Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace appears before the Scottish Affairs Committee, as part of its Defence in Scotland inquiry.
The session discusses military shipbuilding in Scotland, with MPs likely to seek the Secretary of State’s views on how this is supported by the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Meeting details
At 2:30pm: Oral evidence
Inquiry
Defence in Scotland
Secretary of State for Defence at Ministry of Defence
Director General, Ships, Defence Equipment and Support at Ministry of Defence
CEO at National Shipbuilding Office
Other potential topics for scrutiny include what the UK Government can do to support the export of Scottish ships, to incorporate Scottish small businesses into military shipbuilding supply chains, and to maintain a skilled workforce in the sector.
MPs are also likely to explore with the Secretary of State two recent UK Government announcements:
- the award of the contract for building the second batch of Type 26 frigates to BAE Systems, confirming that five new vessels will be built on the Clyde and reportedly supporting an additional £248 million worth of work in Scottish supply chains;
- and the naming of the Spanish-led Team Resolute as the UK Government’s preferred bidder for the Fleet Solid Support ships contract over the Team UK bid, which could reportedly have resulted in £90 million of investment in shipyards.