Submarine disposal delays risk skills base, Prospect tells MPs

Union submits evidence to Public Accounts Committee

Years of government indecision and delay over the disposal of old nuclear submarines has cost the taxpayer millions and caused UK shipyards to lose valuable skills, Prospect has told MPs.

In evidence given to the influential Public Account Committee Prospect warned that the failure to make crucial decisions on the work damaged faith in the future submarine building programme.

The submission stated:

“Since the decision was finally made to decommission the submarines, there have been delays to the critical decisions about funding that are necessary to make this a reality.

“These delays have had a knock-on effect on the workforce involved in decommissioning. This is highly skilled and technical work which creates good jobs and supports the local economy and community. It takes many years to learn the skills necessary to decommission nuclear submarines safely and securely.

“At Rosyth the lengthy gap between ceasing the refitting of submarines and beginning of the dismantling has meant that a significant proportion of the skilled resource and expertise available has been lost. This has resulted in additional costs in training a new workforce to undertake this work, it is difficult to quantify this cost.”

The full submission can be found here: http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/public-accounts-committee/submarine-defueling-and-dismantling/written/101199.html