§ Richard BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made(a)of the number of UK manufacturers and suppliers that are involved in TVS UK Ltd and (b)TVS UK's significance to the UK defence industrial base. [177458]
§ Jacqui SmithDTI officials have been holding a dialogue with TVS UK Ltd (Stewart and Stevenson) to assess the UK industrial benefits coming from their bid to be the preferred contractor for MoD's Combat Support Vehicle procurement. I also took the opportunity to meet with LDV (representing TVS) earlier this year to receive a personal briefing on the value of their bid to the UK manufacturing economy.
Similar discussions have been taking place with the other three contractors bidding for this programme.