Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of naval protection for offshore energy installations in the UK Economic Zone.

The Ministry of Defence keeps the security of the UK's offshore energy installations and wider maritime critical national infrastructure under continuous review, working closely with other Government Departments, industry and international partners.

The Royal Navy contributes to this through persistent presence, surveillance and deterrence activity in UK waters. We will continue to strengthen our ability to identify, deter and respond to threats as the risk picture evolves, working with allies and industry, and through development of the Royal Navy's Atlantic Bastion transformation programme.