Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the performance of Babcock International against agreed Key Performance Indicators in respect of his Department's live contracts with that company.

Babcock is a key supplier to the Ministry of Defence and the company's relationship with the Department is managed at a strategic level through a key supplier representative. This role is currently undertaken by the Chief of Materiel (Ships) within Defence Equipment and Support, who engages with Babcock on a regular basis. Project and safety performance reviews form a significant element of these discussions.

With regards to safety, appropriate measures are in place to reduce risk and these are rigorously monitored to ensure that any emerging issues are identified and addressed.