Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many countries have committed to acquiring the Type 31 frigate; how many frigates has each country ordered; whether the expected level of acquisitions has led to a drop in the unit price; and whether will this affect the in-service dates of ships planned for the Royal Navy.

The design of the Type 31 frigate (marketed as Arrowhead 140) has been exported under licence to Indonesia by Babcock International and two vessels will be built in an Indonesian shipyard.

We do not comment on unit pricing for reasons of commercial sensitivity. There will be no impact on in-service dates for the Royal Navy Type 31 frigates.