Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total value of shipbuilding contracts awarded by his Department was in each year since 2015.

I have interpreted the Right Hon. Gentleman’s question as referring to contracts for the building of new surface vessels. I have therefore not taken into account the ongoing programmes to manufacture Astute and Dreadnought Class submarines. On this basis two shipbuilding contracts have been awarded by the Ministry of Defence since 2015. In June 2017, a contract worth £3.58 billion was awarded to BAE Systems for the manufacture of three Type 26 frigates and in November 2019 a contract worth over £1.2 billion was awarded to Babcock for the design and build of five Type 31 frigates.

Since 2015 the Ministry of Defence has also brought into service the two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the culmination of a £6 billion programme of UK shipbuilding, and the Tide Class of Royal Fleet Auxiliaries providing around £150 million of work to UK shipyards and other suppliers.