Ministry of Defence contractors ‘drop standards’ to boost profits, MPs warn

The number of firefighters based at Faslane, the Trident nuclear submarine base in Scotland, had fallen significantly since privatisation, the report stated. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

Outsourcing companies working for the Ministry of Defence “drop standards and squeeze employees” to boost profits during the lifetime of their contracts, a committee of MPs has warned in a highly critical report.

The MoD should instead consider retaining firefighting and other ancillary services in house, the committee said – and take into account the previous behaviour of companies chasing lucrative contracts.