Written question asked by Desmond Swayne (Conservative) on Monday, 26 July 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 19 October 1999. It was answered by Peter Kilfoyle (Labour) on Tuesday, 19 October 1999 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what measures he will take to ensure the continued availability of informed independent advice to Ministers after the privatisation of DERA. - Includes ref to 'MOD Customer Needs Statement' in Library.

Answer: Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he will take to ensure the continued availability of informed independent advice to Ministers after the privatisation of DERA. [93667] Mr. Kilfoyle: No decisions have been made on the nature of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for DERA. The need for continued access to informed and impartial scientific services and advice is a key tenet of the MOD's consideration of the future of DERA and is defined in the "MOD Customer Needs Statement" and laid down in Figure 1 of the DERA PPP Consultation Document, a copy of which was placed in the Library on 5 May 1999. Ministers will want to ensure each of these customer requirements is addressed when making a decision on the final PPP solution for DERA.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 93667; 336 c420W
Session: 1998-99
Subjects: Information Joint ventures Private sector Privatisation Public sector Ministers Standards Defence Evaluation and Research Agency