TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Legislative Yuan has scheduled a closed-door hearing for next week with defense officials about the indigenous submarine program, reports said Saturday.

Sea acceptance tests for the Narwhal should have been completed by the end of September but are still continuing. The delay has caused concern about whether the commissioning by the Navy can take place as planned in November.

Monday’s session of the Legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee will discuss the status of the tests and issues concerning equipment, staffing, quality management, and security, the Liberty Times reported. Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) has been invited to present a report on the subject.

As the indigenous submarine program is top secret, the committee session will be held behind closed doors and without journalists present. However, Committee Convener Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said Saturday the defense ministry and Navy should provide lawmakers with complete information to allow them to do their work supervising government activities.

If the commissioning of the Narwhal is postponed, the military should tell legislators the true reason and its impact on the quality and the safety of the vessel, Wang said. The committee meeting should put a stop to rumors, he added.

The DPP legislator said he would ask defense officials which parts of the hearing could be made public to inform other lawmakers and the taxpaying public about the progress of the submarine project.