Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a list of the principal (a) defence services and (b) items of defence equipment supplied by Cobham plc to the UK armed forces either directly or as component parts of services and goods supplied by other defence companies for (i) threat simulation services and equipment, (ii) air-to-air refuelling systems, (iii) weapons-release equipment and (iv) other categories of services and equipment; what steps he will take to ensure that future generations of those services and equipment will continue to be available to the UK armed forces in the event that Cobham plc ceases to bid for the long-term contracts required to develop and deliver them; 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.