To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s projection is of the number of Type (a) 23, (b) 26, (c) 31e and (d) 45 ships that will be in service in the Royal Navy in each year from 2020 to 2030.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his current projection is of the number of Type (a) 23, (b) 26, (c) 31e and (d) 45 ships that will be in service in the Royal Navy in each year from 2020 to 2030.

We remain committed to ensuring the Royal Navy has the ships and capabilities required to fulfil Defence commitments now and in the future.

Babcock is contractually obligated to deliver five Type 31 Frigates to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) by the end of 2028, and HMS GLASGOW, the first of the Type 26 Frigates, will be in-service with the MOD in 2027. The last Type 23 Frigate will be transitioned out of service in 2035. The first Type 45 Destroyer entered service in 2010, these Destroyers have a projected 25-year life span.

The Prime Minister has committed to undertake the deepest review of Britain's security, defence and foreign policy. This review will examine how we strengthen and prioritise our alliances, diplomacy and development and will consider all aspects of our defence and security capabilities, including our approach to procurement and maintaining our technological edge. We are considering a number of options to increase the availability of ships during this period.