Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

UK Defence Jobs

Monday 10 January 2022 · 12 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 8 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The latest figures show the Ministry of Defence supports over 200,000 jobs in UK industry through 188 billion of investment over four years.
  • A market interest day was held last November to discuss requirements for the new medium helicopter programme.
  • The logistics contract will sustain 675 jobs across the UK supply chain, benefiting companies such as IBM in Nottingham.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mark Pawsey Con
Defence
Context

No specific event or statistic mentioned, but the MP is seeking information on steps taken to support defence-related employment across the country.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support defence jobs throughout the UK.

Answer from Ben Wallace

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics recorded Ministry of Defence support to over 200,000 jobs in UK industry. Further economic growth and prosperity, including jobs, across the Union will be underpinned by £188 billion of investment in defence over four years and this Government's commitment to a deeper and more strategic relationship with industry.

Answered
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Q2 James Davies Con
Defence
Context

There is interest in the region regarding potential job opportunities from the new medium helicopter programme.

Question

I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. There is great interest in north Wales in the opportunity that the new medium helicopter programme could bring to the region. Will he provide an update on the progress made by his Department ahead of the launch of a formal competition?

Answer from Ben Wallace

Last November, we held a successful market interest day with potential suppliers to discuss requirements for our new medium helicopter programme. Hopefully, by February, we shall start the process of the competition.

Answered
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Q3 Rob Roberts
Employment Transport
Context

The region is interested in the progress of the new helicopter programme which could generate around 400 jobs at Airbus if its bid is successful.

Question

As my constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Clwyd (Dr Davies), mentioned, the new helicopter programme could be significant in north-east Wales and generate around 400 jobs at Airbus directly, should its bid be successful. Will the Secretary of State confirm when the process is scheduled to be completed and when he expects the helicopters to come into service afterwards?

Answer from Ben Wallace

Once the competition is complete, we hope to have the medium-lift helicopters in service from the middle of this decade.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Completion schedule was not confirmed

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Q4 Andrew Bridgen Con
Defence Employment
Context

The MP highlighted a five-year, £460 million logistics contract that will deliver efficiency savings of £54 million annually.

Question

I was pleased to read last week of a new five-year, £460 million logistics contract that has been issued which should deliver the MOD £54 million of efficiency savings a year. Will the Secretary of State outline what the new logistics information system will mean for jobs in the UK, and specifically, jobs in the east midlands?

Answer from Ben Wallace

The contract will sustain 675 jobs across the UK supply chain and benefit the whole country, including through jobs at companies with a presence in the east midlands, such as IBM in Nottingham.

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Q5 Mark Pawsey Con
Employment Business & Trade
Context

The MP is the joint chair of the all-party group on manufacturing, highlighting the national shipbuilding strategy's ambition.

Question

As joint chair of the all-party group on manufacturing, I know that Jack Dromey would have appreciated the emphasis today on manufacturing and UK jobs. The national shipbuilding strategy sets out an ambition to support UK manufacturing by boosting innovation, skills, jobs and productivity across the UK, in addition to ensuring the construction of ships' hulls in British shipyards using British-sourced steel. Will the Secretary of State confirm that every encouragement will be given to UK-based companies to add to the UK content of these new vessels by supplying the systems and equipment that go hand in hand with them?

Answer from Ben Wallace

The Government are working hard to ensure that the UK producers of steel, and the wider UK shipbuilding supply chain, have the best possible chance of competing for contracts—including General Electric, from his constituency. The refresh of the national shipbuilding strategy is due for publication—we hope that this will be by the end of this month.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Publication date not confirmed

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Q6 John Spellar Lab
Defence
Context

The MP criticizes the MOD for not showing interest when its American parent company wanted to move production to France and questions why similar attention was not given to ensuring that fleet solid support ships are built using British steel.

Question

Can I bring the Secretary of State back to planet Earth—or planet MOD? He has just mentioned GE at Rugby, but the MOD took no interest when its American parent company in Philadelphia wanted to move production to France; similarly, there was no interest in ensuring that the fleet solid support ships are built in the UK using British steel. Every other major industrial country and major defence country looks after their own industry. Why will he not throw off the blinkers and actually do the same here in the UK?

Answer from Ben Wallace

I think the right hon. Gentleman has not even read the defence industrial strategy, where it is very clear that we have committed to enhancing sovereignty. He will know, because he has watched the solid support ship contract with great interest, that we have also classified those ships as warships and started that competition.

Not addressed: Specific cases involving GE and solid support ships were not addressed directly

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Q7 John Healey Lab Rawmarsh and Conisbrough
Defence
Context

The National Audit Office has confirmed 67 cases of overspend, write-offs, contract cancellations, unplanned extensions, and admin errors since 2010, costing at least £13 billion in taxpayer money.

Question

There are indeed 300,000 UK defence jobs linked to MOD contracts. Why have the National Audit Office and the MOD's own accounts officially confirmed 67 cases of overspends, write-offs, contract cancellations, unplanned extensions, and admin errors since 2010, costing at least £13 billion in taxpayers' money wasted since 2010? Will the Secretary of State now commission the NAO to conduct an across-the-board audit of MOD waste?

Answer from Ben Wallace

The Sentinel was retired before the replacement E-7 Wedgetails were ready, and £4 billion has been wasted since 2019 alone. However, replacing one platform with another is not wasteful. There are a great many things to put right in procurement, including cancelling programmes that cannot be afforded and retiring capabilities that should have been retired previously.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commissioning the NAO for an across-the-board audit of MOD waste

How: Desperate, Breathtaking Misunderstanding

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Q8 John Healey Lab Rawmarsh and Conisbrough
Defence
Context

The National Audit Office has judged the MOD's accounts for the defence equipment plan 'unaffordable' every year for the last four years. It has said there is a budget black hole of up to £17 billion.

Question

£4 billion has been wasted since 2019 alone, and the National Audit Office has judged the MOD's accounts unaffordable each year. The Secretary of State has taken no serious action to deal with these deep-seated problems. He is failing British forces and taxpayers.

Answer from Ben Wallace

The Sentinel was retired before the replacement E-7 Wedgetails were ready, so £147 million in constructive loss was accounted for. However, Labour's estimates of aircraft carriers costing only £2.7 billion when they cost over £6 billion show a misunderstanding.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Taking serious action to address procurement issues

How: Desperate

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Q9 Mark Francois Con Rayleigh and Wickford
Defence
Context

The Public Accounts Committee said that the procurement system was broken.

Question

The Secretary of State has offered a meeting to discuss reforming procurement in the Ministry of Defence, following the Public Accounts Committee's statement about the broken procurement system. What are his plans for reform?

Answer from Ben Wallace

The Minister for Defence Procurement has come to the House time and again to talk about issues relating to Ajax, being honest and clear about problems that need to be put right. The pricing estimates and quality of contracts are important, and there needs to be a change in the culture of optimism bias.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Providing specific reform plans

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Q10 Dave Doogan SNP Angus and Perthshire Glens
Defence Local Government
Context

In 2010, there were three main RAF bases in Scotland. Now there is only one.

Question

There are now only three RAF bases left in Scotland, and two have been closed since the Government came to power in 2010. How many jobs have been lost due to this draw-down, and how much has the target of 12,500 personnel stationed in Scotland by 2020 been missed?

Answer from Ben Wallace

There is one RAF base now—in Lossiemouth—but we are increasing the footprint there. We replaced the RAF base at Leuchars with Army units, and will put another unit there as well. Overall, the proportion of the Army that is based in Scotland has increased since 'Army 2030'.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Job loss figures and missing personnel target details

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Q11 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Employment Energy Environment
Context

Devonport is the UK's premier naval base and dockyard. There are 13 rotting nuclear submarines tied up alongside it.

Question

Will the Secretary of State present plans to recycle the 13 rotting nuclear submarines that are tied up at Devonport? This would be good for the environment, freeing up dock space, and beneficial for jobs.

Answer from Ben Wallace

I have asked our Submarine Delivery Agency and the Navy to present plans for investing in Plymouth's infrastructure, which has suffered from a lack of investment because people want the more 'sexy' show capabilities rather than things that underpin keeping forces ready and fit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Recycling plans for 13 rotting nuclear submarines

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Q12 Kevin Hollinrake Con Thirsk and Malton
Defence Local Government
Context

The Alanbrooke barracks in Thirsk and Malton, hosting the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, is set to close by 2031 according to the Department. The closure raises concerns about alternative uses or redevelopment of the site.

Question

My right hon. Friend's Department has announced that the Alanbrooke barracks in my constituency, which proudly hosts the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, will close in 2031. Can my right hon. Friend identify any possible other military uses for that base? Alternatively, will he work urgently with the local authority to ensure that the obvious redevelopment opportunities are taken up as quickly as possible?

Answer from Ben Wallace

I should be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss all opportunities to make use of that space.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific alternative military uses or detailed plans for redevelopment were not provided.

How: Delighted To Meet And Discuss

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