Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Government Major Projects Portfolio Data 2022, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of delivering the Core Production Capability programme (a) on time and (b) to budget in the context of the Independent Projects Authority's rating of that project as red.

The Department remains committed to delivering the reactor cores our submarine build programme needs. One of the factors that contributes to a red IPA rating is risk. Obviously, a combination of a “first in class” and a “highly complex capability” will raise risk levels much higher. We are constantly working to reduce risk and, following the Infrastructure Project Authority’s report on the Core Production Capability, we are currently implementing a number of changes to minimise any impact. An Accounting Officer Assessment will be published once this work has been completed.