To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral statement of the Prime Minister on 19 November 2020, Official Report, column 487 on Integrated Review, if he will make it his policy to prioritise UK (a) research and development, (b) engineering and (c) manufacturing in defence procurement
Answered on
26 November 2020
The Prime Minister has announced a once in a generation modernisation of the Armed Forces. This includes investment of approximately £16.5 billion above existing commitments over the next four years creating up to 10,000 jobs a year. We are committed to using this investment in our research and development pipeline, revitalising our ship building industry by funding the expansion of the Royal Navy into the biggest surface fleet of modern warships in Europe, developing the next generation of combat air capability to replace the RAF Typhoon and establishing a Space Command.
Promoting and incentivising UK commercial excellence in research and development, engineering, and manufacturing will be vital to our ambitions and we will continue to work closely with UK companies where possible. The ongoing Defence and Security Industrial Strategy review aims to create an environment that supports competitive, innovative and world class defence and security industries that drive investment and prosperity across the Union. This investment will promote the UK as a centre for science and technology, promote foreign investment, and create thousands of new, high skilled jobs in addition to the over 400,000 already supported by Defence. That includes securing and growing shipbuilding jobs across the UK as well as in aerospace and other industries.