Defence Reform Bill

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate. I congratulate the Minister on her spirited defence. Unfortunately, it failed. Our concern about the processes is real, and our overwhelming concern is the billions of pounds that are tied up in allowable costs. As we will go on to discuss, the various forms of contract are an important chunk of the real profits of the company. At the end of the day, this is a negotiating game. It is a matter of how much you can legitimately build into your allowable costs, with a profit rate on top of that. Allowable costs are at the centre of what defence contracts cost and what the taxpayer must pay. I do not feel that the Minister, despite her spirited defence, has addressed our concerns—not only my concerns, but those of other Members of the Committee—on allowable costs. I fear that we will be tempted to return to this on Report. As I believe this to be an apolitical issue, I encourage the Minister to ponder today’s debate and to see what she can add to it. We would all enjoy receiving a letter from her that would provide nuance to the Government’s position and I encourage her to do that. It is a matter of real concern to the Committee. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.