Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the unit price of each of the three Type 26 frigates presently on order.

In July 2017, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced the award of a contract valued at £3.7 billion to manufacture the first batch of three Type 26 Frigates. The manufacture contract covers the build of the first three Type 26 Frigates through to sea trials and vessel acceptance by the Royal Navy, as well as the remaining development costs for the class. The contract also includes the procurement of the medium calibre gun for the first three ships and the modifications needed to the Clyde shipyards at Govan and Scotstoun to enable the manufacture of the Type 26. The detailed pricing of the contract is a commercial matter between the MOD and BAE Systems and I am withholding the cost per ship, as its publication would be prejudicial to commercial interests.