Welsh government backs defence industry from a distance, says firm

The Welsh government has been asked to respond to the criticism of its approach to the defence industry

The Welsh government's support for the defence sector in Wales is "opaque" and relies on others to "front it", according to an industry executive.

MPs were told that the Welsh ministers liked "the high paid jobs" it created.

But Russ Wardle, of Arcanum Information Security, said they were not "keen to be associated with the slightly bloody end of the business".

Ministers distanced themselves from support for the industry "by getting Aerospace Wales to front it", he said.

But he told MPs on Westminster's Welsh Affairs Committee that this was "pretty opaque in that the same Welsh government officials stood there on the stand as if it was Welsh government, but the branding's changed."

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Asked by independent Delyn MP Rob Roberts if it was a "tangible problem", Mr Wardle said the industry had learnt to "work our way around the system".

"I would love to hear the Welsh education minister stand up and say there are literally thousands of brilliantly paid jobs for 16-year-olds if they join the armed forces as apprentices, but they're not going to say that."

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We attend events to support major aerospace and cyber companies with a presence in Wales, as well as a range of SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises], and regularly look to secure further investment, innovation and job creation opportunities for Wales."

But Kimberly Northover of Tritech, another defence company with a base in Wales, told MPs that "in recent years we have seen the Welsh government scale down their presence at defence exhibitions amid controversy".

"But these are key platforms for SMEs and suppliers of the sector to showcase their capabilities, their world class capabilities in north and south Wales and that really needs to be supported.

"Promoting us as a defence nation should not be something we shy away from," she said.

The committee has previously heard evidence that the war in Ukraine has seen military bases in Wales, like the Ministry of Defence (MOD) site in Aberporth, Ceredigion, and Llanbedr airfield in Gwynedd, "come into their own" - and a munitions factory in south Wales "enjoying a bit of an upturn at the moment, for obvious reasons",

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John Whalley, chief executive of Aerospace Wales Forum, told the committee that over 160 companies who support the defence sector have operations in Wales, and many of those included smaller Welsh businesses.

The Airbus factory in Broughton, Flintshire, is currently competing for a contract worth around £1bn to build new medium helicopters for the MOD.

Kevin Craven, chief executive of ADS Group, another trade association in the defence industry, said such projects were crucial to sustaining other small businesses linked to the industry in Wales.

"The big programmes drive the economic activity.

"Small and Medium Enterprises in Wales get around 2% of the Ministry of Defence's spend. So it's important Wales does get its share of those programmes going forward because it will impact directly on the smaller supply chain members."

The Welsh government says the aerospace, cyber, space and defence industries contribute around £4bn each year to Wales' economy and supports around 23,000 jobs.