HMS Albion and Bulwark 'won't be scrapped' but MP says questions remain

HMS Albion during a military show in the Netherlands

Two Devonport-based Royal Navy ships will not be scrapped ahead of schedule, a government minister has said, but concerns remain over whether they will be kept in operation.

Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell said HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark would not be scrapped ahead of their planned decommissioning in the early-2030s.

But a Labour MP said questions remained over whether they would be mothballed.

The Royal Navy said its requirements were under "constant review".

Both ships, the largest based at Devonport dockyard in Plymouth, were reported to have been considered for early retirement to free up sailors for other vessels amid a recruitment crisis in the armed forces.

Mr Mitchell discussed the fate of the ships in response to a question from James Gray, Conservative MP for North Wiltshire, in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Mr Mitchell said: "He asked me about the two LPDs, the landing platform dock Albion and Bulwark, and he asked for an undertaking that they will not be scrapped.

"I am able on behalf of the government to give him that undertaking that neither of them will be scrapped."

HMS Bulwark during an operation in the Mediterranean

Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said the ships could still be mothballed rather than scrapped entirely.

"It is welcome that the government has confirmed that HMS Albion and Bulwark will not be scrapped," he said.

"However, ministers still have important questions to answer about whether they will be mothballed or maintained at readiness to deploy."

Earlier this month, Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge said "no final decision" had been made on whether they would be kept in operation.

He said the government was "absolutely committed to supporting defence jobs" but acknowledged the "recruitment challenges" in the armed forces.

Asked whether HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark would be mothballed, a Royal Navy spokeswoman said: "The operational requirements of the Royal Navy are kept under constant review and the Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring the Navy has the capabilities it needs to meet current and future operational requirements."

Additional reporting by PA Media

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