Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 31 of the policy paper entitled Refresh to the National Shipbuilding Strategy, published on 10 March 2022, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of his Department's spending on shipbuilding on the (a) sustainability and (b) competitiveness of the shipbuilding market.

The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSbS) Refresh published on 10 March 2022, is designed to deliver over the long term and reflects well over £4 billion of investment in UK shipbuilding over the next three years.

The 30 Year Cross-Government Shipbuilding Pipeline, established in the Refresh, is designed to drive sustainability and competitiveness in the sector through providing industry a clear demand signal of Government’s procurement programmes.