Northern Ireland Office: Defence
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many (a) public engagements and (b) private meetings Ministers in their Department have undertaken related to the national conversation on defence and security.
Answered by Hilary Benn
I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, officials, and external experts on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience.
As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement so that Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This will address the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack.
The Northern Ireland Office is actively supporting this work by hosting roundtable discussions with defence industry representatives, businesses and academia to better understand the contribution of the defence sector in Northern Ireland.
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