asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 29 April 2011:

(1) Has the Japanese 'Soryu' Class (or an export variant) submarine been considered as a military off-the-shelf [MOTS] replacement for the Collins Class submarine.

(2) What would be the estimated cost of purchasing 12 of this class of submarine as the 'new' submarine.

(3) What are the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing this class of submarine.