Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the fleet of the Royal Navy has the operational capacity to be able to fully support the operational deployment of both the new aircraft carriers.

The Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers will operate as part of a Maritime Task Group, which will be tailored to meet the required task. While the precise number and mix of vessels deployed would depend on the operational circumstances at the time, we will be able to draw from a range of modern and highly capable vessels to provide support, including the Type 45 Destroyers, Type 23 Frigates, the Astute Class submarines and, in the longer term, the Type 26 Global Combat Ships.