§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to name a Royal Navy fighting ship, HMS Colchester. [139006]
§ Mr. IngramThe new class of Royal Navy destroyers (the Type 45 or D Class) are to bear names beginning with the letter 'D', so Colchester cannot be a candidate for any of these. The same applies to the new Astute Class of submarine whose names all begin with the letter 'A'.
The Ships Names and Badges Committee has the task of assessing all the possible names for new ships before making their recommendation through the First Sea Lord and Secretary of State for Defence for final approval by Her Majesty the Queen. I am sure that Colchester, of which there have been six ships previously with the name,whose last Battle Honour was at the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665, will be among the names considered for future suitable vessels.