§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in purchasing track for Challenger II to a new design. [125315]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Department is shortly to enter a competition phase for the selection of a track which might be taken forward into a trials and assessment phase. Subject to successful trials it is possible that production of new track could begin in 2002 and that there would then be a phased transition over a number of years from old to new track.