Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Wallace and Stephen Metcalfe

Monday 21st October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Wallace]

The hon. Gentleman is tempting me to comment on an ongoing competition. As he knows, if we were to prejudice that competition, both the UK taxpayer and potentially UK industry would be at risk of being sued by the other consortium. The Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Anne-Marie Trevelyan), whom I welcome to my team, was not the Minister at the time of that competition, so to hold her to account in that way is unfair.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

8. What steps his Department is taking to maintain the capabilities of UK defence manufacturing.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ben Wallace)]

To help sustain future capabilities we have published strategies for shipbuilding and combat air and refreshed our defence industrial policy with a new emphasis on supporting growth and competitiveness, which are central to our procurement programmes, including, for example, the Type 31 frigate and Tempest.

[Stephen Metcalfe]

The UK has a world-beating defence industry that is dependent on high-value design. How is the Department supporting the Government’s “Engineering: Take a Closer Look” campaign to ensure that people understand how vital engineering is to our defence industry?