Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of his Department's (a) Ships Acquisition Model, (b) Maritime Composite Options Model, (c) Material Strategy: Change Programme Model, (d) Force Structure Cost Model and (e) Strategic Balance of Investment Toolset. [205545]

Mr Dunne, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (including Defence Exports): There is no single Ships Acquisition Model; each individual project will have its own procurement strategy, underpinned by EU procurement Regulations.

The Maritime Composite Option was a workstream through which the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems negotiated how best to sustain the future shipbuilding programme, and the key elements of the agreement were announced by the then Secretary of State for Defence (Philip Hammond) on 6 November 2013, Official Report, columns 251-54. This is underpinned by a Commercial Principles Agreement and I am withholding this information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

There is no document titled the Material Strategy Change Programme Model. However, on 14 May 2014, copies of the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Corporate Plan and Framework Document were published internally, placed in the Library of the House and published on the gov.uk website at:

https://www.gov.uk/search?q=DE%26S+framework+document

The Corporate Plan sets out the DE&S strategic objectives and timelines for the next three years. The Framework Document includes the function and governance arrangements for the new DE and S, including the freedoms.

I am withholding details of the Force Structures Cost Model and the Strategic Balance of Investment Model as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

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