§ Mr. Lindsay HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to be consulted about the industrial implication of the contractor selection for the Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) programme; and whether she will take the value of export opportunities for British companies into account in her assessment of the relative merits of the competing contractors for the FIST programme. [93430]
§ Alan JohnsonI would expect to be formally consulted by the Ministry of Defence ahead of the preferred contractor decision and announcement. DTI officials have been taking a close interest in the Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) programme and continue to be actively engaged with both the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) and the companies over the industrial implications of the respective bids.
An understanding of the export potential will form a part of the procurement assessment. As is usual for defence programmes, the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) takes the lead on these matters.