Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the size of the workforce in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise.

The Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) workforce, taking account of the supply chain of more than 6,000 UK-based businesses, currently comprises more than 47,000 people. Based on current demand projections, the DNE workforce is expected to grow to around 65,000 by 2030.

The Department keeps the workforce requirements of the DNE under regular review through strategic workforce planning and delivery of the Nuclear Skills Plan.

The Department's assessment is that sustained workforce growth will be required to support the DNE's expanding programme of activity, including submarine delivery, infrastructure investment and wider Defence nuclear programmes. This growth will be supported by delivery of the Nuclear Skills Plan and continued collaboration with industry, academia and partners across government.