Yesterday, Tuesday 24th February, in my role as Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, I cut steel on HMS Bulldog, the fourth of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates. The next generation of workhorses for the Royal Navy are being built at Rosyth in Scotland. I was there a year ago cutting the first steel on HMS Formidable that is coming together fast. I was also present to see HMS Active, the second of the Inspiration class frigates, roll out of the production shed.
Babcock are best known in Plymouth for running our dockyard but they also build frigates in Rosyth.
As a Government we are investing in our Royal Navy. We are building new Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates on the Clyde and Type 31 frigates in Rosyth. They’ll sail alongside new autonomous ships and submarines being trialled in Plymouth where we have the UK’s new National centre for Marine Autonomy. We have increased the number of submarines we want to buy and the last Astute subs and new Dreadnought subs are under construction at Barrow.
In more uncertain times we are investing more of a rising defence budget with British companies. Since the general election we have signed 1100 major defence contracts, 86% with British based firms. We have given our troops the biggest pay rise in 20 years and have published a plan to refit or rebuild 9 in 10 military homes with the first 1,000 worst homes already overhauled.
We are backing veterans with stronger protections in law and record high spending.
I’m proud to be Devonport’s MP and proud to be the son of a Royal Navy submariner. Increasing defence spending is creating more jobs in Plymouth and is why this government has awarded Plymouth not just new town status, but also a defence growth deal and more investment. We are spending £4.4billion on new submarine facilities at Devonport. And I can proudly say Devonport has a bright future ahead of it – no more uncertainty like that we saw over the last decade.
And one more thing, yesterday I got to see the progress on the recycling of the submarine HMS Swiftsure. It’s 40% complete and still on track to be fully recycled by the end of the year proving that the technology works. I’m so proud to have run the campaign to get submarine recycling started when in opposition and driving it faster now Labour is in government.
We are renewing our armed forces. Lots done, lots more to do.