Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department conducted a conflict‑of‑interest assessment prior to awarding recent defence contracts to Palantir Technologies.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) conducts continuous conflict-of-interest assessments for all individuals involved in commercial activity of any manner.

In addition, the MOD conducts comprehensive due diligence upon the notification of any business appointments that may lead to concern. MOD holds a Business Appointments Policy under JSP 492 that outlines the processes and guidelines for assessing these situations. Should an appointment create a concern the MOD can place conditions upon that individual that can include:

- Restricting the sharing of information

- Prohibition of lobbying for a set period of time

- Restrictions on advising on ongoing commercial activity

- Seeking clearance of ongoing commissions

The conditions and associated timeframes for them are set based upon the seniority of the individual involved and the nature of the appointment.