§ Mr. Neil TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with(a) the Department of Trade and Industry, (b) shipbuilders and (c) trade unions to identify the minimum numbers of (i) workers and (ii) designers necessary to maintain a strategic capacity of naval shipbuilding in the United Kingdom. [175575]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 7 June 2004]: We remain committed to maintaining a strategic capacity and capability for naval shipbuilding in the United Kingdom. Ministry of Defence and Department of Trade and Industry officials and representatives from the shipbuilding industry meet on a monthly basis to discuss the future programme. These meetings are being taken forward in a positive and constructive manner. Additionally, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence met with Kevin Curran, General Secretary of the GMB on 4 May.
We are building on the solid base that the Defence Industrial Policy has established and are actively exploring practical ways of achieving its objectives. In the shipbuilding area, we are comparing our requirements against capacity and, where possible, evaluating the options to smooth out large peaks and troughs.