Indefinite delay for Clyde shipbuilding frigates is branded ‘disgraceful betrayal’

THE construction of eight new ships for the Royal Navy due to be be built on the Clyde has been delayed indefinitely.

No start date has been set for a fleet of Type 26 frigates, described as “global combat ships”, that was promised to Scotland before the independence referendum when the future of shipbuilding on the Clyde became a central issue.

“I can’t give you a time or a date,” said Tony Douglas, the Ministry of Defence’s top official responsible for military equipment in response to questions from MPs on the Commons Defence Committee who asked when the frigate design would be approved.

New junior defence minister Harriett Baldwin told MPs: “It could be next year. We do not know yet.”

The news provoked a row between First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson

“If true, this is a disgraceful betrayal of the Clyde shipyard workers – and a breach of the promise made in #indyref,” tweeted Mrs Sturgeon.

Ms Davidson later wrote: “Remind me again of the number of warships you planned to build in an independent Scotland? Zero, right?”

The pair then exchanged several tweets during which Ms Sturgeon accused the Conservative leader of “deflecting” and dodging responsibility, and Ms Davidson said the First Minister appeared to be unable to answer her questions.

The dispute also centred on whether it had been the design of the ships, which is said to be about 60 per cent complete, that was causing the delay. The Defence Committee was previously told that a shortage of money had caused the delay to a start date for the build. However, Tony Douglas said it was due to the design being incomplete.

“If you were building an extension on the back of your house, you wouldn’t get it priced if it was only 60 per cent designed,” he said. “We are in a good place right now, but with 60 per cent design fixity, this is about driving it to closure.”

This point was also raised by Ms Davidson, who asked the First Minister: “Are you really suggesting building should start before design phase is complete – or that ministers are in charge of design?”

However, shipbuilder BAE Systems insisted that the incomplete design would not delay a start date for work.

A spokeswoman confirmed that projects regularly proceed with an incomplete design and said BAE is working with the Government to agree a production schedule.

She said: “We have an agreed design with the MoD for the Type 26 ships. We are confident we will be ready to move into the manufacturing phase with a very high level of design maturity in line with the production schedule.”

The UK Government said it was “committed” to building ships on the Clyde to the Type 26 programme.