Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the (1) basing, and (2) manning plans for HM Ships Severn, Mersey and Tyne.

The Noble Lord will be aware of the Secretary of State's announcement of 22 November 2018, that HM Ships Severn, Mersey and Tyne will forward-operate from their namesake rivers, including Newcastle, Liverpool and the Cardiff area. Under current plans, their base port remains Portsmouth.

The Royal Navy does not release information concerning the detailed manning requirements for operational vessels as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. Batch 1 River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels have a complement of 44.