Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with Babcock on the tying up of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.

For reasons of operational security, we do not disclose timetables of future readiness levels for Royal Navy (RN) vessels. However, I can confirm that, as has been the case since 2010, one Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ship will be held in extended readiness so that she will be capable of being regenerated if we have strategic notice that she will be needed. As such, HMS Albion will take HMS Bulwark's place in extended readiness and HMS Bulwark will be regenerated from extended readiness and maintained so that she can be ready to deliver defence outputs if required.

All discussions with Babcock International Group Plc on the LPD programme of work have related to the delivery of the original contract.