Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 10 of his department’s Defence Industrial Strategy, published 8 September 2025, what progress has been made on launching regional STEM initiatives to boost defence skills across the country.

Following completion of a successful pilot delivered by Babcock in Plymouth, we are working with industry partners, through the Defence Industrial Joint Council, to establish STEM initiatives across five regions in England with a significant defence sector presence. These initiatives will improve access to STEM learning and increase awareness of defence, engineering and advanced manufacturing careers.

Further information on these locations will be provided in due course.