To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the out-of-service dates are for each (a) submarine, (b) frigate, (c) destroyer and (e) minehunter vessel in the Royal Navy. (153324)

Our present planning assumptions, which are routinely updated as required, are as follows:

Submarines

Vanguard Class

It is not possible to give precise out of service dates for the four Vanguard Class submarines. As indicated in the December 2006 White Paper on the future of the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent we believe that we can extend the original design life by around five years and that accordingly the first Vanguard class submarine would go out of service around 2022 and the second around 2024 and work is ongoing to determine the optimum out of service dates for the remaining two.

Frigates

Destroyers

Minehunter Vessels