Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what modelling his Department conducted on the potential economic benefits of accessing the European Union's SAFE programme.

The Ministry of Defence, working with officials across His Majesty's Government, thoroughly assessed the possible economic benefit from participation in the SAFE initiative across a range of market outcomes.

This Government has been clear that we will only enter into agreements that serve the national interest and provide value for money for the taxpayer. In this case, the negotiations did not yield an agreement that met this standard.

We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation with the EU on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this Government’s NATO First defence policy.