HC Deb 26 July 1999 vol 336 cc54-5W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what physical constraints would prevent Portsmouth Naval Base becoming the home base port for the two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy if their overall weight displacement was over 46,000 tons. [92422]

Mr. George Robertson

The size of the new aircraft carrier is currently estimated to be up to 40,000 tonnes but this will very much depend on the design selected. There are no known physical constraints that would prevent Portsmouth Naval Base from becoming the base port for the vessels currently envisaged.