HC Deb 03 March 1976 vol 906 c628W
Mr. Small

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the construction of glass fibre reinforced warships in Scotland.

Mr. William Rodgers

We have chosen Yarrows Shipbuilders Ltd. to become the second builder of the new class of mine countermeasure vessels for the Royal Navy.

The ships are by far the largest glass reinforced plastic ships to be built anywhere in the world. For this novel method of construction a completely new undercover shipbuilding facility will be required in the Yarrow shipyard. By the time the facility is fully operational at the end of the decade about 600 new jobs will have been created on the Yarrow site, as well as additional work for a wide range of subcontractors.