Letter: Carrier contracts

It is clear the defence review would not have included the carriers if it had not been for the assertion that cancelling the contracts would have been more expensive than continuing them (your report, 21 October).

Since the overall cost of these contracts (today 5.9 billion) is known and it is not a competitive contract, perhaps the government should publish the full details of them so taxpayers can see just why it is so difficult to get out of or modify them.

There are many other military-specification marine projects that could have replaced the second carrier, if not both. A transparent publication of the legal documents which tie the government to building what former defence secretary Michael Portillo called "white elephants", showing just why we are building ships - one of which is going to be permanently tied up -would clear up doubt about the veracity of the politician's statements.

It has also been stated the second would be fitted with "cats and traps" to let it use the slightly cheaper non-STOVL (short take-off and vertical landing) JSF35 and the aircraft of our EU partners. Perhaps the government could tell us how much extra that will add to the project.

Bruce D Skivington

Strath

Gairloch, Wester Ross