Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 42 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, in what ways the defence industrial base will be redefined to include (a) academia, (b) dual-use civilian-military companies, (c) financial services, (d) technologists and (e) trade unions.

The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) (published on 8 September 2025) sets out our approach to redefining the defence industrial base. In order to adopt a whole of society approach to keeping the UK safe and boosting economic growth, our definition must reflect the deep range of partners and expertise both within our traditional defence sector and those in adjacent sectors.

The DIS (section 1.3.2) therefore redefines the UK defence industrial base to include academic institutions (including dual-use civilian-military companies), UK-based companies, banks and other financial services companies, goods and services firms, technologists and technology firms, and trade unions and their members.