The MOD has released the official statistics for 2018/19
regional expenditure with UK industry, commerce and
employment, putting the total MOD expenditure at £19.2
billion.
The report demonstrates the Government’s commitment to
doing more than ever to improve the defence enterprise
while invigorating the economy, creating hundreds of
thousands of jobs across the country and championing a
Global Britain.
Defence Secretary said:
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.
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 3000 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 and
Thales, amongst many others.
Defence Minister said:
It is great to see how our investment is expanding
employment opportunities and ensuring value for money for
each taxpayer.
Defence is a prime example of how we can level-up our
economy by investing in the talented people across our
country.
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 per cent rise in overall expenditure, the
highest of all areas.
Wales also saw the largest rise in jobs at 22 per cent.
This boost can be attributed to a 79 per cent 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 per cent, 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 per cent.
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 per cent since 2017/18. Shipbuilding in the
North West now accounts for 60 per cent of the region’s MOD
investment, up from 53 per cent in 2017/18.
Overall, the MOD Regional Expenditure with UK Industry and
Commerce and Supported Employment 2018/19 statistical
bulletin presents the sum of MOD expenditure with industry
and commerce, with the UK broken down by region and
industry group. It then calculates the number of full-time
equivalent jobs this expenditure supports.
