Written evidence submitted by ADS (DIS0018)
Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee
House of Commons London
SW1A 0AA
25 February 2022
Dear Mr Wishart,
I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to give oral evidence as part of the Scottish Affairs Committee’s ongoing inquiry into Defence in Scotland.
A point of clarification we wanted to make on the MOD defence spend across Scotland and using the South East as an example, the MOD regional expenditure with UK industry and commerce and supported employment 2020/21 stated that Scotland has a spend of 4% and the South East has a spend of 53% which differed from the discussions we had with the Committee Clerks. I understand this is only a slight amendment, and I stand by my comments to the Committee. Companies in Scotland, and also in Northern Ireland, want to contribute to the UK defence sector in a greater way. They want to win MOD business on merit, and they have the potential to do so. The SME Action Plan presents an opportunity to change this trend, but we need to see its effective and timely delivery, alongside the provision of opportunities for Scottish and Northern Ireland firms to compete effectively.
I hope you found the evidence from myself and other companies helpful and we at ADS are more than happy to provide any supplementary evidence that the Committee may require. My colleague Thom Rawlinson would be happy to liaise with colleagues if you need anything further in drafting your final report. He can be reached at [email address redacted].
I wish you all the best with the rest of the inquiry and do let me know if we can be of any further assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Chief Executive, ADS
February 2022