"Did we order 12 Type 45 destroyers - or did we say 12 and then dilute that down?"
From a very early stage the phrase used was "up to" 12. Just as the JSF uptake is "up to" 150. Clever because in reality all it means is that you'll buy somewhere between one unit and the maximum figure cited. And the "up to" bit tends to get overlooked when reported in the media.