All exemptions from the Single Source Contract Regulations have to be personally authorised by the Secretary of State, who only does so under exceptional circumstances. Between April 2015 and March 2018, fewer than 10 contracts were exempted, valued at less than 1% of the 19.4 billion worth of single source defence contracts brought under the regime during that period. These were exempted from the regulations on a variety of grounds, including when value for money assurance could be achieved through, for example, purchasing commercially priced items.<\/p>
Details of individual contracts and the numbers exempted in each year have not been provided because disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of the companies involved or the Ministry of Defence.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4032", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart Andrew"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pudsey"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stuart Andrew"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-16T15:18:14.847Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Defence: Contracts"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which defence contracts were granted exemption from the single source regulation regime in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) 2017-18; and what was the value of each of those contracts.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"} ], "uin" : "253527"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1125900", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1125900/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We still want all five Type 31e Frigates at an average production price of £250 million per ship. We are confident that it will be competitively priced in the global export market.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4032", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart Andrew"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pudsey"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stuart Andrew"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "252885"} , {"_value" : "252886"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-15T16:18:36.837Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Type 31 Frigates: Exports"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the export strategy for the Type 31 frigate following increases to the construction costs of that frigate.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"} ], "uin" : "252838"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1124721", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1124721/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
For those offenders sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence of six months or less between 31st<\/sup> October 2017 and 1st<\/sup> September 2018:<\/p> a) 246 had 19 previous immediate custodial sentences of six months or less,<\/p> b) 223 had 20 previous immediate custodial sentences of six months or less,<\/p> c) 12 had 50 previous immediate custodial sentences of six months or less, and<\/p> d) 0 had 100 previous immediate custodial sentences of six months or less.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4106", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Swindon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Buckland"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-13T16:16:32.907Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prison Sentences"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people given a sentence of six months or less, have previously served (a) 19 short sentences of six months or less, (b) 20 short sentences of six months or less, (c) 50 short sentences of six months or less and (d) 100 short sentences of 6 months or less between 31 October 2017 and 1 September 2018.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"}
], "uin" : "250789"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123446", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123446/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is in the process of reviewing the evidence to screen for the major causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young people between the ages of 12 to 39 as per its three-yearly cycle and a public consultation will open in summer 2019. A wide range of relevant stakeholders will be consulted during the next SCD review.<\/p> The UK NSC is an independent committee that advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four UK countries on all aspects of screening and supports implementation of screening programmes. Conditions are reviewed against evidence review criteria according to the UK NSC\u2019s evidence review process.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4455", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Seema Kennedy"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Ribble"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Seema Kennedy"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-01T15:26:40.02Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Heart Diseases: Screening"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the review into screening for risk of sudden cardiac death has commenced.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"}
], "uin" : "247990"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123062", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123062/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government requires the Post Office to maintain a national network of branches meeting minimum access criteria and delivering minimum services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches and with 99.7% of the population living within three miles of their nearest branch. There are no plans to change these strategic parameters, which received widespread public support in a 2017 consultation. ICT and the costs of running its business are operational matters for Post Office.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "247611"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-02T13:00:25.187Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Post Offices: Costs"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2019 to Question 242045 on Post Offices: Costs, what the strategic parameters set by the Government are.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"}
], "uin" : "247610"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123063", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123063/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government requires the Post Office to maintain a national network of branches meeting minimum access criteria and delivering minimum services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches and with 99.7% of the population living within three miles of their nearest branch. There are no plans to change these strategic parameters, which received widespread public support in a 2017 consultation. ICT and the costs of running its business are operational matters for Post Office.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "247610"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-02T13:00:25.277Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Post Office: ICT"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant the Answer of 16 April 2019 to Question 242042 on Post Office: ICT, what plans he has to change the strategic parameters set by the Government.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"}
], "uin" : "247611"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123064", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123064/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As the Special Shareholder of Post Office Limited, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State appoints a Non-Executive Representative to the Post Office board to provide shareholder oversight of the company. In their independent role, it would not be appropriate for Ministers to regularly meet with the Senior Independent Director of Post Office Limited. Generally, ministers have engaged with Post Office Limited, but they have not met the Senior Independent Director of Post Office Limited in the last 12 months.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-13T13:31:02.113Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Post Office"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times Ministers in his Department met the Senior Independent Director of Post Office Limited in the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"}
], "uin" : "247612"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123065", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123065/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As the Special Shareholder of Post Office Limited, the Secretary of State appoints a Non-Executive Representative to the Post Office board to provide shareholder oversight of the company. Ministers have also met the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited twice in the last 12 months.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-02T13:01:14.137Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Post Office"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times Ministers in his Department met the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited in the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"}
], "uin" : "247613"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123066", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123066/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As the Special Shareholder of Post Office Limited, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State appoints a Non-Executive Representative to the Post Office board to provide shareholder oversight of the company. Ministers have also met the Chief Finance and Operations Officer of Post Office Limited once and had a telephone conversations with him in the last 12 months.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-08T16:30:55.923Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Post Office"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times Ministers in his Department have met the Chief Finance & Operations Officer of Post Office Limited in the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"}
], "uin" : "247614"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123067", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123067/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As the Special Shareholder of Post Office Limited, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State nominates one Non-Executive Director, and ministers have met him regularly over the last 12 months. Ministers have also met with the chairman of the board and had a telephone conversation with him in the last 12 months.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-08T16:31:38.653Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Post Office"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times Ministers in his Department have met each of the four Non-Executive Directors of Post Office Limited in the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1438", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Kevan Jones"}
], "uin" : "247615"}
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