§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations he has received from(a) industry and (b) his Department's Integrated Project Team on the likely costs of resolving the weight problem of the Short Take Off Vertical Landing variant of the Joint Combat Aircraft; [176356]
(2) if he will make a statement on the progress of work on the Future Joint Combat Aircraft; [176358]
(3) what representations he has received from collaboration partners in the Joint Strike Fighter project about the weight problems with the aircraft. [176372]
§ Mr. IngramI refer the hon. Member to my answer of 11 May 2004,Official Report, column 221W, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch) about the impact of the current weight predictions for the Short Take Off/ Vertical Landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. Progress on the Future Joint Combat Aircraft programme is clearly linked to the work in hand to address the problem.
Ministerial and officials regularly discuss the Joint Strike Fighter programme. There have been no specific representations from industry or the partner nations on the costs of solving the weight problem.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects the Joint Combat Aircraft to meet its projected in-service date of 2012. [176357]
§ Mr. IngramOur current planning assumption remains that the forecast in-service Ddate for the Joint Combat Aircraft is 2012. Formal approval of the in-service date is not required before the first main investment decision point which is due in late 2006.