Defence Minister Philip Dunne has told the House of Commons that he remains committed to building eight Royal Navy frigates on the Clyde.
The plans, which were initially announced on November’s Defence Spending Review, have been rumoured to face possible delays of up to a year by unions at BAE Systems, who own the two Glasgow based shipyards, with jobs coming under threat.
Shadow Defence Minister Emily Thornberry has since labelled the current defence strategy as a ‘shambles’.
However, in response, Dunne assured that the UK government commitment to Scotland and the Royal Navy was ‘crystal clear’ and also promised that the successor programme would sustain 6,800 military and civilian jobs in Scotland, rising to 8,200 by 2022.
Dunne told the Commons: "Let me assure the shipyard workers on the Clyde, this government remains absolutely committed to the Type-26 programme and to assembling the ships on the Clyde."
