§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the(a) purchase cost and (b) running cost of the two aircraft carriers which he plans to secure for the Royal Navy. [18826]
§ Dr. MoonieThe purchase of the two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy is expected to cost up to £2.9 billion. It is too early in the programme to provide definitive figures on the anticipated running costs of the carriers, since much will depend on the eventual design that is selected. Reliable forecasts for the carriers' running costs are being developed to inform the main investment decision on their build, which is currently scheduled for the end of 2003. As the ships are being designed to reduce support costs from the outset and will not undergo long refit periods while in-service, it is our intention that the overall running costs for the enhanced capability that CVF will offer should be less than that for the current class of ships.