I recently toured Devonport Dockyard with Babcock International Group, viewing the Supercat ‘Jackal’ production line, the upgrade of the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine support facilities at 10 Dock and heard about plans to house the eight new Type 26 Frigates.
I have spoken a great deal recently about Labour's axing of Plymouth warships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark. On my site visit, we discussed the need to take a long-term approach to defence. While roughly 25% of funding is needed for the acquisition phase, 75% is needed in service for its maintenance. However, despite this 1:3 split, 85% of government funding is spent on acquisition, leading to underinvestment in service and ultimately the early retirement of warships.
The last Conservative Government announced a once-in-a-generation investment of £2bn in the dockyard. I was keen to raise the need for skills, transport, health and housing investment to keep the jobs local and ensure that it is Plymouth and the surrounding areas which benefit.
I look forward to working closely with service personnel and the defence industry to support our region's proud contribution to defence.
