Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s speech on action to tackle illegal migration on 14 April 2022, how many existing Royal Navy vessels will be re-deployed primarily to undertake patrol duties in the Channel throughout the rest of 2022-23; which vessels will be re-deployed for that task; and where those vessels will be re-deployed from.

Assets made available for the task are up to one Offshore Patrol Vessel, six P2000s, three rigid-hull inflatable boats and one Wildcat helicopter. They are available for operations dependent on crossing numbers and, if required, will be deployed on a priority basis from existing tasks in UK waters, such as escorting foreign vessels, maritime security patrols and training.

The Wildcat helicopter is from Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton and the naval vessels are based at Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth (with the six P2000s currently deployed to the Dover area from their base ports around the UK).