Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 35 of the paper entitled Refresh to the National Shipbuilding Strategy, published in March 2022, what steps his Department has taken to help (a) SMEs and (b) social enterprises to demonstrate the full extent of the value they can generate.

We recognise that SMEs and social enterprises make a significant contribution to the defence supply chain, including shipbuilding. The National Shipbuilding Strategy has introduced a number of policy objectives which include creating opportunities for UK suppliers where possible, furthering the opportunities available to SMEs within the sector.

In addition, the Ministry of Defence published its SME Action Plan in 2022 outlining specific commitments to improve engagement with smaller businesses including improving visibility of opportunities and simplifying our procurement approach. We are also encouraging our major suppliers to publish their own sub-contract opportunities through the Defence Sourcing Portal, making it easier for SMEs to find and bid in for defence work.