Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) ship and (b) submarine construction sector; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of these steps on the (i) growth, (ii) competitiveness and (iii) sustainability of that sector.

The National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh supports our ambition to grow the UK shipbuilding enterprise and support UK jobs. For specific detail about how the Strategy has supported UK shipbuilding to date, I refer the hon. Member to the answers provided on 14 December 2022 to Question 104345 and 13 March 2023 to Question 159089 to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Kieran Mullan).

Alongside the other measures in the Strategy, the naval pipeline makes a significant contribution to the sustainability and growth of the sector, with Type 26, Type 31 and Fleet Solid Support contracts supporting over 8,500 jobs across the UK supply chain well into the 2030s.

The future for the submarine sector is also healthy. The Astute and Dreadnought classes of submarine are currently under construction, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and involving hundreds of UK companies throughout the supply chain. Additionally, the construction of the next generation of AUKUS nuclear submarines will create thousands of UK jobs, particularly in Barrow-in-Furness - the home of British submarine building.