Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the contractor is financially liable for the delay in HMS Ocean returning to service from her refit; and what estimate he has made of the costs of that delay.

The cost of the HMS Ocean upkeep programme is within the values approved for the project. The final cost will be determined when the contract negotiations for the additional work that was identified during the upkeep period have been concluded between the Ministry of Defence and the Contractor.