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Written Question
Trident Submarines: Procurement
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the (a) whole-life programme cost of the Trident successor programme, (b) capital costs associated with (i) submarine acquisition, (ii) Trident missile renewal and (iii) basing facilities, (c) operating costs of the (A) successor fleet and (B) associated capability to protect and sustain that fleet, (d) future costs associated with the Atomic Weapons Establishment maintaining an on-going nuclear warhead design capability and (e) decommissioning costs for that programme; whether these estimates account for recent increases in inflation; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence

The Ministry of Defence co-ordinates a range of interdependent programmes to support, maintain and renew the United Kingdom's independent nuclear deterrent as well as the decommissioning and disposal activities for defence nuclear capabilities when they leave service. The cost of these programmes and activity is spread across many budgetary areas of the Department and has not previously been reported separately. From financial year 2023-24 we will report the majority of nuclear spend as a separate line in the Department's Supply Estimates.


Scottish Government Publication (Research and analysis)
Constitution Directorate
External Affairs Directorate

Mar. 04 2024

Source Page: Building a New Scotland An independent Scotland's Place in the World
Document: An independent Scotland’s place in the world (PDF)

Found: These submarines and their missiles are now being replaced and the cost estimates vary widely.


Deposited Papers
Ministry of Defence

Mar. 15 2023

Source Page: The United Kingdom's future nuclear deterrent: 2022 update to Parliament. 5p.
Document: Future_Nuclear_Deterrent_Update_to_Parliament_2022.pdf (PDF)

Found: The Dreadnought Class submarines, and the Replacement Warheads are being desi gned and constructed in


Departmental Publication (Transparency)
Ministry of Defence

Mar. 08 2023

Source Page: The United Kingdom’s future nuclear deterrent: the 2022 update to Parliament
Document: The United Kingdom’s future nuclear deterrent: the 2022 update to Parliament (PDF)

Found: The Dreadnought Class submarines, and the Replacement Warheads are being desi gned and constructed in


Select Committee
Human Security Centre
DIS0046 - Defence in Scotland

Written Evidence Feb. 07 2023

Inquiry: Defence in Scotland
Inquiry Status: Open
Committee: Scottish Affairs Committee (Department: Scotland Office)

Found: 1.7The CASD is embodied in the uninterrupted deployment of at least one Royal Navy SSBN carrying Trident


Select Committee
Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence, and Ministry of Defence

Oral Evidence Jun. 05 2023

Inquiry: Defence in Scotland
Inquiry Status: Open
Committee: Scottish Affairs Committee (Department: Scotland Office)

Found: If we had to move the base for nuclear-powered and nuclear- armed submarines to a different geography—one


Select Committee
Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence, and Ministry of Defence

Oral Evidence Mar. 26 2024

Committee: Defence Committee (Department: Ministry of Defence)

Found: which we have been hearing today, that a member of the Cabinet may have been involved in the unarmed Trident


Written Question
Trident Submarines
Wednesday 22nd March 2023

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of how much and what proportion of the £10 billion contingency provided by HM Treasury for the Dreadnought programme will have been spent by 31 December 2023.

Answered by Alex Chalk

Up to March 2023, the Ministry of Defence has drawn-down £2 billion, 20 per cent, of the HM Treasury-held Dreadnought contingency. Contingency drawdown for financial year 2023-24 has not yet been agreed.


Written Question
Elbit Systems UK: Trident Submarines
Friday 18th November 2022

Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2022 to Question 82206 on Elbit Systems UK: Trident Submarines, how long that contract with Elbit Systems UK was scheduled to last until.

Answered by Alex Chalk

The only contract the Ministry of Defence have for the Dreadnought Crew Training (DCT) programme is with Raytheon UK as the prime contractor, which runs from 2022 until 2029.

Commercial matters relating to sub-contractors are held by the prime contractor and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment on specific contractual details.


Written Question
Trident Submarines
Thursday 9th March 2023

Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what proportion of time the UK's Vanguard-class submarines have been (a) at sea and (b) in refit in the last five years.

Answered by Alex Chalk

The Royal Navy has provided the Continuous At Sea Deterrent for an unbroken 54 years with Operation RELENTLESS. However, we do not disclose these details for operational security reasons as to do so could or would prejudice the capability of our Armed Forces.