To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures were used to establish the requirement for the future army dress; what the estimated cost of its introduction and procurement is; whether he has received any representations about the quality of tailoring of the dress; and if he will make a statement. (291412)

In 2003, the Army Board directed that the Army's orders of dress were to be reviewed with a view to updating the current suite of uniforms which had been designed in the 1960s. In 2005, the Army Board accepted the recommendations of the review and directed that the uniforms were to be produced.

Future Army Dress is funded from within the existing clothing budget and will cost approximately £9.7 million.

The uniform is produced in the UK, using modern manufacturing processes, and we have received no defect reports to date.