§ Mr. TrotterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will list the average age of the Royal Navy's escort force of destroyers and frigates as at 1 January(a) 1970, (b) 1974, (c) 1980, (d) 1984, and (e) 1988, and provide an analysis of the age of the vessels concerned at each of those dates: (i) under five years, (ii) five to 10 years, (iii) 10 to 15 years, (iv) 15 to 20 years, and (v) in each year of age over 20 years.
§ Mr. Ian Stewart[holding answer 5 July 1988]: The information requested is as follows:
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Age1 1970 1974 1980 19842 19883 Average Age (years) 10.3 10.6 11.7 13.1 12.3 Number of DD/FF Under 5 years 17 13 14 12 9 5–10 years 28 16 8 8 12 10–15 years 21 25 17 10 7 15–20 years 1 13 24 15 10 20–21 years — — 1 2 3 21–22 years — — — 1 3
Age1 1970 1974 1980 19842 19883 22–23 years 3 — — 4 2 23–24 years 1 — 2 1 1 24–25 years — — — 1 1 25–26 years 2 — — — — 26–27 years 4 — — — 1 27–28 years 1 — — 1 — 28–29 years — — — — — 29–30 years — — — — — 30–31 years — 1 — — — 1As at 1 April for each year. Full information as at 1 January is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. 2The figures for 1984 reflect the loss of HM ships Antelope, Ardent, Coventry and Sheffield in the Falklands conflict in 1982 and the necessary running on of older ships as a result. 3 The average age of the destroyer/frigate force now stands at just over 12 years following the paying off HM ships Plymouth and Diomede and the acceptance of HMS Coventry.