Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of industrial action at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on the (a) Royal Fleet Auxiliary, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Marines; and what steps he is taking to end that industrial action.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to engage with the Maritime Trade Unions (MTUs), who represent members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), to discuss a resolution to the on-going RFA pay dispute.

The MOD operates a whole force model, bringing military, civilian and contracted staff together to deliver its defence outcomes; we continue to proactively collaborate with our stakeholders and partners to sustain outputs whilst discussions with the MTUs remain ongoing.

The MOD continues to work with both MTUs to resolve the on-going RFA pay dispute whilst mitigating potential impact of strike action to ensure that the Royal Navy continues to deliver its maritime commitments.