Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating a defence diversification agency to ensure the sustainability of the defence sector.
The defence sector makes a significant contribution to the capability of our Armed Forces and supports hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs throughout the UK. Our refreshed Defence Industrial Policy, published in December 2017, sets out our commitment to encouraging a thriving and globally competitive UK defence sector as an integral part of the Government's overall Industrial Strategy. This includes encouraging the wider application of our investment in research. Ploughshare Innovations Ltd was established specifically to support the responsible transfer of defence research into the civilian market. On 14 March 2019 we provided an update to Parliament on the Defence Prosperity Programme (HCWS1411); this programme includes a specific strand of work aimed at sustaining an internationally competitive and productive Defence sector for the UK.