The Secretary of State for Defence (Gavin
Williamson):...The investments we have made and the
decisions that we have taken on extra investment on Dreadnought
mean that the new submarines will be delivered on time. To
guarantee that delivery, we have modernised our entire nuclear
enterprise. We have established the Defence Nuclear Organisation to
manage our portfolio of nuclear programmes. We have created the
Submarine Delivery Agency, which with our industry partners has
made real progress on the ground in building our future submarines
and ensuring that our current boats are able to fulfil their
missions. We have established the new Dreadnought Alliance, which
through a coalition of MOD, BAE Systems
and Rolls-Royce combines the skills
of the large players in industry with the talents of the public
sector to deliver the best for defence and the best for the
nation...
...We saw that difficult problem occur after the sustained
gap in Barrow when work was not undertaken on submarines over a
period of almost 10 years, so we are very aware of that. We are
currently doing a study on how we develop the next generation. If
the investment in the Dreadnought programme were to come to an end,
the skills that are being developed in Barrow—and in Derby
with Rolls-Royce and in hundreds of
businesses across the country—would be lost. We would lose that
national capability. That is why we are doing what the right hon.
Gentleman suggests, because those skills are almost impossible to
replace. We recognise that the investment in the deterrent is an
investment in our future in more ways than one...
Mr (Rayleigh and Wickford)
(Con):...Unfortunately, the history of the Astute
programme has been a chequered one, with both cost escalation and
chronic delays in the production of the boats. Sadly, it is true to
say that BAE Systems—I am not looking to enrage the hon. Member for
Barrow and Furness (John Woodcock)—has not covered itself in glory
on the Astute class. Unfortunately, neither
has Rolls-Royce, whose transfer of the
production of the nuclear steam raising plant across Derby to its
Raynesway facility cost some two years’ delay in delivering the
reactors, which had a major knock-on effect on the timeliness of
the whole programme...
Mr (North Durham) (Lab):
The right hon. Gentleman was here when I spoke, and one of the
issues was that the Conservative Government in the 1990s did not
order submarines and turned off the skill base and investment
that were needed. Is that not a lesson we should learn for the
future, rather than just blaming BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce?
Mr Francois: I will meet the right hon.
Gentleman halfway. It is true that the delay in orders had an
effect—I am not denying that—but there were also management
issues...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Defence (Stuart Andrew):...It is also important to
remind ourselves of the significant economic benefits that we
get. Our continuous at-sea deterrent supports thousands of highly
skilled jobs in hundreds of companies across the UK. BAE Systems,
with around 8,000 personnel, is key in Barrow and Furness, where
our submarines are designed and built, and Rolls-Royce has over 800 employees
in Derby and Barrow who manufacture the plants that will power
our submarines. Of course, the Atomic Weapons Establishment
employs nearly 6,000 people working on manufacturing, maintaining
and assuring the UK’s nuclear warheads, in addition to providing
nuclear threat reduction services. I have mentioned the support
that the Scottish economy benefits from...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
