Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the safety and security of the Aircraft Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth when carrying out its duties during the deployment to the South China Sea in the event of the accompanying Type 45 destroyers experiencing a technical fault.

The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews the safety and security of deployments during both the planning and operational stages.

Prior to the deployment, the number and type of escorts forming the wider Carrier Strike Group for HMS Queen Elizabeth was carefully considered against the planned scheme of manoeuvre.

At no point during the deployment has the safety or security of HMS Queen Elizabeth been impacted by technical faults experienced by HMS Diamond.