Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on delivering the Shadow MK2 upgrade programme.

I can confirm that the Shadow Mk2 upgrade programme has been cancelled as it is late and has failed to deliver the capability that our Armed Forces need. It is also facing unacceptable cost escalation and delays.

This decision will allow us to focus on investing in other defence priorities and the Shadow Mk1.

We won't shy away from making difficult decisions that arise in the best interests of our Armed Forces and the taxpayer.