Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nuclear-powered submarines are waiting for decommissioning work to be (a) commenced and (b) completed.

There are 12 submarines in laid-up storage in Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport and seven at Rosyth Dockyard. Under the Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP) one submarine will commence 'Initial Dismantling' at Rosyth later in 2016, subject to regulatory permissions, to refine the process.

While laid-up, the submarines are subject to regular maintenance and checks by both the Ministry of Defence and regulators, and pose no additional risk to workers or members of the public.