MoD may ban retired officers after lobbying claims Philip Hammond told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show defence companies that use lobbyists who break the rules will have their contracts renegotiated. Photograph: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Retired military officers could be banned from the Ministry of Defence after "deeply damaging" allegations that some may have broken official rules to lobby ministers and former colleagues, Philip Hammond has said. Speaking in the wake of a report in the Sunday Times, which filmed former officers offering to lobby on behalf of defence companies, the defence secretary said he may have to "shut down" the MoD to retired officers. Hammond also announced that the MoD would warn that defence companies that used lobbyists who broke the rules would have their contracts renegotiated. Retired officers are allowed, in line with rules for former civil servants, to work in the private sector. But they face restrictions for the first two years after they leave military service. The Sunday Times reported that Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, the former commander of the naval fleet, said he would "ignore" the two-year rule. "I think the revelations are deeply damaging to the individuals concerned and their reputations," Hammond told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1. There is no way that retired officers influence the way military equipment is procured. I am satisfied the system we have is completely robust. But there is an issue, firstly about whether any rules have been broken. Clearly at least one, possibly more, of the individuals named in the Sunday Times were still under the terms of the two-year restriction that applies after they have left the service. Secondly, I think we have to look at the level of access we give retired officers to the MoD and to serving officers. There are many, many reasons why it is sensible for the MoD to maintain contact with retired officers. They are often asked ... to comment on things that are going on in the defence area. But if they are abusing that access for commercial purposes then we will have to tighten it up or maybe even shut it down. That is something we will now look at. Hammond was speaking after the Sunday Times filmed retired officers offering to use their contacts with officials and ministers to lobby on behalf of defence companies. Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely, who served in the Falklands war, said he could use his role as president of the Royal British Legion to lobby senior figures at Remembrance Sunday events. Lord Dannatt, the former chief of the general staff who was ennobled by David Cameron, said he would try to influence Jon Thompson, the permanent secretary at the MoD. Hammond said: "Knowing my permanent secretary I am completely relaxed about it because he will be totally immune to that kind of approach." The defence secretary also said he could target companies that used lobbyists who abused the rules. All of the companies that these people would be offering services to rely on the MoD as their principal customer. If we were to make it clear to companies that the kind of lobbying that is being talked about here will damage them, rather than benefit them, that will be quite effective.