Workforce Skills
Monday, 19 October 2026
Contributions
Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)Labour
2. What steps he is taking to help improve skills in the defence workforce.
Lauren Edwards (Rochester and Strood) (Lab)Labour
16. What steps he is taking to improve skills in the defence workforce.
Chris Kane (Stirling and Strathallan) (Lab)Labour
19. What steps he is taking to improve skills in the defence workforce.
The Secretary of State for Defence (Wes Streeting)Labour
Before I begin my answer, I pay tribute to Major Paul Wilks, who was sadly killed in a road traffic accident in Ukraine last month. I know the whole House will join me in sending heartfelt thoughts and condolences to all his family, friends and colleagues, particularly his wife and children. There has never been a better or more important time to join defence. I am determined to ensure that we give people from all backgrounds opportunities to succeed, while creating the skills and talent that keep our country safe. As part of the defence industrial strategy, we are investing £182 million to improve science, technology, engineering and maths skills for young people and increase capacity in the education system, as well as backing defence technical excellence colleges in England with £50 million, with the ambition and intention to see that expand to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We have got to strengthen our defence industrial skills base to provide opportunities for the next generation; this Government, with this investment, will certainly do that.
I recently opened the new cyber-competence centre at Bournemouth University, which provides courses in cyber-defence intelligence and autonomous systems in partnership with industry. The centre is creating a vital pipeline of talent to keep our nation safe and ensure economic resilience. Will the Secretary of State tell us how we can encourage more partnerships between industry and our higher and further education institutions to ensure that this pipeline of talent continues and we keep the nation safe with those skills?
I thank my hon. Friend for championing Bournemouth University and the work that has been undertaken to develop the cyber competence centre that she opened last month. As part of our defence strategic priorities grant competition, we are investing over £2.8 million to boost the work at Bournemouth University, including establishing new undergraduate courses in cyber-defence and autonomous systems, increasing skills development for students and collaborating with employers. We would like to see that approach—of Government, industry and our innovation and science base working together—power the future of defence.
Last week, BAE Systems in Rochester launched its Movement to Work initiative, a three-week programme that will develop practical skills, provide real work experience and build the confidence that Medway needs. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating the company on that fantastic initiative, and outline how he is working more broadly with the defence sector to help tackle the crisis of people not in education, employment or training across the UK?
Recently, I chaired an industry roundtable with Alan Milburn, who is leading work for the Government in that area. I strongly believe that with the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war, we can not only strengthen our national defence but ensure that we have a country that is worth fighting for by investing here in Britain: backing Britain, buying British, investing in the next generation and tackling the scourge of the 1 million or so young people who are not in education, employment or training. I am delighted that the defence industry has responded to calls to help us.
Stirling was home to Army headquarters Scotland until 2021; like communities across the UK, we retain skills and defence heritage but our direct connection has been weakened by the distance from defence jobs. A student from Bannockburn should have the same opportunities as one from Rosyth but will have additional costs and challenges in accessing them. Will the Secretary of State ensure that our ambition for growth in every postcode translates into practical action from the Ministry of Defence and its suppliers to build outreach and clear routes into defence careers in communities beyond their existing defence centres? Will he visit my constituency to explore our defence links, including at Queen Victoria school in Dunblane—a military boarding school owned and operated by his Department?
I would certainly like to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency at the first available opportunity. With our investment in two defence technical excellence colleges, we will be able to widen the availability of skills, jobs and opportunities across Scotland. We would like to work with the Scottish Government to achieve that, which is why I welcome the fact that, albeit belatedly, the Scottish Government have finally decided to match fund the initiative, which has been available to them since March this year.
Danny Kruger (East Wiltshire) (Reform)Reform UK
The military cannot develop skills unless they can actually train. Does the Secretary of State share my concern? Does he agree that it is absolutely scandalous that non-essential training has been suspended across large parts of the British Army because there is no money? Will he tell the House when training will resume on Salisbury plain?
First, training and exercises are taking place for the remainder of this year. What I can tell the hon. Gentleman is that when I arrived at the Ministry of Defence, there was an in-year overspend that would have seen us over-committed by the end of the year. As I did at the Department of Health and Social Care, I have sent a very strong message, very early on, and I make absolutely no apology for that. Although this Government are delivering the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war, I expect my Department and our armed forces to live within their means. I think that message has been received loud and clear and will help me to tackle the historical problems that we have had at the Ministry of Defence: routine overspending, and challenges with value for money and productivity. [Interruption.] If Conservative Members want to heckle on those points, they should explain why they under-invested in defence for more than a decade.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)Democratic Unionist Party
I welcome the Secretary of State to his place; I have not had the chance to do that until now. I wish him well in his new role. Northern Ireland has a reputation for being a supply chain in action; although it has only 3% of the UK’s population, it has 70% of the UK’s Supply Chains for the 21st Century, or SC21, aerospace and defence business excellence awards—gold awards, regularly. Major Northern Ireland manufacturers in my constituency rely on small and medium-sized enterprises to deliver high-quality components and engineering. Will the Secretary of State please commit to working with the Ministry of Defence to ensure that Northern Ireland’s highly capable SMEs have improved access to defence contracts?
We are determined to spend more across the whole United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; the £50 million growth deal will help in that regard. My hon. Friend the Minister for Veterans and People will be visiting this Thursday. As I identified when appearing before the House of Lords Select Committee last week, we can be proud of the contribution that defence makes in every corner of the country—whether it is the north-east of England or Northern Ireland. There are some parts of the country where we can and will do more.
Stuart Anderson (South Shropshire) (Con)Conservative
I start by echoing the Secretary of State’s comments about Paul Wilks, and on behalf of the shadow defence team, I pass on my condolences to the families and colleagues of the Canadian service personnel who tragically lost their lives yesterday. Improving skills in defence requires training. Training builds readiness, which increases both lethality and survivability. Yet it has been reported through multiple outlets that the Army has cancelled important training to save money. Is that correct?
First, I welcome the shadow Minister to the Dispatch Box for the first time. I place on the record my respect for his service to our country and the expertise that he brings to the role. On behalf of the Government, I conveyed support to Minister McGuinty following the terrible incident in Canada overnight; I am sure that our Canadian friends will welcome the support across the House. As I said, further training is to take place throughout the rest of this year, including major exercises that we have taken part in. I restate, however, that we have to live within our means. That has required some reprioritisation, including of training. We have to focus on the right things and make sure that we are ready to fight the next war, not the last one. It has not been a popular decision, but I absolutely stand by the decisions that I have taken to make sure that the culture in my Department is one that lives within its means and delivers value for the taxpayer.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5419469.