HC Deb 11 February 1986 vol 91 c441W
21. Mr. Geraint Howells

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on competitive tendering for recent naval contracts.

Mr. Lee

As I told the House on 14 January at column 913, orders were placed on 3 January for three Upholder class submarines and one Trafalgar class SSN. The order for the Upholder class submarines was awarded to CL/ VSEL after a competition in which this yard offered substantially the best value for the defence budget and the order for the SSN was placed with VSEL as the only United Kingdom shipbuilder currently able to build nuclear-powered submarines.