§ Mr. HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those refit contracts that have been undertaken at(a) Rosyth and (b) Devonport as part of their core allocated programmes since 1994; and what has been the average cost per man hour to public funds for each contract. [29057]
Mr. ArbuthhnotThe following core refits have been completed since 1 April 1994
at Rosyth: HM ships Berkeley, Leeds Castle, Gloucester, Ledbury, Orkney, York, Shetland, Edinburgh, Dumbarton Castle and Cattistock; andat Devonport: HM ships Illustrious, Battleaxe, London, Bulldog, Trafalgar and Herald.Information relating to labour costs is commercially confidential.
§ Mr. HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list for(a) Rosyth and (b) Devonport dockyards, the refit contracts that have been provisionally allocated as part of their core allocated programmes and the projected starting date for each contract; [28058]
(2) if he will list those Royal Navy ships and submarines that will require refits before the year 2002 and be the subject of competitive tendering; and what is the estimated time period and cost of each contract. [28059]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThe refit programme continues to be governed by the principles announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) on 24 June 1993,Official Report, columns 447–50 in an oral statement. It is not our practice to release information relating to the future movements of vessels, including their refit start dates. Individual refits will continue to be announced either at the time their allocation is confirmed, for those in the core programme, or at the outset of competition for those in the unallocated programme.