The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that early design work is underway to deliver a Contingent Docking Facility at Rosyth Dockyard, following a parliamentary question from Graeme Downie MP.
In a written answer to the Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said that “preliminary plans for infrastructure upgrades at Rosyth Dockyard have been approved and industry has been engaged to begin processing the scheme design.”
Downie had asked for the planned timescale for providing the facility, which is required to support HMS Dreadnought during sea trials. Pollard said that once the design phase is complete, “final costs for the project will be negotiated.”
Crucially, the minister confirmed that delivery of the Contingent Docking Facility will be synchronised with the submarine programme rather than set to a fixed public date, stating that “the planned timescale for the provision of the Contingent Docking Facility will coincide with Dreadnought’s exit from Barrow.”
Rosyth’s role in the Dreadnought programme is now moving beyond conceptual planning and into approved preparatory work, albeit with limited detail released. Pollard said that “for operational security reasons further details cannot be released,” warning that additional disclosure could “undermine the security and capability of our Armed Forces.”
Rosyth Dockyard is expected to play a key supporting role in the Dreadnought class programme alongside its existing responsibilities in submarine dismantling and nuclear infrastructure.
So does this mean that every time there is a delay in Dreadnought that timing will therefore dictate there will be a delay in the production of this facility. If it hadn’t been for the spectator event of watching the MoD and this Govt in action that would have been merely a sarcastic remark, not so much these days after listening to these endless banal explanations in endless pr speak detailing endless stages of endless ‘committee led’ investigations into why projects endlessly fail to meet endless expectations.