The UK Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting job creation and long-term growth in the shipbuilding sector, with a clear focus on both national security and economic prosperity.
In response to questions from James Cartlidge, MP for South Suffolk, regarding government policies on job creation in shipbuilding and the 30-year shipbuilding pipeline, Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence, provided detailed insights into the government’s approach.
Eagle highlighted the importance of the shipbuilding industry to the UK, stating, “This Government recognises the vital role shipbuilding and its skilled workforce plays, not only in our national security but also in the economic prosperity and growth of the United Kingdom (UK).”
Discussing frigates and the defence review with Luke Pollard
She also mentioned the role of the National Shipbuilding Office, which provides strategic oversight of all government shipbuilding activity and is driving transformative change across the sector.
The government’s 30-year shipbuilding pipeline, part of the refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy, is central to this effort. According to Eagle, this long-term pipeline is designed to offer “clarity and certainty for UK industry and supports the creation of UK jobs.”
It provides a clear signal of demand from the public sector, enabling the industry to plan investments in research and development, infrastructure, and workforce development.
In response to Cartlidge’s additional question about the shipbuilding strategy, Eagle reiterated the government’s commitment to delivering a thriving shipbuilding sector.
She explained, “The National Shipbuilding Office provides strategic oversight of all Government shipbuilding activity, driving forward transformative change in the sector. This includes a 30-year pipeline of Government shipbuilding opportunities which gives industry a clear demand signal from the public sector, supporting them to invest in research and development, infrastructure and people.”
Hi Everyone. Presume the pic is of two Type 26s in progress? I remember flying over Glasgow in 2008 and seeing a couple of Type 45s in progress and at a similar state of finish and indeed, not dissimilar in appearance!
Yes. Cardiff in the foreground, Glasgow behind. HMS Cardiff was towed past the Scotstoun dockyard on 30th August on the way to be floated off the barge at Glen Mallan.
I think we have HMS Glasgow being fitted out as HMS Cardiff goes by however Pollard is standing infront of HMS Active (T31) after watching the steel cutting for HMS Formidable (I’m pretty sure).
That one was taken 30th August so more progree will have been made.
Sorry, can’t help you, been deleted/blocked from here.
The one in the dock in HMS Glasgow. The one on the barge is HMS Cardiff which joined Glasgow in September 2024
Best get T32 in the bag then.
It’s quite amazing that the Tory’s are asking questions about a National Ship Building Strategy that they completely ignored in office despite it being their strategy.
When faced with a text book example of the NSB in the Team UK bid for FSSS they decided to go with a scam big from a foreign ship yard dressed up to make it look like a UK bid.
The FSSS could have kept multiple yards across the UK working for years now instead we have one yard in Spain getting all the work.
And we probably going to run out of work at one of our only two shipyards in 2029 and going to have to shit that down as well.
At best we are likely to get 3 MRSS and no T32 frigates and that’s all the ship building work in the UK until we the T83 start and a replacement for T26 and T31.
I wish I could say Maria Eagle is lying in her statement but I don’t think she knows enough about her job to actually lie.
I’m sure the Treasury knows all this already and it’s probably a big reason why they didn’t approved the H&W loan.
Is it my imagination or are they actually making lots of positive noises at the moment ? OK many are staged questions from Labour MPs, but this one isn’t and he isn’y one of the usual suspects.
Which imakes a change as its always a nervous time for industry and service personnel when there is an SDR in progress. But I have a long memory and the usual tactic is to stonewall & waffle about any defence questions to avoid making commitments until they make their minds up.
Who knows perhaps it may end up pretty positive or after 14 years out practice they have forgotten how to play politics.
It all seems rather Odd to me 🤔
This implies further orders will be confirmed.
Although nothing is clearly stated….as usual….demand signals are only actual orders…paper/digital plans won’t trigger investment.
The government shouldn’t expect jobs to be a defacto response for more orders. Yards need to invest in the latest tech which may or may not result in more jobs.
The problem is we have political parties wedded to out of date ideologies. Job creation isn’t a industrial strategy.
It’s wrong for the government to expect jobs in return for orders. Orders should allow yards to invest in latest technology and new processes which may not lead to more jobs infact may lead to less jobs. That’s the yards decision.
Job creation is not an industry strategy
You make an interesting point. We occasionally hear HMG talking about increasing productivity and how Britain has lower productivity than comparable countries. If the social value test takes the number of jobs into consideration, it’s working against productivity. I don’t know if it does.
when will we see one leave for sea trials in the open sea, just a thought.