Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with representatives of the Scottish shipyard industry on future maintenance of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.
The following dry-dock facilities in the UK are of a sufficient size to accommodate the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers:
Able UK, Seaton Port, Teeside; Babcock, Rosyth; Cammell Laird, Birkenhead; Cammell Laird, Greenock (Inchgreen); Harland and Wolff, Belfast.
Plans for the dry-docking of QEC aircraft carriers are currently under consideration as part of a commercial competitive process. It would be inappropriate to comment on which locations are under consideration until that process has been concluded and a contract has been awarded, as to do so would prejudice commercial interests. For the same reason I cannot comment on any engagement with industry in relation to the dry-docking of QEC aircraft carriers.