§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary for Defence at what time the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigilant 527W was (a) scheduled to arrive and (b) arrived in Faslane on 24 November; what action was taken against protesters demonstrating against HMS Vigilant's departure from Barrow docks on 22 November; and what is the projected annual operational cost of HMS Vigilant. [6788]
§ Mr. SoamesUnder the code of access to government information, it is not our policy to give details of submarine movements on the grounds that it would harm national security or defence. My Department took no action against demonstrators at Barrow docks on 22 November: this was a matter for the local police. It is too early in the programme accurately to assess the annual operational cost of HMS Vigilant, but our expectation is that the cost of the total Trident fleet will average around £200 million per annum over the lifetime of the system.