Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria underpinned the decision not to make public the fact that the 2016 Demonstration and Shakedown Operation exercise had not been completed as planned and that the Trident D5 II missile launched by HMS Vanguard had not completed its test as planned.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 31 January to the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West (Ms Ferrier) to Question 61464. HMS Vengeance successfully concluded her Demonstration and Shakedown Operation and returned to the operational cycle.