Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to send the HMS Queen Elizabeth and associated task group on a further exercise in the South China sea.

The Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper detail the importance of the Indo-Pacific region to the UK and the growing tensions around maritime chokepoints, including the South China Sea. Strengthening our defence cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners to tackle shared security challenges and mitigate growing threats is a key defence aim. HMS Queen Elizabeth and her associated task group provides a platform vital to the delivery of the Government's defence priorities.

As set out in the Defence Command Paper, the Royal Navy will be increasing its global presence on a constant and enduring basis, contributing to regional security and assurance, including the protection of shipping lanes and freedom of navigation, and the championing of international rules.

With support from partners in the Indo-Pacific, Offshore Patrol Vessels are now persistently deployed and a Littoral Response Group in 2023 will complement the episodic deployment of our Carrier Strike Group. However, the Ministry of Defence does not routinely comment on future operational deployments.