Written question asked by Lord Astor of Hever (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Drayson (Labour) on Friday, 9 December 2005.

HMS ““Invincible””

Question: What specific steps have so far been taken to move HMS ““Invincible”” to a state of lower readiness; and how quickly the steps taken so far could be reversed.

Answer: The steps so far taken to place HMS ““Invincible”” in a state of reduced readiness include the de-storing and de-fuelling of the vessel. As part of this work, most of her fluid systems, including the freshwater, saltwater, fuel oil and hydraulic systems have been isolated and drained in order to limit degradation. In addition, much of the high value and potentially vulnerable equipment, including the gas turbines, weapons and radar systems, has been removed for storage, repair or refurbishment for possible reuse. However, it is not practical or cost effective to remove all of the equipment and, for example, large items such as gearboxes and diesel generators are being individually preserved or stored in a dehumidified area within the ship’s hull. It is estimated that it would take approximately nine months to reverse these steps.

Secondary information