Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has placed contractual obligations on Team Resolute to deliver 200 further education opportunities and apprenticeship programmes as part of the Fleet Solid Support Ships contract.

The contract for the Fleet Solid Support ships has not yet been awarded. The ships will primarily be built in the UK to protect the UK's essential security interests. This decision will deliver long-term improvement in UK shipbuilding capacity and capability through investing in shipbuilding infrastructure, productivity, skills, and a more resilient supply chain.

The Fleet Solid Support ship contract will create a significant number of new jobs, including around 1,200 high quality manufacturing jobs, and hundreds of graduate placements and apprenticeships.