Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent comparative assessment his Department has made of the efficiency of shipyards in (a) the UK and (b) Europe.

The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSbS) Refresh has been informed by comparative assessments of UK shipyards against international competitors. Based on these assessments and extensive consultation across the shipbuilding enterprise, the NSbS Refresh will address the most important enablers of success for the sector.

The National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) has been established to lead the implementation of the NSbS Refresh, which will further increase our shipyard's competitiveness.The NSO will set the conditions for success, but industry must capitalise on these if the enterprise is to realise its shared ambitions.