Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Albion-class amphibious assault ships are (a) operationally available and (b) undergoing upgrades.

I can confirm that since 2010, one Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ship has been held in extended readiness so that she can be regenerated if required.

HMS Albion has taken HMS Bulwark’s position in extended readiness so that HMS Bulwark can undergo regeneration. Once regenerated she can be ready to deliver defence outputs if required.

The Ministry of Defence annually releases readiness data for the Royal Navy surface fleet, however for reasons of operational security, we do not disclose timetables or forecasts as this information would be helpful to our adversaries.