland to secure investment and create jobs.

[Hilary Benn]

I do indeed agree, because it is an opportunity for UK defence businesses, including in Northern Ireland, to take advantage of the increased defence expenditure. I have already indicated to the House two examples, in Thales and in Harland and Wolff, where the Government are investing in Northern Ireland already.

[Johanna Baxter]

The UK defence industry supports hundreds of thousands of good jobs and represents UK manufacturing at its best. Will the Secretary of State outline what the Government are doing to support the defence sector in Scotland and in Northern Ireland?

[Hilary Benn]

The most important thing that we are doing is increasing defence expenditure, which will provide the opportunities to which I referred a moment ago. I also very much welcome the Ministry of Defence’s announcement of a new hub for small and medium-sized enterprises to allow them better access to the defence supply chain. The MOD has also committed to setting a target by July this year for spending on SMEs.