Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 44
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 his foreword to the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh, the Defence Secretary says the UK Government “will give industry a much clearer demand signal about what we are trying to achieve with our procurement programmes” and that for the first time the 70 Professor Trevor Taylor, RUSI (DIS0033) Defence in Scotland: military shipbuilding 21 UK Government would release a 30-year pipeline of all Government vessel procurements.71 However, the Government subsequently clarified, in response to concerns raised by the Defence Select Committee about the surety of the pipeline, that this did not mean work would be guaranteed throughout the 30-year period: The NSbS refresh will not provide a guaranteed pipeline of work for UK yards. However, through the 30 Year Cross-Government Shipbuilding Pipeline, there is ample opportunity to create a baseline of volume to encourage industry investment in facilities, infrastructure, innovation and skills. The NSO will seek to maximise the opportunity for UK industry in this pipeline, within the limits of procurement law and international obligations. Whilst noting the Committee’s concerns regarding assurance of this pipeline, we consider it will create sufficient opportunities for UK yards to thrive.72
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.