§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated total cost to the UK for its share of the Meteor programme is; what the total estimated cost was in(a) May 2002 and (b) December 2002; how many Meteor missiles will be procured by his Department; and how many missiles were on order in (i) May 2002 and (ii)December 2002. [99601]
§ Mr. IngramThe current estimated total cost to the United Kingdom for its share in the Meteor programme is £1.16 billion (at outturn prices); this is the same as the forecast in December 2002. The forecast in May 2002 was £1.13 billion. The £30 million increase is solely due to the transfer of 5 per cent. of the development programme workshare from Germany to the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom is currently the only nation to have placed an order for production missiles. I am withholding details on the numbers being procured in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to Defence, Security and International Relations. However, our requirements have not changed since my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced (in May 2000) that Meteor had been selected to meet our Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) requirement. We expect to order additional quantities of Meteor on behalf of the other Partner Nations, once they have confirmed their production requirements.
The Development and Production contract was placed with MBDA on 23 December 2002 and as such no missiles were on order in May 2002.