MORE than 100 contracts, totalling around £1.25bn, have already been awarded towards the construction of two aircraft carriers – a project which is now surrounded by doubts.

Documents lodged in the House of Commons Library show that the contracts include Cammell Laird’s £44m deal to build the flight deck for HMS Queen Elizabeth and a £270,000 award for Garston-based R Baker Electrical for lighting transformers.

Hundreds of jobs would be cut at the Birkenhead shipyard if a Government review decides to scrap plans for HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The scale of the commitments could prove to be a major factor in the Government’s decision on whether to press ahead.

BAE systems chief executive Sir Ian King told the Defence Select Committee in the Commons last week that the company was asked to consider a number of options ranging from “one carrier to no carriers”.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are due to launch in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

A crunch meeting of the National Security Council this week is expected to decide on the fate of the £5bn carrier programme and the fast-jet fleet. Cammell Laird officially started work on building Queen Elizabeth’s flight deck, hangars and some accommodation on July 27, at Birkenhead.

Cammell Laird chief executive John Syvret said he remained confident the shipyard would continue work on the carrier. He said: “Work has already begun at our facility. We remain committed to delivering our work on the programme in line with our contract.”