The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that it is still in the early stages of planning for new munitions factories announced in the Strategic Defence Review, with no locations yet identified.
Labour peer Lord Beamish asked whether the Government had considered sites in North East England and when decisions on factory locations would be made.
Responding on 16 September, Defence Minister Lord Coaker said: “The Strategic Defence Review committed to build at least six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently developing a plan to deliver this commitment alongside our wider Defence Industrial Strategy, delivering long-term investment to boost UK growth and generating skilled UK jobs and export opportunities.”
He added that it would be “premature to discuss specific proposals or sites until the necessary preparatory work has concluded.”
The MOD has tied the factories to its wider industrial strategy, which emphasises greater resilience in UK supply chains and long-term investment in defence manufacturing. Officials say the new facilities will not only support operational requirements but also generate skilled employment and potential export opportunities.
Further announcements on the number and location of sites are expected once the Ministry has completed the preparatory phase of the programme.
Oh, bother. Maybe we should increase our 100-year Ukrainian commitment to 1000 years, and like their Army’s Facebook page.
That ought to help in the meantime.
It reminds me of a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean. “Don’t dare impugn me honour, boy! I agree’d to build ya 6 factories, but it was you who failed to specify when or where!”
Lord Beamish should remember the first rule of government. Never look into anything you don’t have to.:->