Recommendation 25

The National Shipbuilding Strategy refresh must finally take on board the consistent recommendations given in successive reports by a range of experts. This includes providing a steady pipeline of work for British shipyards and working collaboratively with industry. The refresh should: • Ensure that warships are built in UK yards and that this designation continues to include the Fleet Solid Support ship contract, as well as the future replacements for the Tide and Wave class vessels. • Revisit the principles of the Parker Review and accept that active intervention is required by the government to modernise yards, guarantee an assured pipeline of work for UK yards and protect the skills base. • Prioritise designing vessels for export wherever possible, and consider incorporating adaptability into the design as a way to achieve this; • Give greater weight to social value and the needs of shipyards around the UK when considering competition; • Continue to follow the principles adopted after Sir John Parker’s review, particularly showing agility, pace and grip in procurement, limiting modifications in contract signing and not delaying projects in response to annual budget pressures; and • Provide an assessment of the skills and professional engineering workforce the UK has and will need in its shipbuilding capability and explain how and on what timescales the Department will develop these.