Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Government launches Back British industry call to action to boost UK jobs, businesses and skills, published on 23 October 2025, whether the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth will consult with third parties.

The Office for Small Business Growth is collaborative by design. In planning the scope of the Office, we have already consulted widely with third parties including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), prime contractors, trade associations, mid-tier suppliers, Regional Defence and Security Clusters, and academia to ensure that the new service meets defence SMEs needs and fully integrates with support offered to smaller companies by other organisations and Government Departments. Collaboration across the Defence enterprise will continue once the Office has been established to ensure it continues to be a user-centric service for SMEs, start-ups and non-traditional suppliers to Defence.