asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have considered the concerns expressed by the United States General Accountability Office in its report of 11 March, Impact of Recent Decisions on Program Risks, in relation to the Joint Strike Fighter project; and what representations they are making to the United States authorities as to the continuance of the alternative engine programme within that project. [HL2583]

We expect the UK's requirements for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to be met through the systems development and demonstration phase of the programme, to which our contribution is fixed at $2 billion. The UK has consistently supported the continuance of a competitive engine approach for the JSF in order to de-risk the programme and reduce through-life support costs, and will closely monitor the progress of the president's budget through the US annual funding round.