Oral Answers to Questions

Oliver Colvile Excerpts

Monday 13th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)]

4. What operations the Royal Navy is currently engaged in.

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mike Penning)]

In this year of the Royal Navy, the service is deployed at home and around the globe 365 days a year, protecting national interests and promoting our prosperity. Whether maintaining our continuous at-sea deterrent, providing reassurance to British overseas territories or conducting counter-piracy and counter-narcotics patrols, we will be there when we are needed.

[Oliver Colvile]

Given that the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Plymouth will be the centre for the Royal Marines, has my right hon. Friend considered base-porting all the Type 23s in Devonport?

[Mike Penning]

We will look carefully at this as the new ships come on stream and as we spend £63 billion on the Royal Navy in the next few years. We will ensure that Devonport gets a very good look-in.