To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the manufacture of artillery shells to be supplied to the Ukrainian government.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has supported Ukraine by the granting in kind of both artillery munitions and systems. As a result of lessons from Ukraine, the MOD has significantly increased its order of artillery munitions through the multi-billion pound Next Generation Munitions Solution contract with BAE Systems. Through our Task Force Hirst and the signing of the Framework Arrangement on defence and industrial cooperation we have also created a mechanism for Defence Equipment and Support to place contracts on behalf of Ukraine with UK, and international, manufacturers. The MOD continues to work closely with the Department of Business and Trade to expedite export licencing decisions for Ukraine, and has provided additional resource to the Export Control Joint Unit to support this.