To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral statement of 19 February Official Report, columns 331–32, when he intends to order a further six Sea King helicopters; and how much money will be spent in each of the next four years on this order.

Subject to agreement of acceptable contractual terms, we expect to sign an initial contract with Westland in April and the main contract before the end of the year. It is not our practice to publish details of our future expenditure plans on a year-by-year basis.