Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in how many instances his Department's procurement department sought further information from a company on potential corruption, bribery or fraud in the last two years.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) routinely carries out checks on potential contractors prior to contract award, including on criminal activity, such as convictions for tax evasion, bribery or fraud, and a review of a company's audited accounts. These enquiries are conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.

This process is reiterated in all competitive and single source tender documentation issued to tenderers prior to any contract award.

Any suspicion of corruption is reported to the appropriate authority. Where justified, the MOD can exclude potential suppliers who pose an unacceptable risk to public money.