Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of skilled welders entering UK shipyards.

As the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSBS) acknowledges, having the skills within the UK to design, build, repair, and supply certain equipment and systems and integrate naval ships (and security sensitive equipment in all naval ships) is a key factor in the successful delivery of naval capability. We acknowledge that ensuring that there are sufficient numbers of properly skilled workers across the sector will require continued investment and support from Industry.

Defence is working closely with other Government Departments and industry to develop and reinvigorate the pipeline of skills for shipbuilding in the UK and to improve the industry's productivity and competitiveness. In September, the Prime Minister appointed the Defence Secretary the Shipbuilding Tsar for this Government to better realise the potential that this sector can offer across the four Home Nations and to strengthen UK shipbuilding.