Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what defence assets they are sending to the Indo-Pacific region aside from the aircraft carriers; and whether the two offshore patrol vessels stationed in the region and the AUKUS agreement on nuclear submarines are part of the UK's tilt towards the Indo-Pacific region.

We will continue to utilise a variety of assets as appropriate in the Indo-Pacific, alongside other deployments, joint exercises and training programmes with partner nations to strengthen our regional defence cooperation. The forward deployment of two Offshore Patrol Vessels and the recent announcement of the AUKUS nuclear submarine programme are clear demonstrations of our increased engagement in the region. We continue to deepen and enhance our relationships in the area to place our approach to the Indo-Pacific on a long-term strategic footing.