§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether industrial co-operation between France and the United Kingdom on the CVF project will have an impact on his Department's contractual arrangements with(a) BAE Systems and (b) Thales UK; [97329]
(2) if he will make a statement on the proposed Anglo-French co-operation on the CVF aircraft carrier project. [97326]
60W
§ Mr. IngramWhile we have been exchanging information and discussing carrier procurement issues with the French Government, to date there has been no Anglo-French co-operation on CVF at the industry to industry level. As a result of France's decision to buy a second aircraft carrier we are exploring potential areas for co-operation—such as transferring design information and facilitating, in due course, industry to industry links—to inform the French decision-making process. Much will depend on the procurement route and solution selected by France. It is not envisaged that industrial co-operation will impact on our procurement strategy and our relationship with BAE Systems or Thales UK.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the firms bidding for the CVF project are estimated to have spent on their participation in the competition. [97330]
§ Mr. IngramFrom the start of the CVF Assessment phase contract in November 1999 to the end of the competitive stage on 20 November 2002, the Ministry of Defence paid around £39 million (VAT inclusive) to both BAE Systems and Thales UK. Additional spending by the companies is a matter for them.