§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he proposes to announce the shortlist of selected bidders for the Watchkeeper Programme; what sums were given to the bidders; and whether he is considering splitting the bid. [99073]
§ Mr. IngramMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 7 February 2003 that the bidders selected for the remainder of the Watchkeeper assessment phase were: Northrop Grumman ISS International and Thales (UK). To date, around £25 million has been spent on the Watchkeeper programme, and the contracts for the remainder of the assessment phase will be worth approximately £9 million to each bidder. We expect to select a single successful contractor for the demonstration and manufacture phase by mid-2004.