PoliticsUK

Madam Speaker,

I rise today to inform the House regarding the modernisation of our Naval Assets, further to the Strategic Defence Review presented before this house by the Government in 1998.

Madam Speaker, our naval assets are only natural in that they have a limited lifespan, which can be interpreted in two ways: a lifespan which means the vessel is quite literally not working anymore, or where newer assets and equipment mark the operation of those assets to be operationally and financially no longer feasible when taken in the context of our wider defence strategy. Sadly, in consultation with the First Sea Lord I can announce today to the House that this is the case for three of our type-42 vessels: HMS Cardiff, HMS Newcastle and HMS Glasgow, commissioned in 1979, 1978 and 1979 respectively. They will soon begin the process of decommissioning. These vessels will soon be replaced by the newer, more modern type-45 vessels which were proposed as part of the Strategic Defence Review in 1998. The number of those vessels the Government and Armed Forces intend on producing over the coming years is crucially unchanged. Crews that operated on the three ships will be reorganised appropriately onto new or existing ships, with appropriate training administered where transferring between fleet types. We are resolute in our belief that the type-45 vessel is crucial to the defence of the nation, close to our shores and beyond and represents an exciting opportunity to introduce modern technology to our ever great Royal Navy.

Additionally, Madam Speaker, I can announce to the house today that further to the aforementioned Strategic Defence Review, that the Government will be outlining its intention to procure 2 Archer-class [1] patrol vessels and 5 River-class [2] vessels to help modernise the security of our seas. These are at a total cost of £375mn and £80mn respectively. Archer-class vessels will be used as training aids for all personnel patrolling our waters. Both of these vessels are specialised in operation in busy waters such as the English Channel, Irish Sea and Strait of Gibraltar and will ensure that our shores are kept safe from intruders and that international vessels are to feel safe in British waters. It is the Governments’ intention to work with our partners in the private sector, specifically BAe Systems, in order to manufacturer these vessels.

By working with partners within our shores, Madam Speaker, the Government can ensure the knowledge and development of these technologies can be retained by the domestic workforce and jobs can be created in engineering industries, working closely with the Armed Forces. This approach brings a number of benefits to wider society, Mr Speaker. Creating jobs in engineering will allow industry partners such as BAe Systems to pool on the best talents from vocational routes such as apprenticeships and engineering educations from Universities as well. With the guarantee of jobs in our shores, it will allow educational institutions to work closely with the Armed Forces, the Government and private industry to produce syllabi which can help innovate the way we defend the realm into the 21st Century

Madam Speaker, this Government is unrelenting in its obligation and moral duty to keep this country safe from all threats, foreign and domestic. Procuring these naval assets is a very small but important part in making sure our Navy keeps up with the times and is constantly looking at ways to innovate its capabilities.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archer-cl ... rol_vessel
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River-cla ... rol_vessel

Madame Speaker,

I thank the Defence Secretary for his statement today, I hope that this will be the first of many interactions I have with the Right Honourable Gentleman across the dispatch box.

I am firmly of the belief that investment in our nation's defence can only ever be a good thing. The announcement that the Government intends to replace the out of date vessels with new, modern and fit for purpose destroyers is certainly a welcome one. I also welcome the procurement of 7 additional vessels for the purpose of defending our nation and its overseas territories, these additional vessels will only help to reassert Britain's naval power and let other nations know that Britain and her territories stand defended.

The Strategic Defence Review is certainly a good starting point for assessing our nation's abilities on the land, on the sea and in the air; but I'm sure the Right Honourable Gentleman will agree with me that the Strategic Defence Review presents what must be the bare minimum standard by which the future capabilities of Her Majesty's Armed Forces must be evaluated and that, where we can, we must go further than the review advises. Our nation's security, after all, can not come at too high a price, and that we must seek to defend our nation, as Churchill said "whatever the cost may be."

The announcement today is certainly in keeping with this idea and I commend the Government for making this decision. The Defence Secretary appears to want to protect the Royal Navy and uphold its strength to protect our nation and it is for that reason I must ask the Right Honourable gentleman if he will condemn the response of his fellow party members, specifically the members for Salford and, Leyton and Wanstead, who today both called for the disarmament of Britain's nuclear deterrent? I am sure the Right Honourable gentleman will agree with me that the strategic benefits of the nuclear deterrent, as well as the boost to jobs and the local economy in the Faslane area, are indispensable to our nation and that we should be seeking only to prolong the lifespan of the Trident program and when the time comes to replace it with a more fit for purpose model and that we should not be seeking to surrender a vital tactical and strategic asset. I also wish to ask the Defence Secretary if he can clarify to the house where the new vessels will be constructed?

Oliver MacBeath wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:32 pm Madame Speaker,

I thank the Defence Secretary for his statement today, I hope that this will be the first of many interactions I have with the Right Honourable Gentleman across the dispatch box.

I am firmly of the belief that investment in our nation's defence can only ever be a good thing. The announcement that the Government intends to replace the out of date vessels with new, modern and fit for purpose destroyers is certainly a welcome one. I also welcome the procurement of 7 additional vessels for the purpose of defending our nation and its overseas territories, these additional vessels will only help to reassert Britain's naval power and let other nations know that Britain and her territories stand defended.

The Strategic Defence Review is certainly a good starting point for assessing our nation's abilities on the land, on the sea and in the air; but I'm sure the Right Honourable Gentleman will agree with me that the Strategic Defence Review presents what must be the bare minimum standard by which the future capabilities of Her Majesty's Armed Forces must be evaluated and that, where we can, we must go further than the review advises. Our nation's security, after all, can not come at too high a price, and that we must seek to defend our nation, as Churchill said "whatever the cost may be."

The announcement today is certainly in keeping with this idea and I commend the Government for making this decision. The Defence Secretary appears to want to protect the Royal Navy and uphold its strength to protect our nation and it is for that reason I must ask the Right Honourable gentleman if he will condemn the response of his fellow party members, specifically the members for Salford and, Leyton and Wanstead, who today both called for the disarmament of Britain's nuclear deterrent? I am sure the Right Honourable gentleman will agree with me that the strategic benefits of the nuclear deterrent, as well as the boost to jobs and the local economy in the Faslane area, are indispensable to our nation and that we should be seeking only to prolong the lifespan of the Trident program and when the time comes to replace it with a more fit for purpose model and that we should not be seeking to surrender a vital tactical and strategic asset. I also wish to ask the Defence Secretary if he can clarify to the house where the new vessels will be constructed?

Madam Speaker,

I thank the Honoruable Member for his support on this issue. I particularly welcome his comments around the strategic importance of the vessels I mentioned during my statement. It is vital when we do provide the military with new equipment it is targeted in the correct areas.

To answer some of his direct questions surrounding where these ships will be constructed; we are working with our industry partners, citing BAe Systems as an example and their shipyards on both coasts of the country, and we anticipate further infrastructure may be needed where these ships will be constructed. Should we need any additional infrastructure, it is important we work together with the private sector to ensure the vessels can be constructed in a timely manner.

Madam Speaker, to answer his second question on the nuclear deterrent: I shall be meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld of the US Government to discuss the future of Trident with the intention of its life extension in its current form and agree with the Honourable Member that it remains a cruical part of our national defence. It is the Governments intention to raise the issue of missile weaponry with our Allies and beyond to work towards a collectively safer world and preventing nuclear proliferation.

Madame Speaker

Time's up! The House shall turn its attention to other matters.

MS02 - Naval Procurement & Modernisation

Labour is investing in more ships above and beyond the Strategic Defence Review. It all sounds well and good, but will the Chancellor keep the taps open beyond this? The Opposition response was safe - though there were some missed opportunities (no comment).

Labour: +1