Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the level of financial saving accruing to Babcock from the proposed extension of the time unit of the restoration of Electrical Shore Supplies from 20 minutes up to a maximum of three hours.

The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews nuclear related processes and procedures with industry partners and with regulators, which includes independent safety scrutiny. Safety remains our priority.

I cannot comment on specific timescales for the restoration of Electrical Shore Supplies to nuclear powered submarines nor reports produced in connection with this, as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.