Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the long-term sustainability of UK naval shipbuilding capacity following the completion of programmes funded under the Defence Investment Plan.

The Government assesses the long-term sustainability, capability and capacity of UK naval shipbuilding through the ongoing work of the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO), as part of the National Armaments Director Group, and the Royal Navy.

The Defence Investment Plan provides a significant forward programme of naval procurement, and the NSO, RN and wider NADG will continue to work closely with industry to understand future workforce, capacity and infrastructure requirements in the immediate and long term.

The NSO will publish a Shipbuilding and Maritime Technology Action Plan later this year which will detail this government’s approach to ensuring the long-term growth and sustainability of the UK Shipbuilding sector.