Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Engagement Day at Cranfield University on 11 February 2020, whether his Department has plans for further DASA engagement events in the (a) the North East and (b) UK.

I am delighted that my predecessor (James Heappey MP) attended the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) engagement day at Cranfield on 11 February, and met Small and Medium Enterprises and academics attending the event. This was the first event of this type and needs to be evaluated before a decision is made on staging further events. In the meantime, DASA has a team of regional Innovation Partners who regularly attend events across the UK, including in the North East of England.

The Innovation Partners will continue to look for the right opportunities to engage with suppliers who could support innovation for the defence and security of the UK.