Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the £3.5 billion defence export finance deal for Ukraine, announced on 18 July 2024, if he will take steps to ensure that a proportion of the additional funding for export finance to Ukraine is provided to small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK defence and security sector.

The UK/Ukraine Defence Industrial Support Treaty signed on 19 July 2024 enables Ukraine to access export financing to procure defence capability from UK companies. It is for Ukraine to decide their priorities for that financing with the agreement of HMG, and there will be opportunities for UK companies of all sizes to benefit. This includes Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the supply chain, reflecting the significant contribution that SMEs make to a robust, resilient and innovative supply chain and wider UK prosperity.