Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a phase start for Initial Operational Test and Evaluation for the F35B Lightning II.

The Ministry of Defence is actively engaged in initial operational test and evaluation planning as part of a joint F-35 test team with the United States. The plan is subject to appropriate scrutiny but no decisions have been taken on a phased start to testing.