Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to speed up the a) development and b) deployment of new mine hunting capabilities for the Royal Navy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 March 2026 to Question 120373 to the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi):

The Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme continues to deliver an advanced suite of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) and SWEEP (the first Sovereign minesweeping capability since 2006) into service within the Royal Navy, enabling frontline mine warfare specialists to enhance operational effectiveness. These cutting-edge autonomous mine-hunting systems are deployed by the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group for evaluation, training, and operational deployment.

The comprehensive scope of the MHC programme encompasses multiple USVs, UUVs, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for identification and neutralisation, and a state-of-the-art, sovereign mine-sweeping capability. Additionally, the programme has delivered HMS STIRLING CASTLE, a dedicated support vessel designed to enhance the deployment and sustainment of autonomous systems.