Government engages with industry on defence and security
The Government has today launched a Green Paper which marks the formal consultation on equipment, support, and technology for UK defence and security.
The consultation, led by the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office, will cover a range of issues including national security, working with other countries, exports, small and medium-sized enterprises, and cyber security.
This is the first time these issues have been considered together from both defence and security perspectives.
The Green Paper
'Equipment, Support, and Technology for UK Defence and Security: A Consultation Paper' provides details of the consultation, which will last for three months commencing in the New Year.........
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Executive Summary
.......Our default position is to use open competition in the global market, to buy off-the-shelf where we can, and to promote open markets in defence and security capabilities. We will take action to protect our operational advantages and freedom of action, but only where essential for national security........
The last Government published a Defence Industrial Strategy in 2005 and a Defence Technology Strategy in 2006. We believe that the thinking behind these documents needs to be rethought significantly in the light of our new National Security Strategy and set more firmly in the current challenging context of affordability.
That challenge has already driven some difficult decisions with regard to defence capabilities; many contracts are being renegotiated and a thorough programme of review will follow for those that remain. The so-called ‘Yellow Book’, which sets the terms for noncompetitive contracts, is being reviewed. Tough targets have been set for financial savings at MOD and this is one of the reasons why the department remains committed to off the-shelf procurement wherever possible. As set out in ‘The Path to Strong, Sustainable, and Balanced Growth’, one of the key challenges for the Government is securing benefits from acting as a more intelligent customer in sectors where it is a major purchaser and can promote innovation. It is against that background that this consultation is being conducted and our future relationship with industry will be viewed.........