Navy

Defence Minister Tight-Lipped On New Frigates' Time-Frame

A defence minister has refused to say when the next generation of Royal Navy warships will be built, amid warnings that axing them would be an "unforgivable betrayal".

Tory frontbencher Harriet Baldwin was unmoved by calls from SNP and Labour MPs to confirm a time-frame around cutting steel on Britain's eight new Type 26 frigates, insisting it would be "inappropriate" to give key dates as negotiations continue.

The ships are due to be built on the Clyde in Scotland, with SNP defence spokesman Brendan O'Hara predicting construction of the ships would not start until summer 2017 or possibly later.

He also said the delays could be in part blamed on the economic impact of Brexit, as well as the Government committing too much of its procurement budget to renewing the Trident nuclear deterrent. Mr O'Hara told MPs:

"It would be an unforgivable betrayal of the Clyde workers if they were the ones that had to pay the price of Brexit, but also the price of Trident."

In reply, Ms Baldwin told the Westminster Hall debate: "The timing of the award of the build contract and the build schedule itself are key components of the ongoing commercial negotiations between the Government and BAE Systems.

"We are negotiating a deal that aims to optimise the requirements of the Royal Navy in terms of the capability the ships will deliver, to achieve value for money for defence and the taxpayer, and to deliver a build schedule that drives performance.

"These negotiations are continuing, so I am not this afternoon in a position to give a specific date as to when an agreement will be reached.

"To protect the commercial interests of the Ministry of Defence, disclosing any such detail would be inappropriate at this time."

Under questioning from the SNP's Chris Stephens (Glasgow South West), Ms Baldwin confirmed the national shipbuilding strategy will report by the time of the Autumn Statement on November 23, which could reveal fresh information about plans for the Type 26 frigates.

Ms Baldwin also resisted calls to disclose further reasons behind delays and cuts to the project.

The project has already been cut from 13 to eight new ships, while a target to start cutting steel in May has been delayed indefinitely.

Former British Army officer and Tory MP Bob Stewart (Beckenham) said:

"I don't think we need the minister to answer that - the answer is we had no money. That's why we had to cut down the number of Type 26 ships. We did not have the money, and we actually had to cut our means to suit our coat."

SNP MP Martin Docherty-Hughes (West Dunbartonshire) said the delays left Scotland and the United Kingdom "dangerously under-defended", adding it was a "tale of under-investment and neglect".

The Ministry of Defence denied in July that a shortage of money was behind delays in the construction, however.