Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of purchasing Chinook helicopters from the US.

The Ministry of Defence always aims to get the best equipment for our Armed Forces at best value for the taxpayer. Decisions on specific requirements, including helicopters, are only made following approval of a full business case to ensure value for money and that the proposed solution meets our capability requirements.

The Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme remains in the assessment phase and the investment decision is under consideration as part of the ongoing Integrated Review.