Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the National Shipbuilding Strategy restricts the definition of warships to frigates, destroyers and aircraft carriers.

The National Shipbuilding Strategy stated that warships must be built in the UK, and defined warships as frigates, destroyers and aircraft carriers. This policy decision recognises that preserving the national capability to design, integrate and build warships is critical to national security. There is no underpinning national security reason to mandate that other Royal Navy ships are constructed in UK shipyards.