Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic merits of building naval support vessels in UK shipyards.

This Government is acutely aware of the significant contribution to the economy by the shipbuilding enterprise. The National Shipbuilding Strategy recognises the economic value that naval shipbuilding brings to the UK through design, build, and the supply chain. Economic assessments are made on all major Ministry of Defence procurements in line with Her Majesty's Treasury guidelines on value for money.