Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Department has made of the industrial lead times associated with establishing UK small arms manufacturing capacity for Project GRAYBURN, including facilities, specialist machinery, and workforce requirements.

Project GRAYBURN is in the formal concept phase and therefore the scope, timeline and complexity are yet to be determined. Project GRAYBURN will deliver against the Defence Industrial Strategy and our strategic partnership with industry will generate new long-term skilled jobs, including in STEM, and increase our industrial capacity and resilience.