Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans are in place in relation to the deployment of the HMS Queen Elizabeth II and HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carriers.

Specific deployment plans for the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers have not yet been decided. The carriers are strategic maritime platforms which will perform a wide variety of military functions; for example: providing credible conventional deterrence; delivering carrier strike missions using Lightning II aircraft; enforcing no fly zones; deploying Royal Marine Commandos; building international partnerships; delivering humanitarian aid and disaster relief; and conducting complex non-combatant evacuation operations.