Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2018 to Question 194078 on UK national security, if he will take steps to implement safeguards to ensure the general defence exemption under the Government Procurement Agreement is retained in full and not limited as a result of residual obligations to the EU after the UK has left the EU.

The UK intends to accede to the World Trade Organisation Government Procurement Agreement on the same terms as is currently the position for the UK as an EU Member State. The UK's final market access offer was agreed in principle on 27 November 2018. As a result, while the treatment of defence contracts is expected to remain unchanged, the Ministry of Defence is contributing to work across Government to understand the implications and opportunities of accession.