Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Defence Sector: Economic Growth

Monday 3 November 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

  • Laurence Turner inquired about steps being taken to increase high-quality apprenticeships in the defence sector.
  • The Minister highlighted that the defence sector is a major employer of apprentices, with the Army named as the top apprenticeship employer.
  • Sally Jameson questioned how the defence sector can utilise MOD land and assets to support local businesses and energy security initiatives.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Laurence Turner Lab Birmingham Northfield
Defence Employment
Context

Skill shortages remain in the defence sector despite its role as an engine for growth. The question addresses concerns about high-quality apprenticeships.

Question

I draw attention to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests in respect of the GMB, a defence manufacturing trade union. Defence is an engine for growth, but skill shortages remain. What steps are being taken to increase the number of high-quality apprentices?

Answer from The Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry (Luke Pollard)

Defence is one of the largest apprenticeship employers in the country, with over 24,000 apprentices. The Navy is No. 2 and the RAF is No. 4, and I am proud that the Army has been named the No. 1 apprenticeship employer. We are doing even more than that with £182 million going into skills, and we are working with our trade union colleagues—from both the GMB, of which I am proud to be a member, and Unite—alongside industries big and small, as part of the Defence Industrial Joint Council, so we can motor our economic development and create more jobs in defence.

Answered
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Q2 Sally Jameson Labour (Co-op) Doncaster Central
Defence Energy Business & Trade
Context

The question explores how underutilised Ministry of Defence land and assets can be better used to support local SMEs, energy security, and innovation.

Question

How can the defence sector make better use of underutilised MOD land and assets to contribute to innovative models of business such as the community energy projects that, alongside initiatives such as the South Yorkshire growth deal, can contribute to local SMEs and energy security?

Answer from The Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry (Luke Pollard)

We are looking at the 1% of Britain that we own as a Department to see how we can not only deliver defence outputs and build more houses—with 100,000 houses identified in the defence housing strategy—but support environmental output and greater industrial opportunities for the private sector. I am very happy to meet her to discuss that further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps were not detailed beyond general intent to look at MOD land use, though a meeting was offered.

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