Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Defence Sector Exports

Monday 30 June 2025 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial commitment to establish a defence exports office within the MOD to facilitate Government-to-Government agreements on sales of UK capabilities.
  • The initiative aims to create additional jobs and foster economic growth in regions like Stoke-on-Trent Central.
  • A constituent of Lincoln Jopp reports delays in obtaining defence export licences over the past year.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gareth Snell Labour (Co-op) Stoke-on-Trent Central
Defence Business & Trade
Context

The MP inquired about the government's support for defence sector exports, specifically asking how a new national armaments director and defence exports office will impact job creation in his constituency.

Question

It is welcome news that MOD is committed to the establishment of a defence exports office. Will the Minister set out what this will mean at home for jobs in constituencies such as mine in Stoke-on-Trent Central, where our proud manufacturing companies stand ready to support UK defence and security?

Answer from The Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry (Maria Eagle)

It will mean a coherent specialist approach to Government-to-Government agreements on sales of our capabilities being based in the MOD, which has expertise in those capabilities. This is going to mean extra jobs and growth, and that jobs can continue in the UK beyond the delivery of our own domestic orders because there will be export orders to fulfil. That should reap a defence dividend across the nations and regions of the UK as our manufacturing jobs continue to deliver for defence.

Answered
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Q2 Lincoln Jopp Con Spelthorne
Defence Business & Trade
Context

The MP reported that a defence manufacturer in his constituency has faced delays in obtaining export licences. He asked for the Ministry of Defence to pressure other departments to expedite these processes.

Question

Ametek, a defence manufacturer in my constituency, has reported to me that the process of getting a defence export licence has almost ground to a halt in the past 12 months. Could the Ministry of Defence send someone sufficiently threatening round to the Department for Business and Trade—perhaps the Veterans Minister—to persuade it to get a grip of its processes and speed everything up?

Answer from The Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry (Maria Eagle)

I am sure that we can make representations to that Department to ensure that there is no unnecessary delay in applications for export being granted, where that is appropriate.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a specific timeline or concrete actions for expediting the process.

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