Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a fleet solid support ship will be available for HMS Queen Elizabeth's first operational deployment East of Suez.

HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH's first operational deployment will be in 2021. The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers will operate as part of a Maritime Task Group that will be tailored to meet the required tasks. The precise composition of a Task Group will depend on the operational circumstances at that time; and we will be able to draw from a range of modern and highly capable vessels.

For operational security reasons, it is our policy to not comment on specific capabilities as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.