Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential risk of gapping the Landing Platform Dock capability.

On current plans, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will retire from service by the end of 2034.

As part of the transformation of our Commando Forces, options for future amphibious capability are being developed in the form of the Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS). The timelines for the MRSS are yet to be confirmed.

In the period up to Landing Platform Dock going out of service and the onset of MRSS, the Royal Navy will continue to maintain its Littoral Strike capability through its Littoral Response Groups (utilising the existing Landing Ship Dock’s (Auxiliary)) and working closely with the amphibious capabilities of our Partner Nations.