Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will meet representatives of (a) Arnish fabrication yard and (b) other organisations to discuss access for small and medium-sized businesses to Government contracts.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that small businesses are a vital source of growth and innovation in the UK, whether they are working directly with the Department or through its prime contractors. We therefore set an ambitious target that 25% of our procurement spend should go to small and medium-sized enterprises by 2022.

The MOD operates an outreach service "Doing Business with Defence" for new and prospective suppliers. Any supplier can raise questions or comments directly with this team. Their contact details are:

Email: dbscs-ecfinanceteam@mod.uk

Tel: 0151-242-2000