Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the blocks and modules for the Type 31 programme are being produced in Poland.

There is no formal workshare arrangement in the Type 31 manufacture contract. Babcock has found it expedient to contract three Double Bottom units for Ship 2 to the PGZ shipyard in Gdynia, Poland. The assembly and integration of all the Type 31 ships will take place at Rosyth. It is normal practice to source components of warships from the global supply chain.

The contracting of three Double Bottom units to Poland is a matter for Babcock as the Prime Contractor and is recognised by the Ministry of Defence as a means to expedite the Type 31 build schedule and assist the Arrowhead frigate export campaign. This work represents less than 1% of the total value of programme build and is part of Babcock’s aim to maximise the knowledge exchange to benefit both the UK’s Type 31 and Poland’s Miecznik frigate programmes.