§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they have awarded a substantial role in both the Devonport refitting contract for Trident submarines and at the atomic weapons establishment at Aldermaston to the American firm, Messrs. Brown and Root.
Viscount CranborneIt is Brown and Root Ltd.—a UK-based company—and not their American parent, Brown and Root Inc., which is a part of both Devonport Royal Dockyard and AWE management consortia. Brown and Root Ltd. are lead partners in the Devonport consortium, and our proposals to concentrate all nuclear submarine refitting work at Devonport have been arrived at after very careful consideration of the proposals put forward by both Devonport and Rosyth Royal Dockyard companies. We believe they represent best value for money for the Royal Navy and the taxpayer. Brown and Root Ltd. also own 31 per cent. of the Hunting-BRAE consortium, which was selected following comprehensive competitive tendering procedures to operate all AWE sites under contractorisation. The Hunting-BRAE bid was judged to be the best, with particular regard to safety, security and quality.