Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential benefit of forward mounting Royal Marines from the Fleet Contingency Troop to HMS Somerset in order to provide interdiction options for the tracking of the Russian ship Yantar.

The Ministry of Defence continually evaluates the most appropriate options and resources to address the evolving threats faced by the United Kingdom. For security reasons, we cannot disclose specific assessments or operational decisions publicly. However, we can confirm that the Ministry of Defence maintains robust and responsive capabilities to safeguard the UK’s territorial waters and ensure national security as required.