Oral Question·Ministry of Defence
“What steps his Department is taking to (a) recruit and (b) retain armed forces personnel.”
Tabled: 10 March 2020Answered: 16 March 2020
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Defence
Answer from Hansard
The Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry (Luke Pollard)
The north-east plays a vital role in supporting the UK’s defence sector. I am delighted that our increased defence spending means that in the north-east spending rose from £187 million in 2024-25 to £198 million in 2025-26, supporting around 2,000 jobs, and 49% of our spending goes to the region’s small and medium-sized enterprises.