Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support the 2025 Apprenticeship Action Plan launched by the Northern Ireland Minister for the Economy.

The Ministry of Defence recently launched the Northern Ireland Defence Growth Deal, which will deliver £50 million of defence investment in Northern Ireland over the next five financial years. Alongside the Defence Industrial Strategy, we have also launched a £182 million defence industry skills package that will support apprentices across the UK, including in Northern Ireland.

We are consulting with the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department for the Economy, as well as industry, academia and other key stakeholders, to determine the best use of this funding and how it can align with existing initiatives, such as the 2025 Apprenticeship Action Plan.