Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what class, of naval ships will be required in the Channel to tackle illegal migrant crossings.

The Royal Navy currently utilises one Class One Offshore Patrol Vessels (from three on rotation), six Archer Class P2000 Patrol Boats, three held at Ramsgate and three held at Portsmouth and a pair of Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) in support of Defence primacy for responding to small boat migration in the channel. As announced by the Prime Minister, primacy will transfer back to the Home Office from 31 January 2023. In anticipation of this, the Home Office will procure a number of Crew Transfer Vessels to replace the capacity provided by Royal Navy assets.