Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) when and (b) by whom was the decision made to allow the crew of HMS Queen Elizabeth off-ship during port visits during the covid-19 outbreak.

Port visits are planned in advance as part of each deployment and while they remain subject to change depending on operational and other requirements, they are important for logistics resupply and the welfare of the crew.

For the Carrier Strike Group 2021 deployment the Commanding Officer of each ship, in consultation with the Commander of the Strike Group, and PJHQ where required, carefully consider the Covid-19 situation at each destination and take into account HMG travel advice published on the gov.uk website and local guidance before allowing the crew off the ship during port visits.