Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of steel production to the resources of the armed forces.
In the main, defence requirements for steel are sourced by our prime contractors taking into account cost, time and quality. The Ministry of Defence complies with Cabinet Office guidance on steel procurement and works closely with contractors to ensure supply of steel products.
While defence steel requirements are relatively small, UK suppliers have already provided significant quantities of steel for our biggest defence procurement programmes. We are also positively encouraging bids from British companies to make sure they are in the best possible position to win future contracts.