asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in negotiations with the United States Government to develop the uprated Pegasus engine, the 11–61.

We have carried out a technical evaluation of the proposed Pegasus 11–61 engine in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps. Rolls-Royce pic is now engaging in separate commercial discussions with the United States authorities and with the Ministry of Defence.For our part, we expect to receive a formal proposal from Rolls-Royce shortly. Although there is at present no United Kingdom requirement for an uprated Pegasus, the 11–61 offers the prospect of operating costs lower than those of the current Pegasus engine. This will be taken into account in our life cycle evaluation of the proposals.