Archive

1983 Dec 13 - 1985 Jun 27
Prime Ministerial Private Office files

PREM19/1440
Defence (Procurement of weapon systems: national defence technological capabilities; rising cost of defence equipment; participation in European Fighter Aircraft project) (Part 2)

Source: TNA, PREM19 series
Release date: 2014 Dec 30
Classification: Secret
Page count: 314
Any docs withheld?

PREM19/1440 - download whole file (PDF, 55.56 MB)

Selections from this file

Showing items 1 - 20 of 49

Per page:
Date Valuesort descending Title
83 Dec 13 Tu Major Defence: No.10 Policy Unit briefing for MT ("The Rising Costs of Defence Procurement") [proposal to set up interdeparmental working group to address Defence procurement value for money & scope for greater collaboration and standardisation withing NATO] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Mar 21 Th Major Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 ("A New Basic Trainer for the RAF") [text of Heseltine statement to Parliament on successful bid] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Jul 19 Th Major Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("European Fighter Aircraft") [agreement reached with France, West Germany, Spain & Italy to launch a 6-month collaborative Feasibility Study] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Jan 27 Fr Major Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 (Competition in Defence Procurement) [overview of MoD measures & attached paper] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Dec 18 Tu Major Defence: Heseltine letter to Rees (new basic trainer aircraft for the RAF) [announcement of the shortlisting of bids from four down to two - Shorts & BAe] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Jun 18 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 (Paper on making Defence equipment procurement & supply more competitive; Prime Minister's query regarding France's right to tender for certain NATO contracts) [progress update on former; answer to latter] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Jul 3 Tu Major Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 (promoting competition in Defence procurement & supply) [paper requested by MT] [declassified Dec 2014]
83 Dec 14 We Major Defence: No.10 record of conversation (MT, Heseltine) ["Cost of Defence Equipment"] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Jan 31 Tu Major Defence: No.10 Policy Unit minute to John Coles ("Competition in Defence Procurement") [commends MoD policy] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Apr 15 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("European Fighter Aircraft") [key issues, for Cabinet meeting on 25 April] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Mar 14 Th Major Defence: No.10 Policy Unit minute to MT ("European Fighter Aircraft") ["We recommend that you should, at this juncture, sound a cautionary note"] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Apr 4 We Major Defence: No.10 Policy Unit minute to MT ("Surface-to-Surface Guided Weapons for the Royal Navy") [support for Heseltine proposal that contract should go to US firm in preference to BAe] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Apr 2 Tu Major Defence: Rees minute to MT ("European Fighter Aircraft (EFA)") [consideration of UK's defence needs, and relative merits of alternative options] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Jul 2 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("Future Fighter Aircraft") [proposed feasibility study on collaboration with France, W. Germany, Italy & Spain] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Apr 9 Mo Major Defence: Tebbit minute to MT ("Surface to Surface Guided Weapon") [agreement, with qualifications, to Heseltine proposal that contract should go to US firm in preference to BAe] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Apr 30 Tu Major Defence: No.10 record of conversation (MT, Lawson, Howe, Tebbit, Heseltine, Rees) ["European Fighter Aircraft"; plus closer circulation record on the politics of the decision] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Mar 5 Tu Major Defence: Heseltine letter to George Younger ("RAF Future Basic Trainer") [request for Younger's officials not to participate in Equipment and Policy Committee meeting] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Jun 3 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine letter to Tebbit (Defence procurement: disclosure requirements and competitive bids) [BAe & the contract for Rapier missiles] [declassified Dec 2014]
84 Jan 6 Fr Major Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("National Defence Technological Capabilities") [comments on working group report; information on technologies not covered by the report] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Mar 20 We Major Defence: No.10 Policy Unit briefing for MT ("A New Basic Trainer for the RAF") [possible arguments against Heseltine decision to award contract to Shorts; advice to endorse decision; date for privatising Shorts] [declassified Dec 2014]