Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the affordability of the Royal Navy’s (a) multi-role support ship, (b) type 32, (c) multi-role ocean surveillance and (d) type 83 ship programmes.

Each of these programmes are currently in the concept phase and the focus is on determining the requirement and on setting the programmes up for success with work ongoing to ensure affordability. The Multi-Role Ocean surveillance programme has already procured one vessel, but procurement of the second vessel remains in the concept phase.