§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Defence if the refit of HMS Opossum will be put out to competitive tender.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 23 June 1986, c. 29]: No. HMS Opossum forms part of the core programme of work which it is planned will be under way at Devonport dockyard at the time commercial managers take control and some preliminary design effort has already commenced.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Defence if it remains Her Majesty's Government's policy to submit submarine refits to competitive tender.
§ Mr. Lee[pursuant to his reply, 23 June 1986, c. 29]: It remains our intention to open up the support areas of defence, including naval refitting, to competitive tender. It is necessary, however, to safeguard the capacity of the royal dockyards as strategically vital assets by providing them with a core programme of work, including submarine refits.