It seems that the MoD have been upset by the AVM's honest answer and have put out a smoke screen with a blatant attempt to recontextualise the AVM's answer by alleging with complete dishonesty that the question was a hypothetical one about what type of aeroplane the gap filler might be. That question was asked, but much later in the session to which the answer was: "There is no active consideration nor an active requirement to buy an MPA at the moment. Any decision along those lines would be part of the SDSR 2015......The Seedcorn initiative gives us decision space till 2019". You can watch the whole session on the Parliament TV website, if you wish. It was wrong of the Daily Mail to suggest that anyone said the answer would be P-8 and my guess would be CN295 as a more likely outcome. It is sad also that the MoD once again fall back on the excuse of major problems with the MRA4 aeroplane, a fairly recent policy line and one they were too afraid to make in 2010, when there were more people around who knew the truth and were in a position to protest.
Incidentally the Daily Mail article is still viewable on line. Watch out for the next headline: "AVM Green to be OC RAF Kinloss".
EG