HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark: Decommissioning
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total expenditure was on the refit of HMS Bulwark prior to its decommissioning; and what specific refit work remained incomplete at the time of HMS Albion’s decommissioning in July 2023.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The decision to decommission both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark was announced in November 2024. As of that date, a considerable amount of refit work was still outstanding to materially prepare HMS Bulwark for her return to sea. In the period from 2022 to 2024, a total of £72.1 million had been spent on refitting HMS Bulwark.
Neither HMS Albion nor HMS Bulwark were due to go to sea ahead of their out-of-service dates in 2033 and 2034. Their disposal shows that we are delivering for defence by divesting ourselves of old capabilities to make way for the future. These ships were effectively mothballed by the previous Government.
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