Oral Answers to Questions

Mark Pawsey Excerpts

Monday 8th July 2019 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. The events are tailored in regard to their tone and scale and the number of people attending them, and we might not be able to guarantee that the cost will be split exactly between the two events. That might differ, but the prominence of the events will not differ. That will be the same.

[Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)]

15. What recent estimate she has made of the number of jobs that defence procurement supports in the UK.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Stuart Andrew)]

MOD official statistics show that our spending with UK industry in 2017-18 directly supported 115,000 jobs across the country.

[Mark Pawsey]

I thank the Minister for his work to ensure that the propulsion systems for the Navy’s Type 26 frigates will continue to be built in Rugby and for the security and future opportunities that that will give much of the workforce. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that we train up the next generation of skilled engineers to continue that vital work?

[Stuart Andrew]

I recognise the important role that my hon. Friend played in ensuring that the GE facilities were maintained in Rugby. I agree that it is absolutely vital to ensure that the defence sector has the right skills to meet all our needs. Many of our suppliers have well established programmes and schemes to ensure that that happens, and we continue to work through the Defence Suppliers Forum and the Defence Growth Partnership to ensure that those skills and training are maintained.