The Ministry of Defence has reaffirmed its dedication to establishing an “all the time on” provide line for shipbuilding, as outlined within the Strategic Defence Overview 2025, in response to a written parliamentary response by Defence Minister Luke Pollard.
In a press release issued on 17 October, Pollard referred to a earlier reply given by the previous Minister for Defence Procurement and Trade throughout Commons questions in June, through which Graeme Downie MP had raised the problem.
“As outlined within the Strategic Defence Overview and within the UK’s Fashionable Industrial Technique, the Authorities are dedicated to supporting an ‘all the time on’ shipbuilding business by leveraging our purchasing energy by way of public procurement and looking for to export our capabilities to pleasant nations,” the sooner response acknowledged.
Pollard added that this dedication has since been strengthened by way of the publication of the Defence Industrial Technique (DIS), which highlights the central position of the British shipbuilding and maritime expertise sector in sustaining nationwide functionality and financial development.
The federal government now plans to publish a devoted shipbuilding and maritime expertise motion plan to fulfil the DIS commitments. It will purpose to take care of manufacturing continuity, strengthen home provide chains, and guarantee a sustainable industrial base able to assembly Royal Navy necessities and export alternatives. The “all the time on” mannequin seeks to keep away from the cyclical surges and lulls which have traditionally disrupted British naval development, as an alternative selling regular work move and steady innovation throughout design, construct, and upkeep phases.