Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Thomas-Symonds and Stuart Andrew

Monday 8th July 2019 Commons Chamber

[Nick Thomas-Symonds (Torfaen) (Lab)]

19. When her Department plans to make an announcement on the award of the contract for the fleet solid support ships.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Stuart Andrew)]

Subject to normal approvals, we anticipate that a design and build contract will be awarded in 2020.

[Stuart Andrew]

I remind the hon. Gentleman that we do have a team UK bid in there, and I am pleased to see that. As I have said on many occasions, we are trying to ensure that we get the very best price for all the capability we need. If we were to cancel this competition now, we would put at risk the services that we need for the carrier. That being said, we have been listening to all the debates and the many questions on this matter, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union stating that the option to support onshore defence funding for shipbuilding should be a red line in our future relationship with the EU. Of course, that will apply only to future programmes.

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

Other countries such as France and Italy classify these vessels as warships, meaning that they have to be built in domestic yards. Why will the Minister not just guarantee that a UK contractor will be the successful bidder and give a much-needed boost to UK industry?

[Stuart Andrew]

As I have said, the EU has raised questions about the classification of some of those countries and the decisions that they have made. Also, some of those vessels are manned by those countries’ navies, whereas ours will be manned by the auxiliaries.