Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he is taking to increase funding in (a) priority sub-sectors, (b) places and (c) resolving skills challenges.

The Defence Industrial Strategy sets out how the Ministry of Defence will direct funding to support national security sub-sectors such as AI, cyber, energetics and shipbuilding. Five Defence Growth Deals are being established across the UK, backed by a £250 million investment and will support those priority sub-sectors. The Defence Industrial Strategy is supporting skills with an investment of £182 million to resolve skills challenges across the UK, working with devolved and local Government to do this. The Defence Investment Plan, which will be published this autumn, will work to ensure that defence is investing in these sub-sectors to deliver growth for the whole of the UK.