Mr Morgan used Defence Questions in to ask the Secretary of State, Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP, why the latest Defence Policy Refresh failed to alter the definition of value for money to include employment and economic impacts. There have been calls from both industry and Parliament for such changes to be implemented Mr Morgan urged government to consider local jobs and economies when choosing where to award defence contracts. Mr Morgan MP, said: ‘The defence industry supports thousands of jobs in Portsmouth and is of huge benefit to our local and national economy. ‘It is astonishing that the government still refuses to include such employment and economic impacts in its definition of value for money. ‘It’s just economic common-sense that when deciding where to build and maintain our Royal Navy’s ships, the impact on local jobs and industries is factored in. ‘Otherwise, the MoD risks engaging in a false economy that erroneously puts highly-skilled jobs in cities like Portsmouth at risk for the sake of superficially cheaper contracts abroad”. ‘The department must increase its ability to negotiate contracts and scrutinise costs to secure better value for money’.