The Committee's Report refers to my evidence (of 26.01.22), in particular the point I made that "in a period of budgetary constraints and geopolitical turmoil, missions and theatres of operation shall be prioritised, and decisions to employ naval resources “should be proportionate to the core national interest" (para 66 of the Report).

In my evidence, I suggested to ask HM Government: “What are the guarantees that if the Royal Navy becomes more involved in counter-immigration operations this will not be detrimental to the defence and confidence-building role played by the Royal Navy in the context of Global Britain?”

In the same vein, the Committee asked HM Government (para 69) the following: “It is clear that if Royal Navy vessels are to be committed to the operation in the Channel, some existing commitments will be given up. The Government ought to be clear, both with Parliament and the public what it is prioritising this task against and which commitments will be unfulfilled as a result”.

Since then, the BBC reported that a Government’s spokesperson confirmed that “None of the Royal Navy ships earmarked for deployment in the Channel have any role, or even possible role, in the UK's response to Russian aggression in the Ukraine”.