Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the United Kingdom’s anti-submarine detection capability is adequate to meet current threat levels.

We have acknowledged that we have a maritime surveillance capability gap following the decision not to bring the Nimrod MRA4 into service. However we have also made it clear that it is one that we have chosen to accept and to mitigate through employment of other assets, as well as through cooperation with allies, who have deployed Maritime Patrol Aircraft on several occasions.

A decision on whether to take further steps to mitigate the gap is planned as part of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review.