§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to agree the production contract for the remaining Nimrod MRA4 aircraft. [184458]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 16 July 2004]: Under the restructured contract with BAE SYSTEMS, formally amended on 23 February this year, design and development and manufacture have been separated as far as possible to ensure that technology is adequately de-risked before making further commitment to production price and schedule. A decision on full production is dependent on design maturity and price negotiation and is planned for next year.