That individuals have all kinds of skills is obvious. The fact that we draw on the competences of others, it is, after all what makes our shared life work.

Sometimes many of these contrasting, sometimes overlapping, abilities stem from training and experience, as throughout life we learn to do different things, beginning in infancy when we learn to walk, speak and interact with others, and after that as we journey through life. But some skills are the particular product of tastes and talents – these spring from aptitudes.

Aptitudes are harder to define than routine training or its products because their source is so personal. Can we really define precisely why Isaac Newton was England’s greatest ever scientist, or how Mozart was capable of writing 41 symphonies before his death at the young age of 35, where many of the other great composers, typically, died (at much greater ages) having completed 10 or fewer. Can we say with certainty how Don Bradman, the greatest ever Australian cricketer, managed to achieve a batting average almost twice that of not only his contemporaries, but of the best batsmen since.

The plain fact is that some talents are innate – people are born with them. What is less understood is that sometimes such God given talents are initially seen not as advantages, but as disadvantages; sometimes not as abilities but as disabilities. It is why I myself am so passionate about furthering the opportunities of those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) allowing them to unlock their potential within as broad an aspect of society as possible. Being diagnosed with dyspraxia and dyslexia, I have a different perspective on certain situations than others and I am capable of approaching certain challenges in ways that not everyone would necessarily be able to.

That is why this week I launched the new All Party Parliamentary Group for Neurodiversity in Defence and National Security, which I will be chairing with Labour peer Baroness Anderson, an Honorary Captain in the Royal Naval Reserve as vice-chair. Those who fall under the umbrella of Neurodiversity have a range of different conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. This is a deeply important subject and one which I believe is sadly overlooked, especially given the merits and attributes that neurodiverse people can provide the armed forces – this was a sentiment echoed by the commanding officer at Sandhurst who I was able to discuss this with recently. Through my own lived experience, being neurodivergent, I am very keen to show what those with similar conditions can achieve within the military, however having been on the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme 2022-2023, I certainly identified some access issues for those under said umbrella.

Many studies have shown that neurodivergent people, due to their aforementioned different perceptions and aptitudes, often excel at all sorts of tasks that are very relevant to defence and security. These skills include pattern recognition, problem solving and methodical processing. This is particularly key as so much of Defence and National Security work is in Intelligence – this requires the keen sense of attention to detail that naturally comes to those prepossessing of the skills above – especially when sifting through masses of data through quite often repetitive process, trying to discern what information is important and vital. There have been times where this has been of great national importance historically – although Neurodiversity wasn't a term that was commonly used in the age of the Second World War, many of the codebreakers at Bletchley Park exemplified its principles. They hailed from diverse backgrounds, bringing with them a broad range of abilities, skills and perspectives – cracking German encryptions, ultimately playing a vital role in our victory.

These unique skills and attributes will become even more essential to our national security as we move further into the digital age with Cyber threat being greater than ever. To speak of modern threats – as the 21st century progresses we find ourselves moving into murkier waters internationally and it is becoming clear to me that it will be an age where security and defence is key. Therefore, we exist in a time where our military needs to be prioritised, growing and supporting it in order to further keep our nation safe. I believe that through recruiting and hiring more neurodivergent people, our armed forces would be greatly strengthening their bow.

Tom Hunt is Conservative MP for Ipswich