Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the skills base of the UK's shipbuilding industry.

As the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSBS) acknowledges, having the skills within the UK to design, build, repair, and supply certain equipment and systems and integrate naval ships (and security sensitive equipment in all naval ships) is a key factor in the successful delivery of naval capability. We acknowledge that ensuring that there are sufficient numbers of properly skilled workers across the sector will require continued investment and support from Industry. BAE Systems have recently evidenced their commitment to developing world-class engineering skills by opening their Academy for Skills and Knowledge at Barrow.

As I am sure you are aware, there are a variety of initiatives in place across the UK designed to support the development of skills, some are the responsibility of the Devolved Administrations. In relation to naval shipbuilding, the Maritime Enterprise Working Group with the support of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Ministry of Defence and the Society of Maritime Industries coordinate a long term programme of improvement to improve the industry's productivity and competitiveness, including assessing the underpinning skills base and roles.