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Defence Procurement

I do not know what more I can say to my hon. Friend about our strategy and what we are trying to achieve to maintain the industrial and skills base in the country. That remains our desire and intention and we want to do everything possible to achieve it. I do not know who provoked my hon. Friend into making the point about Scotland, because there are no Scottish National party Members of Parliament present at the moment. However, he is right that such provision of equipment for the British Navy would not happen if the SNP got its way and managed to split the United Kingdom into its constituent parts. The carriers that we have ordered will be escorted by the new Type 45 destroyer. I visited the first of those—HMS Daring—during its sea trials off the west coast of Scotland and was immensely impressed by the power of the ship. The second of class—Dauntless—was launched in January this year and the third, Diamond, is due to be launched in November. The Type 45 will be one of the most capable air defence destroyers in the world, with the Samson radar enabling it to provide far more effective air defence for expeditionary task group operations. Higher engineering standards will reduce maintenance time and improve availability, so that fewer ships are required to perform the same number of tasks. The first of our new class of Astute nuclear attack submarines was launched in June. Armed with tactical Tomahawk cruise missiles and Spearfish torpedoes, it will be by far the most potent British attack submarine ever built. HMS Astute will enter service in 2009. Ambush and Artful, which are under construction at Barrow, will follow in 2010 and 2012. In May, we also signed an initial contract for the fourth boat, Audacious.