To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long it will take to modify Merlin helicopters for use in Afghanistan; and how much this will cost. (254831)

It is expected to cost around £50 million to modify the Merlin helicopters for use on operations in Afghanistan. We are doing all we can to ensure a swift transition to Afghanistan. Nevertheless, we envisage a short period of around four months for the Merlin force to prepare for operations in Afghanistan after extraction from Iraq.