§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what links each of the following Royal Navy ships have with towns or cities in the United Kingdom; what is the nature of each ship to town link; and what are the annual costs involved to the Royal Navy of such links: (i) HMS Resolution, (ii) HMS Repulse, (iii) HMS Renown, (iv) HMS Revenge, (v) HMS Invincible, (vi) HMS Illustrous, (vii) HMS Ark Royal, (viii) HMS Birmingham, (ix) HMS Newcastle, (x) HMS Glasgow, (xi) HMS Cardiff, (xii) HMS Exeter, (xiii) HMS Southampton, (xiv) HMS Nottingham, (xv) HMS Liverpool, (xvi) HMS Manchester, (xvii) HMS Gloucester, (xviii) HMS Edinburgh, (xix) HMS York, (xx) HMS Broadsword, (xxi) HMS Battleaxe, (xxii) HMS Brilliant, (xxiii) HMS Brazen, (xxiv) HMS Boxer, (xxv) HMS Beaver, (xxvi) HMS Brave, (xxvii) HMS London, (xxviii) HMS Coventry, and (xxix) HMS Sheffield.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe ship to town/city links are as follows:
Town/City HMS Resolution Burton-on-Trent HMS Repulse Rotherham HMS Invincible City of Durham HMS Illustrious The Cinque Ports HMS Ark Royal Leeds HMS Birmingham Birmingham HMS Newcastle Newcastle HMS Glasgow Glasgow HMS Cardiff Cardiff HMS Exeter Exeter HMS Southampton Southampton HMS Nottingham Nottingham HMS Liverpool Liverpool HMS Manchester Manchester HMS Gloucester Gloucester HMS Edinburgh Edinburgh HMS York York HMS Broadsword Chester HMS Battleaxe Newport, Gwent HMS Brilliant Tunbridge Wells HMS Brazen County Durham HMS Boxer Trafford, Manchester HMS Beaver Bolton HMS Brave Waveney District Council HMS London City of London HMS Coventry Coventry HMS Sheffield Sheffield HMS Renown and HMS Revenge are not currently affiliated to a town or city.
Much of the activity associated with these affiliations is concerned with charitable work. Each ship is connected with at least one local charity and makes considerable contributions to it by means of voluntary fund-raising activities contained within its already busy programme. Many of the ships have been granted honorary freedom of their affiliated towns and their companies are honorary freemen. These affiliations are greatly valued by both sides.
The precise cost to the Royal Navy of these affiliations is not recorded separately from that of other activities and would involve disproportionate effort to calculate. The costs are, however, likely to be small, consisting largely of the cost of public transport to visit towns and cities not accessible by sea approximately once every two years.