Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with (a) Ministerial colleagues and (b) the civil nuclear industry on the provision of nuclear engineers; and if he will make a statement.

A number of engineering graduates and apprentices are recruited each year to the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s civilian workforce and trained as nuclear specialists. This is supplemented by lateral entry of personnel with established nuclear skills, including engineers from the wider market and former Royal Navy personnel.

The Government recognises that both the civil and Defence Nuclear Programmes must be sustained. I have discussed this issue with Ministerial colleagues from other Government Departments over the last year and the Government's approach to generating the skills needed was published in "Sustaining Our Nuclear Skills" on 20 March 2015, available at the following link: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustaining-our-nuclear-skills. MOD officials attend the Nuclear Industry Council and the Nuclear Owner's Group at which these issues are discussed with representatives of both the civil and defence industry.