Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent misconceptions about Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainable finance rules from affecting access to finance for companies involved in lawful defence production.

As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS) is set to be published later in 2026. The DFIS will address barriers to financing and investment in the sector – including supporting businesses access finance, in partnership with public financial institutions and private capital.

To inform the DFIS, we have held working sessions on debanking and on Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations, working with regulators, industry, the financial sector and other government departments.