Recommendation 67

The MOD’s SME Action Plan acknowledges some of the challenges SMEs face. The Plan notes that “improving access to opportunities for SMEs also requires support from MOD as the end customer”109 and proposes a number of actions aimed at improving 101 Ministry of Defence, MOD trade, industry and contracts 2022, 29 September 2022 102 Ministry of Defence, MOD trade, industry and contracts 2022, 29 September 2022 103 Ministry of Defence, Policy paper: Opportunity and Innovation: The Defence Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Action Plan, 27 January 2022 104 Q241 105 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2022: statistical release, 6 October 2022 106 Q245 107 Defence in Scotland: military landscape, First Report of Session 2022–23, HC 82, pp. 14–16 108 Defence in Scotland: military landscape: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report, Third Special Report of Session 2022–23, HC 674, p. 2 109 Ministry of Defence, Policy paper: Opportunity and Innovation: The Defence Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Action Plan, 27 January 2022 Defence in Scotland: military shipbuilding 27 access for and engagement with SMEs. Neither the Action Plan nor the MOD’s response to our previous report propose actions to specifically addresses the under-representation of Scottish SMEs, however. Indeed, the MOD’s response to our report is explicit that “improving SME engagement is a nation-wide issue and we are taking a national, rather than regional approach.”110