Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the answer given by his Department’s Permanent Secretary to question 45 in evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday 10 January 2018, HC 723, what the evidential basis is for efficiencies being produced by adopting the procurement model outlined in the National Shipbuilding Strategy for the Type 31 frigate.

Informed by Sir John Parker's independent report, the National Shipbuilding Strategy concluded that that there was a competitive market for Type 31e. The use of competition remains the cornerstone of Defence procurement as a means of driving innovation and industrial performance and providing value for money for the taxpayer.