§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the total cost of purchasing 30 C-130J aircraft for use by the Royal Air Force; what proposals there are to purchase such aircraft; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AitkenIt would not be appropriate to release sensitive cost information particularly during the competitive procurement process that we are pursuing for the Hercules replacement/refurbishment programme. As I explained to the House in closing the debate on the Royal Air Force on 27 January, columns 506–7, the C-130J aircraft is only one of the options under consideration.