Healey: Clyde submarine base to get three new floating docks
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the scheme would modernise HM Naval Base Clyde “for decades to come” as part of efforts to strengthen Britain’s sovereign defence capability.
John Healey, the Chancellor, will confirm that the Royal Navy’s submarine service at HM Naval Base Clyde is to receive three new floating docks, built in Britain through a UK-only competition, the government said in a statement published on 28 September.
The docks, procured under a project called Programme Euston, will provide maintenance for the UK’s current and future fleet of nuclear submarines. The statement said the facilities will allow inspections, upgrades and repairs to be carried out.
Healey will pledge a “new age of industrialisation” for Britain in a speech on 28 September, confirming that the multi-billion pound projects will be built by British workers, supporting jobs and a pipeline of small British businesses, the government said.
“Britain has a proud shipbuilding heritage, and every pound of this strategic investment in a critical sector is backing British jobs on the Clyde and businesses across the UK, supporting growth in every postcode,” Healey said.
“By backing British shipyards, we are not only boosting national security but also securing resilience in the industries that will drive growth today while building the capabilities the country needs for the future,” Healey added.
Separately, the government has committed funding for a new marine research vessel to help protect the UK’s seas. It is set to enter service in the early 2030s, replacing the current vessel, which is nearing the end of its life, the statement said.
The evidence the new vessel collects will help ensure the security of the UK’s seas, support sustainable fishing and give coastal communities confidence that fish stocks are managed for the future, according to the government.
Both projects will be delivered by UK companies. The government described this as part of a wider focus on how it spends taxpayers’ money to boost national security while supporting British jobs and growth in local communities.
Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, said HM Naval Base Clyde is “at the heart of our submarine service” and that Programme Euston “will modernise it for decades to come, while backing British shipyards, workers and engineering”.
“Defence spending should make Britain stronger in every sense. That means backing British by buying British wherever our industry can deliver,” Streeting said, calling the plan “defence driving the reindustrialisation of Britain and strengthening our sovereign capability”.