Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to extend the operational life of the remaining Type 23 Frigate Fleet.

The Royal Navy is carefully managing a surface fleet transition plan to ensure maximum availability maintained through the 2020s and into the next decade. We are replacing our ageing Type 23 Frigates with eight of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare ships, the Type 26 Frigates. They will be bolstered by five general purpose Type 31 Frigates, providing opportunity to project power, support NATO operations and influence on the global stage.