Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release on the award of a £1.6 billion contract to Thales in Belfast for the manufacture of lightweight-multirole missiles, published on 2 March 2025, whether the contract was awarded under a single-source procurement route.

The Ukraine Government has selected the Lightweight Multi-role Missile because it has demonstrated itself to be a highly effective short-range air defence capability. This procurement was not subject to competition, noting that it is excluded from applicable procurement legislation as we are acting on behalf of the Ukraine Government pursuant to an international agreement between the UK and Ukraine.