Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that skills in the defence manufacturing industry are retained across the Solent area following the announcement of proposed job losses at BAE Systems.

BAE Systems remains a crucial industrial partner in supporting the Royal Navy in the Solent area. The Government is working with BAE Systems, Local Authorities, the Local Enterprise Partnership, and Talent Retention Solutions (TRS) to ensure that we retain vital engineering and manufacturing skills in the UK.