To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the cost of refurbishing his Department's headquarters. [16818]

Costs of the refurbishment of MOD Main Building will depend on proposals from the shortlisted consortia during the next stages of the procurement programmed that I announced on 12 November 1997, Official Report, column 582. Costs will continue to be closely examined as the public private partnership programmed proceeds. Shortlisted bidders have the challenge of producing value for money solutions against the benchmark of my Department's public sector comparator.