Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the cost of the steel required to manufacture the Astute class submarines which are due to be commissioned between 2018 and 2024; and how that compares to the projected cost prior to the EU referendum.

In the main, steel required for defence is sourced by our prime contractors across a variety of suppliers throughout the build programme and details of cost breakdowns are not held centrally.

I can confirm, however, that the majority of the steel to be used in construction of the Astute Class Submarines due to be commissioned into the Royal Navy between 2018 and 2024 was purchased prior to the EU referendum, therefore no cost comparison would be applicable.