Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Defence SMEs

Monday 2 February 2026 · 7 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 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister of Defence is offering support to critical suppliers and willing to meet to discuss further steps.
  • Meeting requested to address challenges faced by small firms in securing MOD contracts.
  • Discussion includes procurement priorities and the awarding of the medium-lift helicopter contract.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Simon Opher Lab Stroud
Defence Business & Trade
Context

Impcross, a company based in Stroud, is a sole supplier of flight-critical parts to Typhoon aircraft and key supplier for Vanguard submarines. The company is facing financial difficulties, with HMRC planning to wind it up due to national security concerns.

Question

What support is the Secretary of State offering to critical suppliers that are struggling financially, and will he meet me to discuss what steps we can take to support this company?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for championing Impcross in his constituency. I think he will accept that it is right that when British companies deliver the sort of sovereign UK capabilities mentioned, we scrutinise hard any sale to foreign firms. Impcross does indeed play an important role in the Typhoon and F-35 supply chains, and my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry would be happy to meet him.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific financial support not addressed

How: Championing, Meeting

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Paul Holmes Con Hamble Valley
Defence
Context

Domo Tactical Communications, a company based in Hamble Valley, manufactures drones and communications equipment. The company is having difficulties engaging with the Ministry of Defence on sovereign capability issues.

Question

Can I ask that the meeting is arranged as soon as possible?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

The hon. Gentleman points to a firm in his constituency, and it is true that for too long too many small firms have felt locked out of MOD contracts. It is also true that the last Government, his Government, missed their own targets for SME defence support. Our new office for small business growth, which opened its doors for the first time last week, will help turn that around. At the risk of overburdening my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, I am sure that he would be willing to meet the hon. Gentleman.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment to a meeting not addressed

How: Small Firms, Mod Contracts

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Lab Slough
Defence
Context

The Times has reported that the Government's indecision regarding military helicopters could threaten sovereign capability. There are concerns about whether the Treasury or Ministry of Defence makes decisions on defence procurement.

Question

Can the Secretary of State confirm whether it is the Ministry of Defence or the Treasury that decides on defence procurement priorities, and when the decision to award the medium-lift helicopter contract will be made?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

My hon. Friend and his Committee know a great deal more about this than The Times does. He will know that a competitive contract process is under way for the new medium-lift helicopter. He will also know that we are working flat out to finalise the defence investment plan. And he will know that, as part of that plan, we are dealing with a programme of record—a previous commitment to equipment—that was hugely overcommitted, underfunded and, in some cases, unsuited to the threats we face.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific procurement decision-making not addressed

How: Competitive Contract Process, Defence Investment Plan

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Get updates like this by email
Q4 Adam Dance Lib Dem Yeovil
Defence
Context

Many small and medium-sized enterprises rely on larger defence firms such as Leonardo for contracts. If larger firms do not get contracts, smaller suppliers may also lose out.

Question

Does he accept that if bigger defence firms cannot get contracts like the one for the new medium-lift helicopter, we risk losing not just Leonardo but smaller defence firms too?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

Firms such as Leonardo are getting defence contracts. I was in Edinburgh just the week before last to award a £450 million contract to Leonardo for a really important part of upgrading our Typhoon jets for the future. Of course, the hon. Gentleman is right that the supply chain to smaller and medium-sized firms is often mediated by primes such as Leonardo, which is why it is important that, since the election, we have let over 1,100 major contracts in defence, 84% of which have gone to British-based firms.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific recognition of risks not addressed

How: Leonardo Contract, Major Contracts

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Get updates like this by email
Q5 James Cartlidge Con South Suffolk
Defence
Context

The Secretary of State promised to deliver the defence investment plan by autumn last year, but failed to do so. The most recent promise was to work 'flat out' to deliver it by the end of the year, which also did not happen.

Question

Can the Secretary of State confirm that it will finally be published this month?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

We are working flat out to complete the DIP, and the hon. Gentleman above all, having been responsible for defence procurement in the last Government, will appreciate just how overcommitted his own programme is. He will appreciate the truth of his former boss saying that, over 14 years, the Conservatives had “hollowed out and underfunded” our armed forces.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline not addressed

How: Working Flat Out, Overcommitment

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Get updates like this by email
Q6 James MacCleary Lib Dem Lewes
Defence
Context

There is a £28 billion funding shortfall in the Ministry of Defence. James MacCleary proposes the use of defence bonds to raise funds, aiming to close part of this gap.

Question

Will the Secretary of State give this proposal serious consideration as part of a clear, funded plan to plug the funding gaps and get defence investment moving?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

We are working flat out to complete the DIP, and the hon. Gentleman above all, having been responsible for defence procurement in the last Government, will appreciate just how overcommitted his own programme is. He will appreciate the truth of his former boss saying that, over 14 years, the Conservatives had “hollowed out and underfunded” our armed forces.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific consideration of bond proposal not addressed

How: Working Flat Out, Overcommitment

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Get updates like this by email
Q7 John Healey Lab
Defence
Context

The hon. Member for South Suffolk called for the UK to invest 2.5% of GDP in defence by 2030, a claim echoed by his predecessor after an election.

Question

I remember when the hon. Gentleman’s predecessor stood in this House after the election to argue, like the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) did, for this country to invest 2.5% of GDP by 2030—the hon. Member for South Suffolk called for it 13 times before the Prime Minister said, a year ago, we would do it three years earlier.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)

We will look at any way of raising the level of investment going into defence, but the hon. Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) could start by recognising that this Government have made a commitment to record investment in defence—the largest increase since the end of the cold war. I note in passing that he seems to be against how we will fund this to reach 2.5% and 2.6% next year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked why more is not being done to meet defence spending commitments, but the answer focused on acknowledging past commitments without addressing future actions or specifics about additional measures.

How: Under Review, Considering This

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Get updates like this by email