Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much additional funding (a) is required and (b) has been earmarked by his Department to transition fleet solid support ships into service.
As with all defence equipment procurement programmes, the Fleet Solid Support ship budget will be set at the main investment decision point, which will provision for both the Manufacture contract and transitioning the ships into service including the completion of capability assessment trials.
It would be inappropriate, during an ongoing commercial competition, to disclose details of any estimates the Department has made of the likely cost of various build strategies, as to do so would be prejudicial to the commercial interests of the Department.
We have been very clear that the ships need to be integrated in the UK with a significant proportion of the build work carried out in the UK.