British warships can play a humanitarian role

SIR – Gavin Williamson is right to save HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark as they could prove vital to our defence capabilities (report, October 1).

Perhaps, in the meantime, they can be used for disaster relief (increasing our profile as a caring, humanitarian nation) and thereby justifiably funded with part of our foreign aid budget. Andrew J Smith

West Malling, Kent

SIR – Many will have read with a mixture of pride and despair Chris Terrill’s excellent report (September 29) on the arrival of the F-35B Lightnings on our largest warship ever built, HMS Queen Elizabeth.

While we have pride in our Navy and Armed Forces, there is despair that Gordon Brown’s government played pork barrel politics with our defence while wasting billions on a vanity project that we cannot afford.

It has been admitted that our great carriers will be unable to project Britain’s capabilities worldwide without the help of our allies, meaning that the Navy does not have the vessels such as destroyers, frigates and mine sweepers necessary to support our distant operations.

In today’s financial climate, with the possibility of a Corbyn government, the expenditure on personnel and ships is not going to happen, yet we are stuck with two aircraft carriers that will drain resources from the Navy, which needs more small vessels capable of being deployed quickly.

Unfortunately, the senior naval and military hierarchy were surprisingly supine as Mr Brown ensured that Scotland’s shipbuilders would vote Labour, leaving Britain with a couple of white elephants. Michael Edwards

Haslemere, Surrey