SIR – Kris Hopkins MP is wasting his time banging the drum about ‘buying British’ for our armed forces, it’s all controlled by EU Purchasing Rules which the UK chooses to obey.
As he is well aware, any government contracts above a specified amount must be offered to all EU suppliers, along with a detailed specification which must not deliberately disadvantage any supplier(s).
As a result, once all bids are received, the MoD buyers have little option but to accept the most economic bid, whatever its source.
So, if Mr Hopkins really wants our forces to enjoy British products, perhaps he should sign up to the growing Get Out Of The EU movement and make a positive start at eureferendumcampaign.
com.
Or perhaps he could just take advice from the French, German and Italian governments, none of which seem to have any problem in side-stepping these rules with their own creative purchasing practices – interesting that, isn’t it?
Graham Hoyle, Kirkbourne Grove, Baildon
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