§ Mr. Sayeedasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of trials and operation of the Ferranti computer assisted command system on board Her Majesty's ships; what is the cost of development to date and the estimated additional cost prior to the system entering service; how these costs compare with the original estimate; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonA computer assisted command system, known as CACS1, is currently installed in Type 22 frigates and is undergoing extensive trials which are proving valuable in revealing the system's potential operational capability: CACS has not yet been formally accepted for full operational use. It is not the practice to publicise project costs which are commercially confidential between the Ministry of Defence and individual contractors.