Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) increase the role of the private sector within the defence sector and (b) allow industry partners to carry out essential cyber defence activities.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) works with multiple industry partners to carry out essential cyber defence activities. The Department works in a collaborative and integrated way across the technology and security sectors to deliver defensive cyber capabilities across Defence. There are two main Defensive Cyber Programmes that aim to bring in new technologies, processes, and ways of working to reduce cyber risk exposure across UK Defence. The programmes include a range of small, medium, and larger technology partners as part of their delivery ecosystems and are informed through insights gained via a wider group of Defence Industry partners through the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP).

Furthermore, the new Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) will be a future-focused and representative defence sector council that will extensively engage the private sector and other key industry partners, allowing them to help deliver Ministerially-endorsed and MOD official-endorsed recommendations into the Department.