To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the number of ships available to the hydrographic service. [36579]

There are currently six RN vessels available to the hydrographic service. There are three coastal survey vessels, HMS Bulldog, Beagle and Roebuck, the ocean survey vessels HMS Hecla and Herald and an inshore survey launcher, HMS Gleaner. HMS Scott, the replacement for HMS Hecla, is under construction as part of the ongoing programme to upgrade the capability of the hydrographic service. The hydrographic service also charters suitable commercial survey vessels which are used by RN survey teams in support of the civil hydrographic requirement.