Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the Royal Navy's Astute-class submarines for under-ice operations.

The Astute class submarines are the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy, combining world-leading sensors, design and weaponry in a versatile vessel. The Royal Navy maintains world-wide deployability with its submarines, this includes under-ice capability.

We do not discuss the detail of such submarine operations, as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.