Written question asked by Jim Murphy (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 March 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 March 2011. It was answered by Peter Luff (Conservative) on Wednesday, 16 March 2011 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Type 22 Frigates

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average running cost to a Type-22 batch 3 frigate was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Answer: The in-service operating costs of an individual Type 22 frigate can vary as these costs are heavily influenced by an individual ship's operational tasking and upkeep and maintenance regime during any particular 12 month period. Taking account of this, the Department has calculated that the average running cost of a Type 22 frigate in financial year 2009-10 was £33 million. This figure includes maintenance, safety certification, military upgrades, manpower, inventory, satellite communication, fuel costs and depreciation.

Secondary information