§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the impact of improved tendering procedures upon the cost effectiveness of his Department's expenditure.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkOur increased use of competitive tendering, including announcements in the MOD contracts bulletin, continues to achieve substantial savings. It is not easy to quantify these in the absence of any specific indication of the price which would have been achieved without competition. Our more commercial approach to procurement fosters improvements in the efficiency and international competitiveness of the British defence industry.