Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department of reported inadequacies in the missile control and monitoring position procedures on HMS Vanguard.

I have interpreted this question to refer to recent claims made about HMS Victorious.

As the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) said in his Written Statement of 28 May 2015 (Column 1WS), and as was reiterated during the Adjournment Debate the same day (Column 293), I can assure the House and the general public that the recently reported comments and concerns raised by an Able Seaman following his first submarine deployment have been thoroughly investigated. That investigation concluded that neither the operational effectiveness of our continuous at-sea deterrent nor the safety of our submariners or members of the public has been compromised.