Prospect Scotland gives cautious welcome to new National Shipbuilding Strategy

The UK Government today launched it’s new National Shipbuilding Strategy for the Navy. The strategy is heavily influenced by Sir John Parkers independent report published in 2016 which Prospect supported

In addition to confirming the building of 8 Type 26 Frigates at BAEs shipyards on the Clyde the Government has committed to an open competition for 5 additional new Class 31e Frigates to be built by UK yards.

The Strategy says that it will consider proposals to build the new Class 31e Frigates using the block build system successfully used to build the Royal Navy’s two new aircraft carriers. In this system hull blocks were built at yards around the country and then transported to Rosyth in Scotland where the blocks were assembled

“The decision to allow competition and to consider block build options for the new frigates is great news for our members in marine construction, especially Babcock, and particularly members at Rosyth” said Prospect’s National Secretary for Scotland Richard Hardy. “We have been lobbying hard to ensure that as work on the carriers tails off the fantastic facilities and highly committed and trained workforce at Rosyth are able to share in the work created by the renewal of the Navy’s ageing surface fleet. Whilst there are no guarantees, the National Shipbuilding Strategy is a step in the right direction, Prospect will now continue it’s lobbying work to ensure that a full array of skilled staff are retained at the Fife site to ensure Rosyth can be a key player. We will also continue to lobby government to ensure a fair division of the work occurs.”

Hardy concluded “whilst nothing is written in stone, on behalf of our members at Rosyth Prospect can give this report a cautious welcome, and is happy that the Government has chosen to accept many of the findings of Sir John Parkers report”