ADJOURNMENT DEFENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SPENDING
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November
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and I call Chris Coghlan on Economic Impact of Defence Research and Development Spending.
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If colleagues want to
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Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
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leave the Chamber that they should do so very swiftly.
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Mr Chris Coghlan on Economic Impact of Defence Research and Development Spending.Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I also thank Minister for his time today, who has a very distinguished
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which went on to power the
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House of Lords.
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even with extra borrowing, debt toGDP will fall from higher
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It is this spillover effect from publicly developed military technology to private sector
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UK government support for
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Nuclear submarine technology has led Rolls-Royce to develop small modular nuclear reactors for civilian use.
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So I would like to know if the
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Because if we do in £2 billion annually increasing increments over 10 years, then academic research suggests that together with productiveimprovements on AI then we could choose to
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A is open to scaling this £5 billion initial investment.
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Steff Aquarone
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fulfill our NATO defense spending commitments and together with our allies be securing liberal democracy.
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British politicians in the
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Madam Deputy Speaker
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were labelled guilty men because they failed to prioritise
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Defence over the deficit.
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My grandfather's generation paid the price.
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I have served as infantry officer
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and an MP, I want to ensure that our
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and I thank my hon. and gallant Friend from Dorking and Horley for securing this debate.
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and showing his continued interest in the role that research and development can play in strengthening our national securityand economy. He spoke very passionately about his parents and about the impact that technology during the war and the innovations that brought about the victories that ensured our
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we both grew up in, is a very powerful testament to his commitment to
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see nowadays and I will share with him how highly the department
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of him and his work in the run-up to this bill. As a member of the Treasury Select Committee and a steadfast
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He's made a very valuable contribution to this discussion. This debate comes at a particularly important moment. The world is becoming more
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capabilities and autonomous systems are transforming the character of warfare.
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and the nature of economic competition. In this environment, defence R&D is not a luxury; it is a necessity.
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and our growth agenda.
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So in 2025 the strategic defence review
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We set out ourselves We set out ourselves a goal for the UK to become a technolo
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enabled defence power. Innovating in priority areas including AI, cyber, space and quantum at a wartime pace.
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Building on that, the Defence Industrial Strategy recognised that investing in our innovation ecosystem is not simplya security imperative but a significant opportunity to create jobs, as the hon. Member made very clear. It is central tobusinesses, strengthening
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regional economies. And most recently, the defence investment plan provided clear direction of
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It sends a signal to industry, investors, research
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and capabilities we intend to prioritize.
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The plan marks a shift towards readiness and resilience at scale. It combines high and low-cost equipment and integrated networks that make the most of crew
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and uncrewed platforms. This commitment must be backed by investment, and in answer to the question, are weailing productivity. The MoD’s research and development budget will exceed £2 billion in 2026-27 and riseeach subsequent year. Defence R&D expenditure reached approximately 3.1
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billion in 2024-25, representing a significant real-terms increase on the previous year.
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I will give way. I thank the Minister for giving way. I'd be grateful if he could comment in his remarks on to what extentTo the extent that he can, we are integrating R&D
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shortly. Small, innovative firms are the bedrock of UK innovation and they are also the bedrock of our commitment and delivery within UK
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Ensuring they have every opportunity to access defence opportunities is a priority for this government. That is why, as part
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400 million and planned investment of 1.6 billion by 2030. UKRI is helping helping up and coming
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investments. UKRI is part of our new national armaments innovation organisation which unites development accelerator with the defence science
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continues to play a vital role in defence research, working with
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lab the STL under the leadership and coordination of a three-star director general.
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and academic partners to look beyond the immediate horizon atand opportunities from emerging areas such as quantum, engineering, biology and future computing.Alongside this, we are bolstering the links between government, industry and academia.
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The Defence Universities Alliance is bringing
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universities into defence, to accelerate
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develop skills and increase the commercialisation of new technologies.
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the however of people, and we have committed 182 million to defence skills initiatives supporting education
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training workforce throughout the economy. This investment will help improve STEM participation inincrease capacity in the education system and ensure that people have the skills they need
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in the Defence Technical Excellence Colleges and supporting hundreds of
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research working on technologies that are vital to the country's future and prosperity.
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and its security. We are securing the highly specialised workforce needed to develop and support futuresubmarine and deterrent programmes with £290 million committed to developing
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nuclear skills that support recruitment and training across the defence nuclear enterprise.
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40,000 jobs and more than 24,000 apprenticeships across the UK. And we are creating even more highly skilled, highly
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defence innovation employment opportunities that will benefit communities for decades to come.
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These are not confined to London or the south-east. They can be found in cities
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and create long-term economic growth.
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By aligning defence investment with regional strengths, we are helping to ensure that the benefits of defence spending are shared across the whole country.
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Strengthening British exports is also key. Frome day one, we have been clear that this government views defence through an international
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exports worth 14.5 billion in 2023. Defence
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important role to in securing that position.
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continued investment in research and innovation and our role in transformational
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programme, ensure that British companies remain internationally competitive.I will get by.
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our relationship and the middle power alliance.
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Does he agree with me that
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Mr Speaker, for giving way. On the
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Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I couldn't agree more with the points that he's making, and I was very grateful
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the commitment that the Chancellor has made to the multilateral defence mechanism
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and the efforts that are um that we're making with the partners, particularly Finland uh and other
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scale money and that we bring in private private capital and I look forward to hearing your comments and views on the defence
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appear nations in ensuring
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finance strategy
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No you and yours because you're speaking through the Chair, so please try and rephrase that. Minister Bailey.Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Of course, I was referring to your views on the defence finance
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strategy, which which I will take
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back to my colleague, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry. That will be arriving in December
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and will be a staple part to making sure that we can deliver the dip and the strategic defence review. Of course, we recognise that defence R&D
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is not a silver bullet for economic challenge challenges facing the UK. It must form part of the broader strategy encompassing greater oversight and fiscal responsibility.
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new funding for infrastructure in the
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providea golden opportunity to advance two fundamental national objectives, and I think this is the these are the points that the hon. Member is making.
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They both streng then our security and our growing economy. I'll leave you with an example to
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The UK’s Dragonfire laser weapon program did not emerge overnight. It’s a product of more than two decades of investment ofin advanced weapon science and technology led by our scientists at DSIT and
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with MBDA, Kinetic and Leonardo. That long-term commitment and partnership has produceda world-leading directed energy weapon, one capable of downing drones at a cost of £10 per shot, comparedthe hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions of pounds that conventional air defence systems cost. The
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316 million pound contract to accelerate delivery of the capability to theRoyal Navy and is sustaining about 560 skilled jobs and 30 apprenticeships across the UK from Scotland
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to the south-west. Dragonfire demonstrates the hon. Member's
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and it demonstrates why defence R&D matters. A sustained investment in science creates the knowledge, skills and industrial
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that allows the UK to develop transformational military capabilities, grows new sectors, support
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high-value employment and strengthens our sovereign technological base.
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Dragonfire is a powerful example.
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of how investment in defence research and development can deliver military advantage and economic growth for decades. supports British scientists, engineers and innovators. It creates highly skilled jobs, drives productivity and strengthens
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It attracts private investment and helps secure the UK's place as a leading technological nation in an
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