Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 20 June (HL695), what representations they have made, if any, to the government of the United States regarding the (1) manufacture, and (2) delivery profile, of F-35 combat aircraft, given the changes to the orders made for that aircraft by other governments.

We have informed the US led F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) of our Tranche 2 purchase intention. However, we are subject to our internationally agreed manufacture and delivery schedules, and capacity limitations in the overall F-35 development programme with its many global customers.