Mr. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the first results of the complex exercise involving the comparison of refitting frigates in the royal dockyards, and in private shipyards; and if he will now publish (a) the results of the labour cost comparisons and (b) the results of the material cost comparisons;
(2) when the refit of HMS Arethusa was completed; and what was the expected time that the principal director of accountancy services would take to complete the cost comparison exercise involving HMS Arethusa and HMS Euryalus.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe refit of HMS Arethusa was completed on 17 February 1986. The result of the comparison between this refit and that of HMS Euryalus should be available early in the new year.