Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 43
Fourth Report - Defence in Scotland: military shipbuilding
Published 27 Jan 2023
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Defence in Scotland All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
In written evidence, the UK Defence Journal set out their understanding of the shipbuilding pipeline for BAE Systems and Babcock as of April 2022 (Table 1). 64 BAE Systems (DIS0030) 65 UK Defence Journal (DIS0022) 66 Q2 67 Q3 68 Q12 69 UK Defence Journal (DIS0022); BAE Systems (DIS0030); Q144 20 Defence in Scotland: military shipbuilding Table 1: Projected ‘pipeline’ of work for Scottish shipyards Name Class Location Launch Period HMS Glasgow Type 26 (Batch 1) Glasgow 2020s HMS Cardiff Type 26 (Batch 1) Glasgow 2020s HMS Belfast Type 26 (Batch 1) Glasgow 2020s HMS Birmingham Type 26 (Batch 2) Glasgow 2020s HMS Sheffield Type 26 (Batch 2) Glasgow 2020s HMS Newcastle Type 26 (Batch 2) Glasgow 2020s HMS Edinburgh Type 26 (Batch 2) Glasgow 2030s HMS London Type 26 (Batch 2) Glasgow 2030s HMS Venturer Type 31 Rosyth 2020s HMS Bulldog Type 31 Rosyth 2020s HMS Campbeltown Type 31 Rosyth 2020s HMS Formidable Type 31 Rosyth 2020s HMS Active Type 31 Rosyth 2020s UNKNOWN* Ukrainian Warship Rosyth UNCERTAIN Unknown Type 32 Rosyth 2020s Unknown Type 32 Rosyth 2030s Unknown Type 32 Rosyth 2030s Unknown Type 32 Rosyth 2030s Unknown Type 32 Rosyth 2030s Unknown Type 83** Glasgow 2030s Unknown Type 83 Glasgow 2030s Unknown Type 83 Glasgow 2030s Unknown Type 83 Glasgow 2030s Unknown Type 83 Glasgow 2030s Unknown Type 83 Glasgow 2040s *The status of the plan to order a warship for Ukraine is unknown due to the invasion of the country **Additionally, the listing of six Type 83 Destroyers presumes the Type 45 Destroyers are replaced on a one for one basis. Source: UK Defence Journal (DIS0022) The above list does not cover the whole of the promised 30-year pipeline. If, as the UK Defence Journal notes, fewer than six Type 83 destroyers are ordered the pipeline may not even extend into the 2040s. Professor Trevor Taylor of the Royal United Services Institute, the specialist adviser to this inquiry, noted in his written evidence that Scottish yards which provide the core of military shipbu
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, Fourth Report - Defence in Scotland: military shipbuilding (HC 1096), 27 January 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 6 April 2023 (deadline 27 March 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The MOD disagrees with the Committee's first conclusion and its conclusion on a potential Scottish workstream gap, while welcoming recognition of export success and the National Shipbuilding Office's Edinburgh presence and setting out its position on the pipeline, skills and SMEs.
- On the Fleet Solid Support contract, the MOD says the decision to award it to Team Resolute "did not prioritise short-term savings" and followed "a fair and open competition". It says it does not disclose details of losing bids, so it cannot say why the Team UK bid was non-compliant.
- The MOD "does not agree" that the award creates a potential gap in the workstream for the Scottish warship industry. It cites Type 31 construction continuing until 2028 and Type 26 construction "expected to continue into the mid-2030s".
- On the pipeline, the MOD says it is "subject to change" as it spans 30 years, but the National Shipbuilding Office "has committed to updating the shipbuilding pipeline at each multi-year Spending Review". For Type 32 frigates, the procurement route is "yet to be determined".
- On annual Type 26 updates to Parliament, the MOD "will consider its request". On skills, the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce "intends to publish a report of recommended actions in autumn 2023", and its Chair "would be pleased to meet with the Committee" afterwards.