Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the business centre in Kyiv on the time taken to deliver defence equipment to Ukrainian armed forces that is supplied by the UK defence sector.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The business centre is being designed to address the challenges that currently complicate operations for smaller UK companies. This will accelerate business processes and provide greater opportunities for both nations. The Ministry of Defence will work with the selected delivery partner, and relevant stakeholders, to ensure that the hub's operational framework delivers enduring change, including the transition to reconstruction at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK small and medium‑sized defence companies that will use the business centre in Kyiv in its first year of operation.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The business centre is specifically designed to help UK SMEs overcome practical barriers to operating in Ukraine, based on industry and industry bodies feedback. Estimates cannot be disclosed at this stage, as it could prejudice fair competition among potential delivery partners and operational delivery. The Ministry of Defence will work with the selected delivery partner and relevant stakeholders to ensure the scale meets the business need and is enduring.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to introduce a framework to monitor the potential impact of the business centre in Kyiv on UK defence exports to Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
On completion of the procurement process, the Ministry of Defence will work with the selected delivery partner and relevant stakeholders to develop the business centre’s monitoring framework. As the centre becomes operational, we will integrate its activities within our existing monitoring and reporting frameworks to assess its contribution to UK-Ukraine defence exports, and wider UK trade as conditions change.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press notice entitled New defence deals with India deepen strategic partnership and boosts UK business, published on 9 October 2025, what estimate his Department has made of the potential value of contracts for defence supply chain companies in (a) the UK and (b) Buckingham and Bletchley constituency following the defence agreements signed with India.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
UK defence industry stands to benefit from over £350 million from contracts secured for maritime electric propulsion and Lightweight Multirole Missiles. These initial contracts will incorporate content sourced directly from the UK’s extensive defence supply chain network. The announced deals have the potential to deliver additional agreements in the future, further boosting UK businesses, jobs and growth.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that defence industrial co-operation with India supports UK strategic priorities.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK and Indian Governments are working together on extensive defence capability collaboration to strengthen supply chain resilience which will feature co-development and co-production of selected capabilities. This aligns with objectives published in both the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy. Both countries will enjoy an established portfolio of capabilities across multiple domains, enabling interoperability by our Armed Forces and mutual prosperity for our defence industries.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the new defence agreements with India on UK defence exports.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The recent agreements made with India will positively affect UK defence exports in areas such as maritime electric propulsion and complex weapons. We are also exploring opportunities for further collaboration with India through implementation of a Defence Industrial Roadmap, including in emerging technologies and land mobility platforms.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has established a (a) monitoring and (b) evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of (i) Defence Growth Deals and (ii) Defence Technical Excellence Colleges.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Each Defence Growth Deal will be bespoke to their location and we will work with devolved and local Governments, industry and academia to shape the Deals in a way that is best for that area. This includes developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks that align with the Government’s Plan for Change.
The Department for Education, working with the Ministry of Defence, Defence Technical Excellence Colleges and partners in the skills system, will design a monitoring and evaluation framework that helps support successful delivery of key objectives. This includes boosting defence related skills provision and ensuring clear pathways into defence sector jobs; high quality teaching practice and curricula in defence-related courses; and leveraging employer engagement and investment in defence-skills provision.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of the Defence Industrial Strategy on (a) regional and (b) sectoral employment figures in (i) cyber-security, (ii) submarine engineering, (iii) aerospace and space systems and (iv) other technical sub-sectors.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has not released specific public estimates regarding the regional and sectoral employment impacts of the Defence Industrial Strategy. However, the Defence Industrial Strategy focuses on creating high-skilled jobs and fostering growth in key technical sub-sectors such as cyber-security, submarine engineering, aerospace, other technical sub-sectors and space systems, with the aim of bolstering the UK’s defence industrial base and supporting regional economic development.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that training curricula for the new Defence Technical Excellence Colleges align with capability requirements identified in the Strategic Defence Review.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Defence Technical Excellence Colleges will be recognised for their high-quality provision, including in training curricula, for skills important to the defence sector, including those identified through the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy. We will work closely with industry to identify their skills needs, including through the newly established Defence Industrial Joint Council.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much he plans to spend annually on research and development associated with the (a) Future Combat Air System and (b) Global Combat Air Programme in the next five years.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The forthcoming ten-year Defence Investment Plan will outline the Department’s spending plans in line with the Strategic Defence Review and Spending Review outcomes.