Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the (a) damage caused and (b) injuries sustained by staff working on the HMS Queen Elizabeth as a result of the fire on 8 March 2024.

I can confirm that no injuries were sustained by staff working on the HMS Queen Elizabeth as a result of the fire on 8 March 2024. There was also no permanent damage caused and the fire will have no impact on HMS Queen Elizabeth’s current programme. An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the fire and this will seek to identify any appropriate lessons that can be implemented in future instances of this nature.