To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) what assets have been assigned to (a) Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, (b) Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, (c) Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 and (d) Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 in the last seven years; and for how long they were assigned to each such group;

(2) what assets have been requested by (a) Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, (b) Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, (c) Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 and (d) Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 for future deployment.

The following table shows the frigates or destroyers assigned to the Standing NATO Maritime Groups in the last seven years. Where there are two ships assigned in one year the periods of support is six months per ship.

In 2011, the ship assigned was re-tasked to the NATO Operation Unified Protector. Since that time no dedicated ship has been assigned to Standing NATO Mine Group 1 or 2. The Royal Navy continues to offer a frigate or destroyer to NATO Immediate Reaction Force activation as required.

The following table shows the mine counter measures (MCM) vessels and coastal survey vessel assigned to the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Groups (SNMCMG) in the last seven years. The MCMs have undertaken varying periods of support from four to 12 month deployments.

SNMG MCM Group deployments for the future have been planned with three units of four month deployments allocated per year from 2013 to 2018.