To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the in-service dates are for the two new aircraft carriers. (280818)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) on 17 December 2008, Official Report, column 766W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of upgrading naval bases for the new carriers in each of the next five years. (280828)

The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers will be base ported at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth and project costs for tailoring the facilities there have yet to be fully determined. It is departmental policy not to publish such costs until they have been approved in the Main Gate Business Case which we currently expect to be around 2012 for infrastructure modification.

There are no plans to upgrade facilities at the other naval bases at Devonport or Faslane for the Queen Elizabeth Class.