[Update note below] Two weeks ago, First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, caused a right old stooshie when he was quoted as saying that the new Type 26 Frigates, the Global Combat Ships, would ‘not necessarily’ be contracted within the UK where only the Clyde has the capability to build them] but might, for reasons of cost, go to yards abroad.
The row that followed this remark arose from two issues:
- the economic fears that the Clyde might not get this very worthwhile and long running contract, securing literally thousands of jobs and retaining the skills base in the industry here;
- and anger that the First Sea Lord was taking this view not long after the Scottish Independence Referendum, during which it was underlined that the order for these ships could not come to an independent Scotland for reasons of military security.
Two weeks are obviously doubly a long time in politics because yesterday, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon – at the Despatch Box in the House of Commons for Defence Questions, while announcing the transfer of the two Trafalgar class submarines, Talent and Triumph, from Devonport to Faslane, was definite that the Type 26 class order will come to the Clyde.
In answer to Shadow Defence Minister, Alison Seabeck, on the Type 26 ships, Mr Fallon said – unequivocally- that United Kingdom warships will always be built in United Kingdom yards. He emphasised that he wanted to reassure the Clyde industry on this point.
This contract will be of the order of £4 billion.
Mr Fallon’s assurance will not have come as a surprise to Portsmouth, following Scotland’s decision in September to remain in the United Kingdom, but it will have been the final closure of the door on hope there that, if Scotland had chosen independence, BAE would have reconsidered its decision to close down its ship building facility at Portsmouth.
The yard there was short of the sort of capability that can be mustered on the Clyde, but until the result of the referendum vote was known, there was the possibility that BAE might have had to reprieve Portsmouth, which would then have been the recipient of major investment.
Update Note: Yesterday’s Defence Questions can still be seen here on the BBC iPlayer, for a further four weeks from the date of this article.
Other matters of interest to Scotland and to Argyll inlucded the information that the dates on which both new aircraft carriers – assembled at Rosyth – are expected to put to sea under their own steam are as follows:
- Queen Elizabeth in 2017 and Prince of Wales in 2019; with Defence Minister Philip Dunne reminding the House that it is this government that took the decision that both carriers will be operational.
- SNP Defence spokesperson, Angus Robertson MP, said that in the 2010 Strategic Defence Review, the UK Government was to reduce the number of Trident launch tubes [Ed: per submarine] from 12-8. He then pointed to information from a recent US Navy Opinion Poll, showong that US firm Genral Dynamics, is to build 12 launch tubes for a Trident successor UK submarine. Mr Robertson played the wrong ball here. Instead of pursuing the issue of a government u-turn on the number of launch tubes – and therefore the number of missiles to be bought and carried, he chose to ask why information on this contract had not been shared with the house and was only discoverable by chance. Defence Minister Philip Dunne’s response was then simple – The United Kingdom government [Ed: during the previous Labour administration of Tony Blair] had committed £3Bn to the Trident successor and that this included the cost of specific preparatory work – so this was not a new matter. The fact that the successor submarines are to be fitted with 12 launch tubes after all remained unchallenged and unexplored.
- Alan Reid, Argyll and Bute’s MP asked that ongoing negotiation between Defence, the Police and Firefighters be concluded in time for the passage in April 2015 of the Public Service Pensions Bill. With the General Election in May 2015, Mr Reid’s concerns are clearly that this Bill should not be lost.
