§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information and guidance his Department gives to the United Kingdom textile industry when planning procurement of uniforms and textiles for the armed forces. [77464]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 18 March 1999]: The Defence Clothing & Textiles Agency (DCTA) is bound by EC Regulations which require all contracts with a potential value of more than £160,670 to be advertised in the "European Journal". Requirements to the value of £250,000 are also advertised in the MOD Contracts Bulletin. The Defence Suppliers Service publishes a booklet entitled "Selling to the MOD" to assist all companies considering my Department as a potential market for their goods. Seminars, exhibitions and "Meet the Buyer" events are also organised. The DCTA held two separate day conferences for Contractors during 1998 and 312W more are planned—these attract predominately UK contractors. The DCTA also provides ad hoc advice on potential future purchases, and operates a system to debrief unsuccessful tenderers on why their bids were unsuccessful. These activities are designed to ensure that a competitive environment is maintained to meet our objective of achieving Value for Money in the procurement of textile goods.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what proportion of the expenditure by his Department on uniforms for the armed forces during the last three years went to companies in the United Kingdom; [77466]
(2) how much his Department has spent on procurement of uniforms for the armed forces in the last three years. [77465]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 18 March 1999]: Total expenditure on all items of clothing for the past three years was £159.092 million, 76 per cent. of which went to UK companies.