Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Earl Howe on 22 October (HL Deb, col 651), how many patrol vessels will be operational at any one time from the Royal Navy and the Marine Management Organisation for fishery protection.

The Royal Navy is in the process of introducing five new, more capable Offshore Patrol Vessels, originally intended to replace the current four employed in the UK and the Falkland Islands. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is leading ongoing cross-Government discussions to determine our requirement for fisheries protection and compliance of patrols in UK waters following our exit from the EU. This will also help inform the Ministry of Defence's planning on our future requirement for Offshore Patrol Vessels.