Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to patrol UK territorial waters, particularly the North Sea, in advance of the deployment of P-8 aircraft.

In advance of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft coming into frontline service with the RAF, a layered range of complementary assets comprising other surveillance aircraft, including those from Allies, as well as ships and submarines are utilised to fulfil the maritime patrol capability in the waters surrounding the UK and across the North Sea.