Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Corrigendum to Tender 707770451 entitled Type 31 Through Life Support, published on 22 July 2026, what plans he has to replace the abandoned requirement with a new requirement for management and through-life support services for Type 31 frigates.

The Type 31 Through Life Support procurement was discontinued following a review of the proposed approach. The Department concluded that the assumptions underpinning that procurement no longer reflected the most appropriate route for delivering support to the Type 31 class. Those assumptions included the delivery context for the programme and the way in which future support arrangements should be structured. The requirement to provide effective through-life support for the Type 31 fleet remains unchanged.

The Department is now considering the most appropriate arrangements to meet that requirement. Any future procurement activity will be taken forward in accordance with Defence requirements, value for money considerations and established commercial procedures.