Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of domestic industrial capacity to support defence supply chains.

This Government is bringing forward a Defence Industrial Strategy that will ensure a strong Defence sector and resilient supply chains across the whole of the UK.

The Statement of Intent for the Defence Industrial Strategy, published in December 2024, set out a commitment to prioritising UK businesses for investment and boosting sovereign capacity. Through the Defence Industrial Strategy and the Strategic Defence Review, the Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking a review and reconfirmation of sovereign capabilities required onshore.

The Department is also actively improving the capabilities of the UK’s Defence sector through initiatives such as the Defence Supplier Capability Development Programme and the new support hub for small and medium enterprises that the Prime Minister announced on 3 March 2025.