HC Deb 22 July 1997 vol 298 cc528-9W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many firms are on his Department's contractors list. [9404]

Mr. Spellar

Since 1994, the MOD has not maintained its own defence contractors list. Generally, for UK contractors, MOD now uses appropriately certified companies listed in the Department of Trade and Industry's United Kingdom register of quality assessed companies. As an indication of the number of contractors with whom MOD deals, in June 1997 the Defence Bills Agency database showed that there were extant contracts with 10,320 contractors.