Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits to local economies of awarding contracts for the construction of Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet solid support ships to British shipyards.

The Department recognises the important role that naval procurement programmes play in creating construction opportunities in British shipyards and across the marine engineering supply chain. The procurement of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet solid support ships is a matter for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The Department works closely with the MoD to support the opportunities for UK construction of these vessels through the MoD led National Shipbuilding Strategy.