HC Deb 10 February 1999 vol 325 cc216-7W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he uses in establishing the preferment to be given to(a) UK only and (b) UK/European bids for procurement contracts when the competition is with non-EU contractors. [69469]

Mr. Spellar

The MOD has a policy of open international competition whenever this is possible. A wide range of factors are considered by the MOD when making procurement decisions, including: long term value-for-money, security of supply, UK technological capabilities and the benefits to MOD of potential exports.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he uses to assess the export potential for UK-designed and produced equipment when considering bids made by competitors for defence procurement contracts. [69468]

Mr. Spellar

MOD assessments of the export potential of British defence equipment are based on a judgment of the potential requirements in the market place, the level of competition the UK company is likely to face, and the company's own assessment of its export potential, tempered by our knowledge of their previous record of export success.