§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current number of assessed contractors on the Ministry of Defence list.
§ Mr. PattieOn the latest convenient date there were 5,554 registrations on the list of assessed contractors. For the most part a registration covers a single manufacturing unit but occasionally relates to a group of factories in the same firm.
§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any firm on the Ministry of Defence list of assessed contractors can the automatically tender for contracts from other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Governments.
§ Mr. PattieThe Ministry of Defence's list of assessed contractors is maintained for MOD requirements and the firms listed are not therefore automatically considered for tenders for contracts by other NATO Governments. There is, however, no impediment to such firms applying direct to NATO Governments.