asked the Minister of Supply if his attention has been called to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, in which it is stated that the original estimate for Brabazon I aircraft was £8 million and that the cost is now expected to be £14 million; what factors accounted for the error in calculation; and to what extent the building of this aircraft was put out to open tender.

The increases have arisen mainly from the exceptional complexity of the work. Competition for building the aircraft was impracticable.