§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Defence, in pursuance of the reply he gave in paragraph 11 of Cm. 228, "Implementing the Lessons of the Falklands Campaign", if he will name the 50 frigates and destroyers of the surface escort force which are either (a) operational or engaged in preparing for service, trials or training or (b) undergoing refit or on standby; and if he will distinguish into which category each falls.
§ Mr. SainsburyParagraph 11 of Cmnd. 228 refers to the Government's continuing commitment to maintain a surface escort force of about 50 destroyers and frigates. I refer the hon. Member to annex B of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1987". Since that document was published HMS Naid, HMS Fife and HMS Aurora have paid off; HMS Jupiter and HMS Alacrity have left refit and HMS Brilliant and HMS Hermione have entered refit.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will detail the number of frigates ordered each year since 1979, giving the yards at which the orders are now being built.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe information required is:
Vessel Dale ordered Shipyard Type 22s HMS Boxer* April 1979 Yarrow Shipbuilders HMS Beaver* April 1979 Yarrow Shipbuilders HMS Brave* April 1981 Yarrow Shipbuilders HMS London* February 1982 Yarrow Shipbuilders HMS Sheffield December 1982 Swam Hunter Shipbuilders HMS Coventry December 1982 Swan Hunter Shipbuilders HMS Cornwall December 1982 Yarrow Shipbuilders HMS Cumberland December 1982 Yarrow Shipbuilders HMS Campbeltown January 1985 Cammell Laird Shipbuilders HMS Chatham January 1985 Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Type 23s HMS Norfolk October 1984 Yarrow Shipbuilders HMS Marlborough August 1986 Swan Hunter Shipbuilders HMS Argyll September 1986 Yarrow Shipbuilders HMS Lancaster September 1986 Yarrow Shipbuilders The following Type 42 destroyers were also ordered in this period: HMS Gloucester* March 1979 Vosper Thornycroft (UK) Ltd. HMS Edinburgh* April 1979 Cammell Laird Shipbuilders HMS York* April 1979 Swan Hunter Shipbuilders * Denotes vessel accepted from the shipbuilder.