To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cyber specialists are employed by the armed forces.

The Ministry of Defence recognises the importance of cyber specialists in the Armed Forces, and we are significantly growing the number of dedicated cyber experts to deliver cyber operations. This includes the Joint Cyber Reserve Unit, who are experts from industry and academia using world leading skills and experience to provide crucial support to our Armed Forces.

In addition, cyber is becoming an essential part of core military training. In January 2018, a dedicated state-of-the-art Defence Cyber School will open at Shrivenham, alongside the UK's Defence Academy; this will bring together all military joint cyber training to make it more efficient, and increase the amount of British troops who can be trained. We do not comment on the detail of our capability as a matter of national security.