§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter), 29 March,Official Report column 16, whether he has now received full clarification from the tenderers of their bids for the amphibious helicopter carrier; when he expects his Department to complete the evaluation of bids; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Aitken[pursuant to his answer, 23 April 1993, col. 241]: I can now announce the results of the competition for the new helicopter carrier for the Royal Navy. Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd has won the competition by a very substantial margin of over £50 million. It will build the ship in conjunction with Kvaerner Govan on the Clyde. In reaching this decision, we took full account of wider factors such as the future of Swan Hunter Shipbuilders. The final judgment was made on our normal technical and value for money criteria.
This order demonstrates the Government's commitment to improving our amphibious capability and will provide our forces with a vessel suitable for a variety of operations. The ship will provide accommodation for helicopters, men, guns, land vehicles and other equipment and a platform from which to mount a helicopter assault. The ship will also significantly improve our ability to provide humanitarian assistance around the world.