To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the new in-service date set for the Joint Strike Fighter has had any effect on the plan B for the aircraft to be provided for the new aircraft carriers. (144383)

[holding answer 21 June 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State in the other place on 8 January 2007, Official Report, column WA8. We will not be setting in-service dates for the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) until we take the main investment decision, and we will take that decision when the project is sufficiently mature. The Joint Strike Fighter remains our preferred solution to meet the JCA requirement and our current plans for JCA remain coherent with the CVF programme.