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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to support the supply of skills and expertise to UK shipyards.

Government is supporting the Maritime Enterprise Working Group (MEWG) to carry out an analysis of the shipbuilding skills requirements needed to meet future demand. The MEWG will use this analysis to inform the recruitment by the shipyards to meet their future delivery requirements.

The Government’s Industrial Strategy “Building a Britain Fit for the Future” includes the commitment to support young people to develop the skills they need for jobs in the future. Government is committed to encouraging the take up of apprenticeships and has set a target of 3 million new apprenticeships by 2020.