Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much imported steel will be used in the manufacture of the new Type 26 frigates in (a) market value and (b) weight in tonnes.

Steel is sourced by our contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, reflecting the need to ensure a competitive price and delivery at the required time and quality. UK suppliers have provided significant quantities of steel for major defence equipment procurement programmes, whenever they have been able to meet specified standards. Our new Government guidelines, published in November 2015, will help UK steel suppliers to compete effectively with international suppliers for major projects, including those in defence.

No steel suppliers have been selected or any orders placed for the Type 26 Global Combat Ships. It is therefore too early to say how much steel will be used in this programme or from where it will be sourced.