§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will define the terms "in-service date" and "formally operational" as used by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the difference between the in-service date of HMS Vanguard and the date upon which it will be fully operational.
§ Mr. AitkenThe in-service date is defined normally as the date by which the equipment will contribute to the operational capability of the service concerned. For Royal Navy vessels other than strategic ballistic nuclear submarines, the in-service date represents the date of acceptance from the contractor of the first of class; such vessels become formally operational after a series of trials. For Vanguard class submarines, trials will precede the in-service date, at which point they are expected to become fully operational.