Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of the delay to the delivery of the four Type 31 frigates.

There is no delay to the delivery of the Type 31 frigates. The first ship will be in the water in 2023 and all five ships will be delivered by the end of 2028.

Five Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), built in partnership with BAE Systems on the Clyde, are being delivered for the Royal Navy. HMS FORTH and HMS MEDWAY are currently deployed. HMS TRENT and HMS TAMAR have been delivered and HMS SPEY is expected to be delivered to the Royal Navy by the end of the year. Of the three Batch 1 OPVs, HMS TYNE and HMS MERSEY are operational, and HMS SEVERN is being prepared to return to service. Their tasking will be based on Defence requirements.