Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions his Department has been unable to notify Parliament of the particulars of a liability and thus fulfil the required 14 days’ notice prior to that liability going live in the last 12 months.

The only occasion in the last 12 months that the Ministry of Defence has failed to allow Parliament the full 14 Parliamentary sitting days was for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship Manufacture Phase 1 Contract. The Departmental Minute and Written Ministerial Statement were laid on 27 June 2017, but only provided limited notice (under 14 sitting days) for Parliament to consider and raise any objections before contract signature which took place on 30 June.