Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the projected cost to the public purse of taking HMS Bulwark from low readiness to fully active and available for deployment.

The projected cost to the public purse of bringing HMS BULWARK out of her current upkeep period will be subject to a formal costing exercise, but is estimated to be in the region of £49.6 million.