Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to include a fully-resourced in-house option in value for money tests on potential outsourcing of Defence Business Services.

In the event that the Ministry of Defence decided to outsource elements of Defence Business Services it would, in line with normal practice, ensure that a rigorous in-house benchmark was developed against which the value for money of any commercial bids could be judged.