Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether construction of the first Fleet Solid Support ship has begun.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Successful delivery of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship programme, which is currently in the design phase, remains a priority. The recent acquisition of Harland & Wolff (H&W) by Navantia UK, following the administration of H&W, has provided greater certainty to the delivery of the FSS programme and protects UK’s shipbuilding capability.

Construction has not yet begun, the design work is progressing well and production of the first FSS ship is expected to begin later in 2025, with all three vessels bolstering the Royal Fleet Auxiliary over the coming decade.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the governments of Mauritius and Russia have agreed to strengthen their relationship on fishing and marine research; and what implications this will have for the United Kingdom’s military base on Diego Garcia.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Treaty explicitly grants all rights and authorities that the United Kingdom requires for the long-term, secure and effective operation of the Base. Mauritius as a sovereign nation has agreements with many countries on a range of issues which have no bearing on the Treaty. We will retain full control over Diego Garcia with robust provisions to keep adversaries out. These include unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US; a buffer zone around Diego Garcia; a comprehensive mechanism to ensure no activity in the other islands threatens base operations; and a ban on the presence of any foreign security forces.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that human remains found among the scrap of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse are given a fitting burial by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Investigations into the illegal salvage are still ongoing. The Ministry of Defence is unable to provide a response regarding the presence of human remains until these investigations have concluded.

If the remains of British Service personnel are identified, the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) will ensure that they are afforded a dignified military funeral and final resting place.

In unfortunate cases where there may be insufficient evidence, resource or capacity to name the deceased they will remain 'unknown', but be afforded the appropriate dignity and respect. Similarly, in cases where the evidence set may be too broad, remains are afforded a shared, final resting place.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to using the ongoing Operation Highmast deployment to repatriate one of the anchors of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales that were illegally salvaged in Malaysia.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Malaysian authorities have primacy over the investigation into the illegal salvage of HMS Prince of Wales and it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage. Decisions on the preservation of any artefacts will be made once investigations have concluded.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to bring forward the in-service date of the first multi-role strike ship; and what steps they will take to increase the build rate of the five remaining multi-role strike ships.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Multi-Role Strike Ship (MRSS) programme is progressing through the Concept Phase and remains on target for the first of class to be delivered in the early 2030s.

The Royal Navy and Defence Equipment and Support are conducting detailed work on key user requirements, conceptual designs, affordability, and exportability assessments. Alongside other shipbuilding programmes, they are maintaining engagement with all leading UK shipbuilding entities and the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) on the best commercial approach to deliver for the Navy and the Nation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have sufficient Poseidon aircraft to meet anti-submarine needs and to fly missions along the borders of Belarus and Ukraine.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The RAF P-8 Poseidon fleet procurement is complete, and all purchased aircraft are in service. Poseidon is therefore resourced to deliver against Defence tasking as directed and aircraft are tasked according to Defence priorities. For reasons of operational security, specific details about operational areas and missions are not publicly disclosed.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to build a large nuclear power station using European pressurised reactor technology after the completion of Sizewell C.

Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This Government is committed to nuclear power. As set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, nuclear will play an important role in delivering clean power by 2030 and beyond, providing clean, stable and reliable power. No decision has yet been taken on whether to pursue a future large-scale project beyond Sizewell C.