Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what preliminary assessment his Department has made of the implications for the UK's defence industrial strategy of the proposed acquisition of Cobham plc by a US-based private equity firm; what impact such a takeover will have on the availability to other countries of sensitive defence technology; what guarantees the Government will seek from the potential new proprietors in respect of such technologies remaining (a) based in, and (b) available to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

While the proposed transaction for Cobham plc by Advent International is primarily a commercial matter for the parties concerned, we are closely monitoring the situation.

Ministry Of Defence (MOD) officials have met both parties to understand their plans in relation to the proposed acquisition. Ministers can intervene in mergers on public interest grounds covering national security, financial stability or media plurality, with each merger considered on a case by case basis.

The MOD provides advice in this process to the relevant Secretary of State, who has a quasi-judicial role in deciding whether to intervene in mergers. The Secretary of State must consider only the evidence relevant to the public interest grounds raised. This also means that it is not appropriate for the Government to provide commentary on whether public interest concerns arise in relation to a merger ahead of any decision on whether to intervene.