A TRADE union chief has called for three new vessels to be built wholly in the UK.
The UK Government Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced a competition for three new support ships on Friday, as part of the government's plans to create a "shipbuilding renaissance" in the UK.
However the contracts for the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships can be completed in partnership with international companies, with the government's stipulation only that they have to be 'integrated' in a UK shipyard.
This means the components of the new ships could be built overseas, with only the assembly conducted in the UK.
Gary Smith, general secretary of GMB Scotland, said Mr Wallace should ensure that all parts of the process - from manufacturing of all components to assembly - are carried out in UK shipyards in the way aircraft carriers are made.
His comments come ahead of a questions to the defence secretary in the Commons today.
Mr Smith said: "The award of the solid support vessel contracts to a consortium of UK manufacturers is the key to transforming our shipbuilding industry, and the working-class communities that depend on it.
“But it’s not enough for the Minister to say that a significant proportion of the build and assembly work should be carried out in the UK. That leaves the door open for the export of jobs to the rest of the world and would be incompatible with a levelling-up agenda.
“The Government must learn the lessons from the previous award of Royal Navy tankers to South Korea, and in offshore wind manufacturing, where we have outsourced billion-pound contracts and tens of thousands of jobs to Asia and Europe.
“For places like Fife and Devon, Clydeside and Merseyside, the solid support ships mean jobs, apprenticeships and prosperity – a huge redistribution of wealth on which we could help build an industrial and economic recovery.”
Announcing the competition for the ships on Friday, Mr Wallace said: "As Shipbuilding Tsar, I am delighted to launch the competition for these crucial Fleet Solid Support ships.
"These vessels embody our commitment to a truly global presence by supporting the Royal Navy’s operations around the world.
"The competition reaffirms our dedication to invest in shipbuilding and support jobs across the UK maritime industry."
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