Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has visited Babcock’s Rosyth facility, where the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates are under construction, on his first trip to Scotland since taking the post.

The visit took in the shipyard and a separate stop in Edinburgh to see Service Family Accommodation, including a roofing project at Redford Gardens and homes undergoing full upgrades at the Adams Well Estate. At Rosyth, Streeting met workers and apprentices employed on the frigate programme.

According to the department, defence supports close to 12,000 jobs in Scotland. The Type 31 programme accounts for 2,500 skilled roles across Scotland and the wider UK supply chain, along with 400 apprenticeships created through partnerships with colleges in Fife and elsewhere.

Streeting said that “Scotland sits at the heart of our national security”, pointing to the workers and apprentices building the next generation of Royal Navy warships and to the families who support the armed forces. He said the combination of heritage and modern technology presented opportunities for jobs and reindustrialisation, and that the government was committed to delivering better homes for personnel and their families.

Harry Holt, chief executive of Babcock International Group, said that the company was pleased to welcome the Defence Secretary to see progress on the Type 31 programme, adding that “a capable and adaptable Royal Navy fleet is essential to the security of the UK, NATO and our allies”. He described the workforce and operations at Rosyth as delivering sovereign capability while supporting economic growth, and said Babcock looked forward to working with the department on implementing the Defence Investment Plan.

On accommodation, the government has committed £9 billion over the next decade to what it describes as a generational renewal of armed forces housing, covering 40,000 military homes, or nine in ten of the estate, for upgrade, modernisation or rebuild. A new Defence Housing Service has been established to meet modern property standards and to accelerate delivery on surplus defence land.

Nearly 10,000 armed forces personnel are stationed in Scotland. RAF Lossiemouth in Moray operates Typhoon fighters on quick reaction alert alongside the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol fleet, while HMNB Clyde at Faslane houses the Royal Navy’s submarine force, including the Vanguard-class boats carrying the deterrent. Under the Defence Investment Plan, the government has confirmed £26 billion for naval base infrastructure, of which £15.1 billion is directed at regenerating HMNB Clyde with new waterfront infrastructure, maintenance and training facilities and accommodation.

The five Type 31 frigates, known as the Inspiration class, are being built at Rosyth under a contract placed in 2019, with the design derived from Denmark’s Iver Huitfeldt class. The class comprises Venturer, Active, Formidable, Bulldog and Campbeltown, assembled in a covered hall at the yard, and the ships are being fitted with Mk 41 vertical launch cells following a decision taken after the original contract was signed.