§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about progress in encouraging private sector involvement in the financing, acquisition, management and operation of support vehicles for the armed forces.
§ Mr. FreemanVery good progress has been made. A study team is considering a range of possibilities and is consulting widely in the private sector. Over 175 companies have expressed an interest. Yesterday my Department held a very successful briefing seminar for the private sector at Aldershot. The private sector has been asked for proposals, to include radical and innovative ideas, and we will be evaluating these in the coming weeks. We expect to be able to announce the selection of contractors for a number of pilot schemes by the end of this year.