Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support (a) defence and (b) aerospace innovation in Vale of Glamorgan constituency.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the vital importance of the defence and aerospace industry in the Vale of Glamorgan, and in Wales more widely.

The Defence and Security Accelerator has a dedicated Innovation Partner in Wales and is supporting a number of projects with innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme, for example, has funded Raplas Technologies, based in the Vale of Glamorgan who specialise in 3D printing applications within defence. While the MOD does not allocate spending to specific nations and regions in the UK, MOD spending in Wales totalled £914 million in 2023-24, equivalent to £290 per person.

The Defence Industrial Strategy will set out how we will prioritise and support businesses to create a more innovative and resilient defence sector across the UK, including in Wales.