Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish a defence industry strategy plan. [37291]

Ed Davey MP; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: I do not have any plans to publish a defence industry strategic plan.

The UK Government published 'Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review' in October 2010. This document sets out the UK Government's decision on its defence, security, intelligence, resilience, development and foreign affairs capabilities in the round. It sets a clear target for the national security capabilities the UK will need by 2020 and charts a course for getting there.

In December 2010, following on from the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support and the Minister of State for Security and Counter Terrorism initiated a formal consultation by the publication of a Green Paper on how the UK Government should acquire equipment, support and technology for UK defence and security. This consultation is wide ranging but it seeks to consider how the Government can ensure that the UK creates and retains the skills necessary to support essential national security capabilities and to what extent it should take wider economic considerations into account when taking decisions about fulfilling its defence and security requirements. My officials are working with those from the Ministry of Defence on these issues. I am also engaging on these issues through the National Defence Industries Council. The consultation which ends on 31 March is part of the process of developing a White Paper on these issues to be published in 2011.