Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Ranger Excerpts

Monday 15th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dame Nia Griffith (Llanelli) (Lab)]

1. What steps he is taking through defence spending to help increase economic growth.

[Andrew Ranger (Wrexham) (Lab)]

3. What steps he is taking through defence spending to help increase economic growth.

[Gareth Snell (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

6. What steps he is taking through defence spending to help increase economic growth.

--- Later in debate ---

[John Healey]

I do indeed recognise my hon. Friend’s excitement, as she puts it, about the opportunities created by the deep space advanced radar capability, the new drone developments and projects that we will bring to Wales. As we make defence an engine for growth, we are also putting the UK at the leading edge of innovation in NATO. I can announce today that in its first year, UK Defence Innovation will invest over £140 million in new drone and counter-drone systems to protect the UK homeland and allies in the face of increasing Russian drone incursions. That is backing British small and medium-sized enterprises, British micro-SMEs and British universities.

[Andrew Ranger]

As the Secretary of State outlined, the new defence growth deals announced earlier this year promise exciting opportunities, particularly for young people entering high-skill engineering and new apprenticeship roles. North Wales already hosts world-class defence firms, such as Teledyne Qioptiq; what benefits, especially for economic growth and opportunity, can my Wrexham constituency and north Wales more widely expect as those deals are rolled out?

[John Healey]

We are working with the Welsh Government, Welsh industry, companies like those that my hon. Friend mentioned, and Welsh academics and universities to work out the dimensions of a Wales defence growth deal. It will be one of five growth deals backed by £250 million in this Parliament. New drone technology autonomy will be the focus of this new defence growth deal.