§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of work he requires to be carried out in the UK on contracts awarded to foreign companies. [85427]
§ Dr. Moonie[holding answer 5 December 2002]: It is the Government's policy to provide the armed forces with the equipment which they require at the best value for money for the taxpayer. Contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and there is no policy requirement for a particular percentage of work to be undertaken in the United Kingdom. However, as stated in our new defence industrial policy published on 14 October, the benefit to the UK economy from Ministry of Defence contracts is taken into account when selecting contractors. A copy of the Government's defence industrial policy is in the Library of the House.