▁the ▁government ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁ship . ▁To ▁serve ▁the ▁public ▁interest , ▁Def ence ▁Minister ▁Max ▁Brad ford ▁author ised ▁full ▁dis closure ▁of ▁all ▁information ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Def ence ▁and ▁the ▁R N Z N ▁could ▁make ▁public , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁document ▁Official ▁Information ▁P ertain ing ▁to ▁the ▁Military ▁Se al ift ▁Project ▁H M N Z S ▁Charles ▁U ph am . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁Cab inet ▁gave ▁appro val ▁in ▁principle ▁for ▁the ▁conversion ▁to ▁occur . ▁ ▁An ▁election ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁saw ▁the ▁transition ▁from ▁the ▁Four th ▁National ▁Government ▁to ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Labour ▁Government , ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁review ▁into ▁Charles ▁U ph am ▁was ▁ordered . ▁The ▁Se al ift ▁Review ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁found ▁that ▁although ▁the ▁ship ▁had ▁limitations , ▁retain ing ▁and ▁modifying ▁the ▁vessel ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁cost - effect ive ▁option ▁for ▁maintain ing ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁se al ift ▁cap ability . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁the ▁Cab inet ▁agreed ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁a ▁proposal ▁that ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁Charles ▁U ph am ▁once ▁her ▁Spanish ▁char ter ▁ended , ▁and ▁address ▁the ▁re ac quisition ▁of ▁se al ift ▁cap ability ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁as ▁the ▁replacement ▁for ▁the ▁fr ig ate ▁. ▁On ▁ 9 ▁May , ▁plans