Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2018 to Question 123285, on Type 31 Frigates, what the evidential basis was for the Government's assessment that there is a potential light frigate market of around 40 ships over the next 10 years.

Two complementary market analysis assessments have been produced by the Government to date. The first assessment was derived from three independent studies, conducted in parallel, by market analysts from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the UK Defence Solutions Centre and an independent consultancy firm. Supporting evidence from this first assessment was then further refined in an assessment carried out by the Department for International Trade and the MOD. Analysis is ongoing as the market continues to evolve.