To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost to his Department is of extending the out-of-service date of (a) HMS Illustrious and (b) HMS Ark Royal caused by the delay of the in-service dates of the CVF Carriers from 2012 and 2015 to 2014 and 2016. (169346)

There has been no delay to the future aircraft carriers' in-service dates of 2014 and 2016 as announced on 25 July 2007, Official Report, column 865 and no subsequent changes to the out of service dates of the current carriers. These out of service dates have been adjusted as planning assumptions for the introduction of the new aircraft carriers have been developed. There have been no significant extra costs associated with these adjustments.