Warships (Hansard, 4 March 2002)

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Indian Government concerning expressions of interest to purchase HMS Invincible. [38950]

§ Dr. Moonie
The Ministry of Defence has received no representations from the Government of India concerning the availability of HMS Invincible for purchase.

§ Mr. Gray
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long the refit of HMS Vanguard will take; and what is the estimated cost. [40311]

§ Mr. Ingram
The refit of HMS Vanguard is scheduled to take around two and a half years to complete including trials and training. The total cost of the refit is estimated to be approximately £217 million including materials, but excluding the costs for any additional essential work identified during the course of the refit.

§ Mr. Gray
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what standby notice HMS Sheffield will be available between 2003 and 2004. [40314]

§ Mr. Ingram
On current plans, HMS Sheffield will be held at Extended Readiness, commensurate with force levels endorsed within the Strategic Defence Review, from November 2002 until September 2004. Extended Readiness provides the flexibility to vary the notion of availability.