Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of the Maritime Capability Trials and Assessment Team.

The number of trials demanded of Maritime Capability Trials and Assessment (MCTA) has been broadly similar over the last three years and MCTA has fulfilled this requirement.

MCTA has 146 posts (Royal Navy personnel and civil servants), which has been sufficient to meet the requirement. However, MCTA is constantly matching capacity, efficiency improvements and new techniques (including digital improvements) with the demands of the equipment programme and Fleet Operational Schedule. As with the rest of Navy Command's structures, MCTA is currently under review to ensure sufficient capacity to meet future requirements.