Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons his Department does not restrict the geographical location of manufacture for Personal Clothing System garments.

The Ministry of Defence is currently bound by European Union Public Procurement Directives. These demand fair and open competition for all contracts involving the expenditure of public funds.

The only exceptions that would allow us to restrict procurement to just UK based companies are those that involve equipment and services that are considered to be 'warlike stores' or which have significant associations with matters of national security. The purchase of personal clothing system items does not satisfy the requirements for dispensation under either of these provisions.