Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) frigates and (b) destroyers the Royal Navy plans to field in (i) 2024, (ii) 2025 and (iii) 2026.

While we do not disclose the fine detail of forward availability forecasts to preserve the operational security of the Fleet, the Royal Navy (RN) will continue to have the destroyers and frigates it needs to deliver on its operational commitments until 2026 and beyond.

The coming years will see the Royal Navy carefully managing the transition between the current fleet to its new ships, maintaining operational commitments while ensuring value for money as the Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates begin entering service in the second half of this decade. I am committed to looking at the future of the Surface Fleet in the round and making tough but necessary decisions to ensure this transition is a success.