Sir Julian Lewis

Sir Julian Lewis

Conservative — New Forest East

Speaking in the House of Commons on 12 November 2026

Debate

Defence in the High North

Contribution

I congratulate the Committee and its Chairman on the production of such an important report. One section that most struck me was that beginning at paragraph 84 on submarine under-ice capability. I was surprised to learn that Astute-class submarines do not have the capability that their predecessors, the Trafalgar-class submarines, used to have. Can the hon. Gentleman tell us a little more about when that capability might be acquired, and can he throw any light on the fact that, as has become painfully clear over recent weeks and months, the existing Astute-class submarines, some of them very new, are not at sea? Is that a manning problem, is it a technical problem, or is it both?

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