Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Armed Forces of 23 October 2017, Official Report, column 15, what enhancements the Government plans to make to the Queen Elizabeth class carriers to support the UK's amphibious capability; how much he estimates the cost of those enhancements to be; and when those enhancements will be delivered.

The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 allocated £60 million to further optimise a Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier to better meet the demands of the Landing Platform Helicopter role. This includes communications systems for amphibious operations, improving the domestic services in the aircraft carrier for Royal Marines, providing ammunition storage, increasing the number of helicopter operating spots and expanding the operating capacity for helicopters.

The Department will continue to explore a variety of options to augment both Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers with these capabilities in the future.