To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) Royal Navy warships and (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels (i) on which design work began and (ii) for which orders have been placed since the 1997 general election. (119984)

[holding answer 8 February 2007]: Orders for the following Royal Navy warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have been placed since May 1997:

Royal Navy

Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyers:

Daring

Dauntless

Diamond

Dragon

Defender

Duncan

Echo class Survey vessels:

Echo

Enterprise

River class Offshore Patrol vessels:

Tyne

Severn

Mersey

Clyde

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Bay class Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliaries):

Largs Bay

Lyme Bay

Mounts Bay

Cardigan Bay

This excludes any vessels chartered for Royal Fleet Auxiliary use and the six-ship RoRo Strategic Sealift PFI service.

Design work on all of the above-named vessels began after May 1997. In addition, design work is under way on the two new aircraft carriers.