§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Defence what financial penalties are to be extracted from the German contractors responsible for the three-month delay to the first flight of the multi-rôle combat aircraft.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe circumstances which led to a delay in first flight are being investigated. Any question of contractual liability which may arise is a matter for consideration in the first instance by the international procurement agency, NAMMA.
§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the 413W costs of the multi-role combat aircraft programme so that British taxpayers may receive officially the information already available to West German and Italian taxpayers from their own Governments as partners in the programme.
§ Mr. William RodgersDespite widespread speculation and many unofficial estimates, I am not aware that the West German and Italian Governments have published more information on the costs of the MRCA project than the United Kingdom Government. As I said in the Defence Debate on 13th May—[Vol. 873, c. 1106–7.]—we are considering, with our partners, what additional information might be released.