Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what performance measures his Department uses to assess whether its SME Commercial Pathway is reducing the time and cost of bidding for defence contracts; and whether he will publish the results of those assessments.

The SME Commercial Pathway sets out commercial levers that can be used to improve SME access to Defence opportunities, both directly and through the supply chain. This includes a range of practical steps that teams can take to reduce and make it quicker and easier for SMEs to participate in Defence procurements. The Defence Office for Small Business Growth is working with strategic suppliers to embed SME-friendly policies and behaviours, and we will keep under review how reporting on UK supply-chain content and forward demand can further improve transparency for suppliers.