Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many jobs his Department estimates will be created as a result of planned defence investment by 2030.

The Ministry of Defence announced a significant increase in spending in the Defence Investment Plan published on 30 June.

Following a review ahead of the Budget 2026, we continue to estimate that this investment could support approximately 60,000 additional jobs by 2029-30, compared with 2023-24, across the defence industry and supporting industries. This remains consistent with the estimate underpinning the Defence Investment Plan.

Skills are fundamental to delivering the plan and supporting growth. Defence is continuing to engage with partners across Government and industry to understand the specific skills needed to deliver this investment.