Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to allocate one of the eight Type 26 frigates currently intended for the Royal Navy to Norway.

Working together with our Norwegian Partners we are assessing options for offering Type 26 build slots currently allocated to the Royal Navy to the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The Royal Navy will receive all eight Type 26 ships during the late 2020s and 2030s as planned. Norway's biggest ever defence procurement deal will see a combined fleet of 13 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates - eight British and at least five Norwegian - operate jointly in Northern Europe, significantly strengthening NATO's northern flank.