To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many months Royal Navy ships undertaking anti-piracy patrols have been located in the Gulf of Aden in the last 24 months. (244961)

Since January 2007, the Royal Navy has had at least one vessel located in the Gulf of Aden and the wider Gulf region conducting counter destabilising activities, including counter piracy.

The Royal Navy has also provided HMS Northumberland since 8 December 2008 to carry out the first period of the EU anti piracy mission.

Furthermore, HMS Cumberland was involved with the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 between October and December 2008, under a mandate which allowed them to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.