Navy ships are to remain in service

ANNOUNCEMENT ENDS WEEKS OF SPECULATION ON VESSELS' FUTURES

TWO Royal Navy amphibious assault ships will not be scrapped or mothballed ahead of schedule, a minister has said following weeks of speculation about their fate.

HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark were reportedly being eyed for early retirement in order to free up sailors for other vessels, amid a recruitment crisis in the armed forces.

But Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell assured MPs that both ships will remain in service until their planned out of service dates in the early 2030s.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said he was "working hard" to ensure the armed forces are not depleted, after being warned that military personnel are leaving faster than they can be replaced.

As MPs were given the opportunity to debate the UK's airstrikes on Yemen-based Houthi rebels, Mr. Mitchell confirmed the fate of the two ships.

Responding to questions about the ships, he said: "He asked me about the two LPDs, the landing platform dock Albion and Bulwark, and he asked for an undertaking that they will not be scrapped.