Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current location is of (a) HMS Ocean, (b) HMS Bulwark and (c) HMS Albion; and what the current duties of each are. [44280]

Nick Harvey MP; Minister for the Armed Forces: On 3 March 2011, HMS Ocean was in the south coast exercise area conducting operational sea training. HMS Bulwark has recently come out of a refit period and is conducting trials and training from Devonport. HMS Albion is currently alongside at Devonport for routine maintenance and is available for operational tasking.

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) name and (b) type is of each (i) frigate and (ii) destroyer to be decommissioned over the next five years. [44737]

Andrew Robathan MP; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: Under our present planning assumptions, the following frigates and destroyers will be withdrawn from service over the next five years:

Frigates and destroyers

HMS Campbeltown    Type 22 frigate

HMS Cumberland       Type 22 frigate

HMS Cornwall             Type 22 frigate

HMS Gloucester          Type 42 destroyer

HMS Liverpool             Type 42 destroyer

HMS York                   Type 42 destroyer

HMS Edinburgh          Type 42 destroyer

Although the decision to withdraw the Type 22 frigates was taken as part of the strategic defence and security review, we had already planned to withdraw the Type 42 destroyers and replace them with the Type 45 destroyers.

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of ships required to counter (a) immediate and (b) long-term threats to the UK. [44738]

Nick Harvey MP; Minister of State for the Armed Forces: Our future requirement for naval forces was assessed during the strategic defence and security review and set out in the White Paper "Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review (Cm 7948)". Potential short-term threats to UK interests are continually reviewed and the Royal Navy's present force structure is judged to be sufficient to meet our immediate security requirements.