Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support defence jobs in (a) Merseyside and (b) Lancashire.

The most recent estimate shows MOD investment supports 219,000 jobs in industries across the UK. This includes 17,700 direct jobs in the North West of England.

Earlier this year, we marked the first anniversary of the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS), which received positive feedback from industry.

Continued high, and focussed investment in defence, along with the changes we are making as part of DSIS, will contribute to further economic growth and prosperity, across the Union.