Scotland is playing a crucial role in the Navy's shipbuilding
pipeline and the UK's security, Defence Secretary has said today on a visit to
key shipyards.
Visiting Govan, where BAE Systems are building Type 26 frigates,
and HMNB Clyde, home of the Royal Navy's submarine fleet, the
Defence Secretary met with key industry leaders, staff and
apprentices, observing the significant progress on the major
warship production programme.
Scotland is the beating heart of military shipbuilding, with
eight Type 26 ships being built in Glasgow and five Type 31
frigates being built by Babcock International in
Rosyth. This supports and is supported by the local maritime
infrastructure, supply chains, and extensive skills and training
resources. On a tour at BAE Systems in Govan, the Defence
Secretary saw the Type 26 frigates in build, and toured HMS
Cardiff.
More than 12,000 jobs in Scotland are directly supported by
Defence, with more than £2 billion spent annually with UK
industry in Scotland. Over 5,000 jobs will be created or
sustained across the build of Type 26 and Type 31 programmes
alone, and just under 1,000 apprentices will be trained to
provide the skill required to build and maintain our Royal Navy
fleet.
Defence Secretary, , said:
As the home of the nuclear deterrent – which keeps us all safe
around the clock – nobody can question that Scotland is
absolutely central to the UK's security.
As Shipbuilding Tsar, it is fantastic to see the positive impact
that the Scottish shipbuilding industry plays. A sector once
restricted by periods of ‘boom and bust' is now witnessing a
resurgence, with Scottish shipyards buzzing with activity and its
workforce expanding.
Brand new warships will operate around the world, looking after
our nation's interests, for decades to come, and they will have
been built by highly skilled shipbuilders right here in Glasgow.
We continue to back the UK defence industry in Scotland with
billions of pounds every year, supporting thousands of jobs and
apprenticeships.”
At HMNB Clyde, the home of the UK's nuclear deterrent submarines,
the Defence Secretary visited an attack submarine. HMNB Clyde is
currently one of the largest employers in Scotland and is in the
process of increasing its on-site staff from 6,800 to over 8,000,
whilst the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has
committed to spending more than £3 billion on sites in Scotland,
including £1.6 billion on the Clyde Infrastructure Programme, to
establish it as the home of UK's submarine fleet.
The Defence Secretary, in his role as Shipbuilding Tsar, is
responsible for overseeing all of the government's interests
in UK shipbuilding. The Government's commitment to UK
Shipbuilding through the Refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy
has allowed industry to invest for the future, with BAE Systems'
£12 million Applied Shipbuilding Skills Academy and the
construction of a modern shipbuilding hall in Govan currently
underway.
The Government has today issued its response to the UK
Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce report. In response to
recommendations within, the report the National Shipbuilding
Office has launched the shipbuilding Skills Delivery Group. This
group will drive the delivery of the Taskforce recommendations
and will be a champion for skills within the UK Shipbuilding
Enterprise. also announced the Chair of
the Group will be Paul Sheerin, and the two met at Govan
shipyard.
Paul Sheerin, Chair of Skills Delivery
Group said:
It is critical for the UK shipbuilding enterprise that the skills
gap is addressed, and to ensure that this can happen there needs
to be a unified approach across different skills systems, across
different parts of the enterprise and across government and the
devolved administrations.
I am extremely excited to chair the SDG, working alongside a
highly knowledgeable and experienced membership comprised of
representatives from across the whole enterprise. With the
continued support of the Shipbuilding Tsar and the NSO, I look
forward to working with the Group to deliver a positive impact on
skills within this vital sector to the UK.
Scottish Secretary, said:
Scottish-based critical defence assets play a crucial role in the
security of the UK. As well as helping to keep us all safe,
defence also delivers thousands of high-skilled jobs and billions
of pounds investment in Scotland, driving prosperity and boosting
the Scottish economy. I'm proud that Scottish skills,
expertise and innovation make such an enormous contribution to
the UK's defence industry.
