Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that proposed increases in defence spending create economic growth in all regions.

In the recent announcements of an extra £5 billion for defence next year and setting a pathway to spend 2.5% of GDP by 2027, this Government recognised that Defence and national security are foundational for economic growth across the UK. We are determined to go further and use Defence procurement and investment to actively generate wealth, boost export potential and create high quality jobs across all the nations and regions of our country.

This Government is hard-wiring growth considerations into Defence processes. The new Defence Growth Board, which will be co-chaired by the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Defence, will ensure growth considerations are central to our decision-making.

The Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent, published in December 2024, identified spreading prosperity as one of six key priorities. The new UK Defence Innovation organisation and the associated commitment to spend 10% of the Ministry of Defence’s budget on novel technologies, together with fundamental reforms to defence procurement and a new small and medium sized enterprises hub will benefit industry across the UK.

The Ministry of Defence continues to engage with industry, devolved Governments and local authorities to better understand the regional opportunities and barriers for growth in the defence sector. We are working with partners across Government to determine how these can best be addressed.