§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether serving naval officers have previously been given permission to bid for Ministry of Defence contracts, or to form companies to make such bids.
§ Mr. LeeThere are no similar precedents involving serving naval officers. Those serving naval officers who are members of the management team at Devonport dockyard, which has formed a company to tender for the contract to run the dockyard would, of course, be required to retire from the Royal Navy were the team to secure the contract and were the officers to remain in the company.