Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Defence Sector Investment

Tuesday 14 November 2023 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Secretary of State for Defence stated that ESG practices must not undermine defence capabilities.
  • The Government expects to consult on a UK green taxonomy this autumn to provide clarity for investors.
  • The Minister committed to meeting with Jim Shannon to discuss defence sector jobs and ESG issues in Northern Ireland.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alexander Stafford
Defence
Context

Concerns have been raised about the impact of environmental, social and governance practices by financial institutions on levels of investment in the defence sector.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of environmental, social and governance practices of financial institutions on levels of investment in the defence sector?

Answer from Bim Afolami

The Secretary of State for Defence and my predecessor recently set out that the values within ESG practices of financial institutions should never undermine capabilities developed to help us preserve peace and security. The Treasury consulted on a potential regulatory framework for ESG ratings providers, which aims to improve transparency and promote good conduct.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific steps to mitigate the impact were not detailed

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Alexander Stafford
Defence Economy Environment
Context

The Government promised a “Greening Finance” roadmap by the end of 2022, but no updates have been given since. The questioner is concerned about delays in consulting on a green taxonomy.

Question

ESG is so vital when it comes to investing in all our services, including defence. We were promised that the “Greening Finance” road map would come out at the end of 2022. Then we were told that the consultation would come out by autumn this year. It is still just about autumn, and it is yet to come out. Why are the Government kicking ESG down the road? Why have they stopped caring about ESG, and when will we have the consultation to get a UK green taxonomy sorted?

Answer from Bim Afolami

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The Government are committed to delivering on a UK green taxonomy to provide investors with clarity on which economic activity should be labelled as green. We expect to consult this autumn. The green taxonomy will provide an important tool for enabling the supply of relevant and reliable sustainability information for the market, and information will come in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The delays were not addressed, only that a consultation is expected this autumn.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Defence Northern Ireland
Context

There are concerns in Northern Ireland about falling behind other regions of the UK when it comes to defence jobs and securing contracts.

Question

One of the things that concern Northern Ireland MPs is the fact that when it comes to defence jobs and getting contracts, Northern Ireland falls behind. The Minister will be aware that Thales, on the border of my constituency, was recently able to secure its workforce. What steps can he take to ensure that each region of the United Kingdom, but especially Northern Ireland, can benefit from defence spending for the workforce? We can do the job the same as everywhere else; we just need the opportunity.

Answer from Bim Afolami

I thank the hon. Member for his question, which is incredibly important. As he knows, this Government are absolutely committed to ensuring that jobs in the defence sector, within an ESG framework, are protected. I am happy to meet him to discuss further the issues relating to his constituency and Northern Ireland.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps were not provided; only commitment to protect jobs was given.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)