Ministry of Defence figures show billions invested in UK industry

“Defence continues to provide security and prosperity for the UK as we see billions invested in every corner of the country and the subsequent hundreds of thousands of jobs,” said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. “As we continue to innovate and improve the defence enterprise, it is essential that we recruit and retain the best of British skills and talent to ensure we meet our goals.”

The 2018/19 expenditure supported an additional 3,000 jobs compared to the previous year, which means roughly 1 in every 220 people are working in full-time roles to support defence.

Through both expenditure with UK industry and direct employment, the MoD supported over 322,000 jobs, with 306,000 based in the UK.

The South West continues to lead in employment, followed closely by the South East. The South West is a notable defence hub with helicopter manufacturing in Yeovil and Rolls Royce engine manufacturing in Bristol. The South East is home to several key suppliers including Babcock, BAE Systems and Thales, amongst many others.

An average of £290 is being spent on defence for each person living in the UK. This figure has stayed consistent over the past three years after adjusting for inflation. Wales saw an 11% rise in overall expenditure, the highest of all areas.

Wales also saw the largest rise in jobs at 22%. This boost can be attributed to a 79% increase in training-related jobs thanks to the increased payments to the UK Military Flying Training Service at RAF Valley. An additional 400 Welsh jobs were also supported by work on the AJAX vehicle.

In Scotland, MoD expenditure rose by 4.6%, making Scotland the only region to see a year-on-year increase in total expenditure since 2013/14, with an average yearly increase of 4%.

The report indicates that the Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy is coming into fruition. MoD expenditure on shipbuilding continued to increase, rising by a further 2% since 2017/18. Shipbuilding in the North West now accounts for 60% of the region’s MoD investment, up from 53% in 2017/18.