§ Mr. LeeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to place the order for the third Vanguard class Trident missile submarine.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkI am pleased to be able to announce that an order has been placed today with Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd. at Barrow-in-Furness for the construction of the Royal Navy's third Vanguard class Trident missile submarine. Negotiations have resulted in a keenly priced contract, and at a price lower on a comparable basis than those for the first two submarines. This reflects the improvements in productivity at VSEL and the considerable experience the company now has in building this class of submarine.
The order demonstrates the Government's commitment to the United Kingdom programme, and to the effective maintenance of Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent, while obtaining value for money for the taxpayer. Trident remains firmly on course for introduction into service in the mid-1990s.