Oral Answers to Questions

David Morris Excerpts

Monday 20th October 2014 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale) (Con)]

1. What assessment he has made of the effect of the maritime support delivery framework on employment at UK naval bases.

[Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)]

15. What assessment he has made of the effect of the maritime support delivery framework on employment at UK naval bases.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Philip Dunne)]

The maritime support delivery framework contracts are an excellent example of the contribution that the Ministry of Defence makes to sustaining the long-term economic health of the nation's three main naval bases. The contracts total £3.2 billion of spending by the Royal Navy over five years with BAE Systems and Babcock, and will sustain about 7,500 jobs, up to 4,000 of them at Devonport and more than 2,000 at Portsmouth, and about 1,500 at Clyde.

[David Morris]

Can my hon. Friend confirm that there is actual funding in the project, that it is sustainable, and that, unlike the Labour party, we will not leave a black hole in military defence?

[Mr Dunne]

Yes, I can certainly assure my hon. Friend that these contracts are an integral part of the Department’s innovative 10-year forward equipment plan. Not only are they in the plan, but they represent far better value for money for the taxpayer than the previous support arrangements by securing more than £350 million of savings. As my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary said last month, the last Government left a terrible legacy of waste and mismanagement in the form of a £38 billion black hole in defence, which this Government have eliminated through our long-term plan for defence and improving the efficacy of defence procurement.