Emily Thornberry MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, has today written to Michael Fallon MP concerning reports that the Government is planning to renege on its commitments to shipbuilding on the Clyde. The text of the letter is below.

Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP
Secretary of State for Defence

22 April 2016

Dear Michael

Re: Shipbuilding on the Clyde

I am writing to you in relation to a report published online by the Guardian earlier today, indicating that the projected timetable for construction of the new Type 26 frigates may be delayed by up to a year and that a planned upgrade to shipbuilding facilities on the Clyde may now be abandoned.

Since the closure of BAE Systems’ Portsmouth shipyard in 2014, the government has repeatedly promised that facilities on the Clyde, and the local workforce, would be sustained by the combination of orders for 13 new Type 26 frigates and a number of Offshore Patrol Vessels as well.

As recently as last November, the Prime Minister insisted that: “The only way these ships would not be built in Scotland is if Scotland was independent and did not have the national resources of the Royal Navy.”

Should this report prove accurate, the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on a thriving shipbuilding presence on the Clyde will rightly feel abandoned, misled and betrayed by the government. The apparent cynicism in breaching a vital commitment made before the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence adds insult to injury.

There will also be deep concern within the Royal Navy if, as indicated, frigate construction is delayed and the promise to deliver “at least” 13 new frigates has also been broken.

I ask that you clarify the government’s intentions as a matter of urgency, answering the following questions:

1. What changes have been made to the timetable for construction of the new Type 26 frigates?
2. Does the government still intend to procure 8 new Type 26 frigates, along with “at least” 5 of the new class of frigates described in last year’s SDSR?
3. Will all 13 of these ships (at a minimum) be built on the Clyde?
4. Are any gaps expected between the completion of the Offshore Patrol Vessels and the start of construction of the new frigates?
5. If there are to be gaps, what will the impact on the local workforce and industrial skills base be? And how will the Royal Navy’s operational capabilities be affected?

I am sure you will agree that there is an urgent need for the Government to clear the air on a matter of such public importance as this. As such, I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Yours sincerely

Emily Thornberry MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence