§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the warship building industry in the UK; and what is being done to encourage competition. [84837]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Ministry of Defence is undertaking the largest programme of new warship building for many years. This programme will create or secure several thousand jobs in United Kingdom shipyards and ancillary industries throughout the country. The MOD recognises the considerable challenge for UK shipbuilders to maintain capacity and develop the skills required for the future warship building programme, against the background of a short term dip in the volume of work and an ageing workforce. The MOD will continue to work closely with the industry but it is primarily for the shipbuilders themselves to manage any short term workload gap. The MOD order book alone cannot be expected to sustain the industry.
Competition remains the bedrock of the MOD's procurement policy and has been the keystone of our strategy for warship procurement. The present competition for the future aircraft carrier is an example of this. Maintaining acompetitive environment should also be helped by the decision to share work on the Type 45 destroyer between BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thorny croft, which has the advantage of keeping both shipbuilders involved in the Type 45 programme and potentially available to compete for future MOD and export programmes.
The MOD, together with industry, will continue to review ways of making UK warship building more competitive and innovative, with the aim of enabling the shipbuilders to widen their customer base and identify other opportunities, for warship export orders in particular.
§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the location is of(a) HMS Ark Royal, (b) HMS Illustrious, (c) HMS Invincible and (d) HMS Ocean; and if he will make a statement. [85360]
§ Mr. IngramThe information is as follows
HMS Ark Royal is the current Fleet Flagship and is alongside in Portsmouth undergoing routine maintenance prior to her next deployment in February 2003.HMS Illustrious is in Rosyth undertaking a refit which is due to complete in early 2005.HMS Invincible is in Rosyth undertaking a refit which is due to complete in late spring 2003.HMS Ocean is in Devonport undertaking repairs following her Docking period in Portsmouth. She is expected to return to Fleet time this month.