Defence Budget and Transformation

Sajid Javid Excerpts

Monday 14th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hammond]

We are committed to supporting the role of SMEs in the supply chain. I visited some SMEs involved in defence equipment very recently and they are among the most innovative and flexible parts of the industry. The changes we have already announced will assist them and I have pledged to look at how we can give them greater certainty that when they invest their own money in developing technologies, we can give them the highest possible level of assurance in advance that they will be able to export those technologies and not find that they have developed a white elephant.

[Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove) (Con)]

I warmly welcome the statement by my right hon. Friend and congratulate him and his team on cleaning up the mess left by the Labour party. With respect to that mess, has he received an apology from that party?

[Mr Hammond]

Very far from it.