Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to ensure the continued presence of Royal Navy assets in the Middle East maritime theatre.

The Ministry of Defence keeps its force posture in the Middle East under continual review to safeguard the UK’s national security interests and operational requirements. We remain committed to working with our partners across the region. The Strategic Defence Review, due to be published in the Spring, will set out Defence’s strategic priorities and context for subsequent resource allocation, including informing the global distribution of Royal Navy assets.