FUTURE OF PORTSMOUTH NAVAL BASE

That this House calls upon the Government to safeguard the future of Portsmouth Naval Base as homeport for the majority of the Royal Navy's surface fleet and as a major centre for warship maintenance, repairs and refits; further calls for confirmation of Portsmouth as homeport for the new aircraft carriers and Type 45 destroyers; notes that Portsmouth has been a centre for naval shipbuilding since 1194 and that Admiral Nelson set sail from the city in 1805 prior to the Battle of Trafalgar, Britain's greatest naval victory; and believes that it makes economic sense for Portsmouth to remain a vibrant naval base as a driver for the South East Hampshire economy and as the most cost-effective solution to the Ministry of Defence's warship support needs.