Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) type 23 Duke Class, (b) type 31 Inspiration Class and (c) type 26 City Class frigates the UK navy has; how many of each of those types are currently not fit for purpose; and for each frigate currently not fit for purpose, how many days each ship has been out of service.

The Royal Navy operates eight Type 23 Frigates, and as of 2 April 2025, six Type 23 frigates are at readiness and available for operations. Each ship follows a normal operating cycle, going through different readiness levels based on their schedules and maintenance.

In addition to the eight operational Type 23 frigates, the Royal Navy has three that are in the process of being decommissioned. It has been 321 days since the decision to retire HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll, and 133 days for HMS Northumberland.

The retirement announcements are part of the UK’s plan to modernise its surface fleet. The Royal Navy will replace the Type 23 Frigates with new Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates. All eight world-class Type 26 ships are scheduled to enter service commencing from 2029, with all five Type 31 ships expected to be operational by the early 2030s.