Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to public purse is of the delay to the delivery of HMS Audacious and other Astute-class nuclear submarines; and whether funding will be (a) reduced or (b) withheld from other defence projects to fund additional costs.

Any additional costs related to the delay to the delivery of Audacious have been contained within the current Astute Equipment Programme budget.