Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many days each Type 23 frigate has spent at sea from 2016 to date.

The normal operating cycle of every ship involves them entering different readiness levels depending on their programmes and Departmental planning requirements.

From records scrutinised, the number of days HMS Albion, HMS Bulwark, all the bay-class Landing Ship Dock Auxiliaries, Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Tankers and Type 23 Frigates spent at sea in each year from 1 January 2016 to 30 September 2018, is shown below:

The records for the RFA Tide Class also reflect their customisation and trials packages required for their entry into service. While deployed away from the UK, ships will spend days at sea and alongside in ports around the world.