Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 2.9 of the Spring Statement, published on 26 March 2025, whether the Defence Reform Model will include a target for spending on UK Defence SMEs.

The Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Defence have announced that, along with other Government Departments, the Ministry of Defence will publish a target for direct spend with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by June 2025.

This forms part of broader Defence Reform and complements the commitments within the Spring Statement regarding ringfenced funding for innovation. The Department is committed to a stretching but achievable target to meet this requirement.