Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has a target for increasing the use of UK steel in defence.

The UK steel industry is an important strategic national asset, vital for our security and our economy. Steel used in our major Defence programmes is sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, as Defence programmes may often have requirements for specialist steel which cannot be sourced in the UK.

The future pipeline for steel requirements is published to enable UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for Government contracts. As part of the Strategic Defence Review, this Government is committed to developing a defence industrial base that is able to better support our own and allies security while also helping to drive economic growth. We will ensure a strong defence sector and resilient supply chains, including steel, across the whole of the UK.