Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support maritime and shipbuilding.

The Marine sector and shipbuilding are an important part of my Ministerial portfolio. BEIS is supporting the delivery of the refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy led by the Ministry of Defence. The Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme will underwrite lending, in partnership with commercial lenders, for domestic operators to encourage more UK builds and is a key priority for early delivery. I am bringing forward our specific proposals for the scheme to Government colleagues, with a view to updating Parliament and launching a scheme this calendar year.