§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Watchkeeper programme; and what extra costs are being incurred by industry bidders in advance of the down select decision. [90335]
§ Mr. IngramThe Watchkeeper programme seeks to acquire an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capability which will provide United Kingdom commanders with accurate, timely and high quality imagery. It is a key element of the Government's efforts to develop a truly network enabled capability, so critical to enhancing the ability of our forces to bring military effect to bear in a timely manner. Bids were received from the companies competing for the remainder of the Watchkeeper programme assessment phase in mid 2002, and additional points of clarification were sought from each bidder in December 2002. Any additional costs incurred by the bidders in addressing these outstanding issues are matter for the respective bidders. We plan to announce a decision on down-select as soon as possible.