Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether contingency work has occurred with BAE Systems to ascertain whether the T26 programme could be accelerated in a time of national emergency or for any other reason; and if not, why not.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to the noble Lord, Lord Moonie on 12 March 2019 in response to Question number HL14108.

Any Ministry of Defence plan could be subject to revision in the event of a national emergency if the nature of that emergency required it.