To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the details of the contract he has signed with Boeing in respect of the acquisition of additional Chinook helicopters; and whether (a) the contract will provide for the provision of the Julius cockpit design and (b) the helicopters will be acquired under the US foreign military sales. (325790)

Long-lead engineering work and acquisition of long-lead manufacturing components will be undertaken under the contract signed with Boeing on 23 March 2010. This work is necessary to protect the critical path to delivery of initial aircraft during the course of 2012 and 2013.

No final decision has yet been made on the cockpit configuration, nor on the procurement route, although if the Julius cockpit solution is selected this would not be under a US foreign military sale. I expect the Main Gate investment decision to be taken very shortly.