To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 777W, on AWE Aldermaston, whether his Department is considering financing any elements of the programme to replace the Trident nuclear warhead through private finance initiatives. (244306)

There is no programme to develop a new UK nuclear warhead. There is, however, work being undertaken to inform decisions, likely to be taken in the next Parliament, on whether and, if so, how we might need to refurbish or replace our current warhead. There are no plans to introduce private finance initiatives to fund this work.