Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking tackle skills gaps within the defence industry.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that attracting and retaining the right mix of skills is critical to sustaining a vibrant, innovative and competitive UK defence sector. This is an important area of focus in the development of the Defence Industrial Strategy and will be a topic given close attention by the Defence Industrial Joint Council. The MOD continues to work closely with the Department for Education, the Department for Business and Trade and defence sector companies to ensure the sector has access to the skilled workforce it requires.