Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which dry dock facilities in the UK are under consideration as a future maintenance base for the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

The following dry-dock facilities in the UK are of a sufficient size to accommodate the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers:

Able UK, Seaton Port, Teeside; Babcock, Rosyth; Cammell Laird, Birkenhead; Cammell Laird, Greenock (Inchgreen); Harland and Wolff, Belfast.

Plans for the dry-docking of QEC aircraft carriers are currently under consideration as part of a commercial competitive process. It would be inappropriate to comment on which locations are under consideration until that process has been concluded and a contract has been awarded, as to do so would prejudice commercial interests. For the same reason I cannot comment on any engagement with industry in relation to the dry-docking of QEC aircraft carriers.