Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Barry Sheerman and Peter Luff

Monday 19th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Peter Luff]

We have plans to do more to help SMEs and I had hoped to announce them in the White Paper that I was due to publish this month, but the pressure of Christmas business has delayed that until the new year. I can assure my hon. Friend that there will be good news in that for the SME sector and I also reiterate what I said in my original answer: the future combat air system contract will bring real benefits to small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK, including, I am sure, in my hon. Friend’s constituency.

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

Does the Minister acknowledge that the British aerospace industry and sector are vital to British manufacturing and that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is at this moment conducting a rationalisation of procurement methods? Will he have an intelligent conversation with BIS about how procurement can be longer reaching and longer term in the defence industry?

[Peter Luff]

All my conversations with BIS are intelligent.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Barry Sheerman and Peter Luff

Monday 10th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

T5. Is the Secretary of State aware that the future of high science, research, innovation and design in our country very much depends on a fine balance among the defence industries, universities and the private sector? Many of us believe that that is now at risk because of failing demand from the defence sector.

[Peter Luff]

I am very sorry indeed that the previous Government introduced such massive cuts to the defence science budget, which did great harm to the issues that the hon. Gentleman is rightly concerned about. I can reassure him that the defence White Paper on equipment, support and technology, which will be published later this year, will address these issues very seriously, because he is right to draw the House’s attention to this very important question.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Barry Sheerman and Peter Luff

Monday 31st January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

7. What his policy is on the use of individual and direct offset agreements in defence contracts.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter Luff)]

The Ministry of Defence does not have offset agreements in defence contracts. We do invite prospective offshore suppliers to propose, on a voluntary and non-contractual basis, how they would work with UK companies in support of a contract placed overseas. Following the publication of a Green Paper in December, all policy issues relating to the acquisition of defence equipment are the subject of a consultation that closes on 31 March.

[Mr Sheerman]

Will the hon. Gentleman consider looking at this offset very seriously? Other countries use offset to great benefit, some using it to stimulate investment in environmental technologies. I know that the Government are consulting, as he says, so will he meet a group who have been discussing the issue and some of the industry leaders to discuss it further?

[Peter Luff]

I would be delighted to do so, as part of the Green Paper consultation process.