Some really good points raised ref "buying domestic". Question from someone who's never been involved in procurement:
We all know that something bought in the UK doesn't actually cost the (exorbitantly high) sticker price as the treasury sees a lot of the money back in tax etc in the long run. Has anyone ever heard of the MOD being given a budgetary "reward" for buying British ? Take Merlin 3 Vs Chinook - to buy equivalent lift from Westlands costs (for the sake of argument) twice what Boeing are asking - does the treasury flex the MOD budget to allow for that?