Navy’s money should be spent more efficiently

SIR – With the Ministry of Defence struggling to work within its £36 billion budget, the Royal Navy is under pressure to reduce further the size of the already small fleet of warships.

Is it necessary to pay as much as £6.5 billion for the two new aircraft carriers and £6 billion for the six recently built destroyers?

Years ago, when I worked in the technical services division of a major British commercial shipping company, the new-build staff proposed to the MOD to build warships at a lower price than that being paid by the MOD. The proposal was not rejected due to fears that the Navy’s high standards would not be met, but because too many MOD staff would need to be laid off.

British warship-builders are, I understand, commercial companies that appear to win from the MOD contracts at an excellent price for their shareholders. The country requires weapons that can defeat the enemy, but they need not be gold-plated. Is the MOD fit to manage commercial contracts, or should there be oversight by the CBI (or similar organisation) to ensure that taxpayers get value for money?

With ships built more economically, the Royal Navy could preserve an adequate number of warships for its perceived global role. Jonathan Clark

Bournemouth, Dorset