Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what additional support from the Global F-35 programme has the Royal Navy received in order to meet Full Operational Capability for the recent deployment of the Carrier Strike Group.

I am withholding the specific criteria for achieving Full Operating Capability as it would harm the security and capability of the Armed Forces. The declaration of Full Operating Capability remains on track. The decision will be based on objective criteria and the subjective assessment of the Senior Responsible Owner, following detailed and rigorous analysis, which will be captured in the Full Operating Capability acceptance case report.