Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 43 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, what progress he has made on building at least six new (a) munitions and (b) energetics factories.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) committed to invest £1.5 billion in an 'always on' pipeline for munitions and to build at least six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK this parliament. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently developing a plan to deliver this commitment alongside our wider Defence Industrial Strategy, delivering long-term investment to boost UK growth and generating skilled UK jobs and export opportunities. The MOD is carefully considering arrangements for 'always on' and for new energetics and munitions factories including their potential locations, and more detail will be set out in due course. Work is ongoing in respect to the new factories and further announcements will be made in due course.