Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the procurement process for the replacement of the UK’s existing cutter fleet due to begin in April 2022 will be covered by the security exception set out in Article III of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.

Earlier this year the Secretary of State for Defence announced a refresh of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. This will outline the Government’s plans for shipbuilding programmes and how it intends to set the conditions for a globally successful, innovative and sustainable national shipbuilding enterprise.

The Home Office is fully engaged with the strategy refresh, with overarching priorities and decisions being subject to wider considerations in forthcoming spending reviews.

Any consequent procurement process will support wider Government Policy and be conducted in line with all relevant legislation.