Defence

Michael Connarty Excerpts

Tuesday 26th June 2012 Ministerial Corrections

The following is the answer given by the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), to the supplementary questions asked by the hon. Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk (Michael Connarty) during the Urgent Question concerning nuclear-powered submarines on 18 June 2012.

[Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Lab)]

I am trying to find out how much of this expenditure is in the £3 billion mentioned last year by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, the hon. Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), the Minister with responsibility for procurement, and how much is new expenditure? How much will be spent on Trident development and how much on the Astute submarine fleet?

[Mr Hammond]

The answer is about a quarter. Of the £1.1 billion, £500 million is investment in the capital infrastructure at the Rolls-Royce plant. The remaining £600 million represents the purchase of long-lead items for the production of the core for the reactor for the seventh Astute-class boat and the first successor-class boat.

[Official Report, 18 June 2012, Vol. 546, c. 615.]

Letter of correction from Philip Hammond:

An error has been identified in the answer given to the hon. Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk (Michael Connarty) on 18 June 2012.

The correct answer should have been: