Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to promote the commercialisation of scientific and technological research by his Department and its agencies.

The National Security through Technology White Paper(Cm 8278) lays out our commitment to open procurement, and that the Department and its agencies will conduct research and development only where it is essential for our national security.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), a Ministry of Defence (MOD) Trading Fund, delivers the majority of the MOD's Science and Technology Programme. Any ideas generated within Dstl can be commercialised through Ploughshare Innovations Ltd, a technology transfer company owned by Dstl.

Where external suppliers are contracted, the MOD leaves the intellectual property rights of any discovery or technology with those suppliers to commercialise. The MOD retains rights to disclose and use the intellectual property for UK Government purposes.