Sir Julian Lewis: A

“short-sighted, militarily illiterate manoeuvre totally at odds with strategic reality”

was how the Defence Committee described, in February 2018, the proposal to retire HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark ahead of their anticipated lifetime dates of 2033 and 2034. May I advise and warn the Secretary of State not to be blindsided by the people who are raising this matter again after a change of Secretary of State for Defence?

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Grant Shapps): I point out that, of course, they will be five years older, but I again stress to the House that no decision has been made on the landing platform dock vessels.]