Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to support the development of new defence shipbuilding infrastructure in British shipyards.

After the underinvestment and hollowing out of our Armed Forces by the previous administration the Government recognises the importance of developing new infrastructure and continued investment to our sovereign shipbuilding sector, supporting the delivery of vessels for our Royal Navy.

Productivity improvements and large infrastructure upgrades are frequently made possible because of shipyards’ successful tenders awarded by the Ministry of Defence, underpinning the government's commitment to deliver growth for the sector, including through reinvestment to create social value.

Upgrades have taken place at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard, with its Janet Harvey Hall built as part of £300 million worth of investment made possible by the Type 26 programme and the UK’s successful £10 billion export deal with Norway, as well as at Babcock’s Rosyth shipyard where £200 million of upgrades were made possible by the Type 31 programme.

The Royal Navy’s ambitions for a hybrid force offers potential opportunities for our small and medium shipyards and supply chain which will drive further investment in infrastructure and capability.