§ Ms Rachel SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the costs quoted in the original bid and what are the current estimated costs of(a) Project DI54 and (b) the nuclear refitting process for Trident strategic submarine ballistic nuclear; what are the reasons for the difference; and from what source additional expenditure will be met. [25616]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotIn respect of Project DI54, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 April 1996,Official Report, column 458. The financial projections which underpinned the 1993 decision to place nuclear work at Devonport took into account capital costs and total operating costs associated with conducting both nuclear and non-nuclear refitting work over a 15-year period. These amounted to some £5, 284 million for the option selected. The cost of the Trident refitting programme will be influenced by the outcome of negotiations on the sale of Devonport royal dockyard and the actual duration of refits. The information is not available in the form requested.