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Defence: Procurement

Asked by Luke AkehurstLabourMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 21 May 2026UIN 971

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of neo-prime defence companies on returns on investment for defence procurement.

Answered by Luke Pollard

As outlined in the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Defence needs to look beyond traditional defence companies to redefine the industrial base, reflecting the deep range of partners and expertise both within our traditional defence sector but also those in adjacent sectors. To improve value for money, we are opening-up procurement to innovative, non traditional suppliers, accelerating delivery through spiral development, and strengthening competition — ensuring we deliver more capable outcomes to the front line at better value for the taxpayer.

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