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Unions hoping for timetable on Type 26 Clyde frigates Work on eight Type 26 frigates to begin in Summer 2017
(about 7 hours later)
Unions representing Clyde shipbuilding workers have said they are expecting a "massive announcement" from the defence secretary later. Work on building eight Type 26 frigates at Clyde shipyards will start next summer, the defence secretary has said.
They said Michael Fallon could safeguard thousands of jobs by confirming when work on eight Type 26 frigates will begin. Michael Fallon said the date for cutting the first steel would help secure new investment and safeguard hundreds of skilled jobs until 2035.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources have told the BBC to expect a important statement from Mr Fallon. He also announced that a contract for two new offshore patrol vessels would be signed shortly.
An £859m deal to build the ships on the Clyde was signed in February 2015. This will secure jobs before the Type 26 frigate work is fully under way, he said.
Manufacture had been expected to start in 2016. Unions welcomed the announcement but said the UK government had failed to deliver on all the promises made to the upper Clyde shipyards.
But the project has been hit by repeated delays, with concerns that jobs could be lost as a result. An £859m initial development deal to build the anti-submarine combat ships at BAE's Govan and Scotstoun yards on the Clyde was signed in February 2015.
The number of planned new frigates has already been scaled back from from 13 to eight, although the MoD has the option to build five smaller and cheaper general-purpose vessels. But the project has been scaled back from an initial 13 ships to eight and hit by repeated delays, with concerns that jobs could be lost as a result.
In June, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said no deal to build the new generation of Royal Navy warships would be signed until it offered "value for money". 'Value for money'
The Type 26 Global Combat Ships will be built by BAE Systems at the company's Glasgow yards in Govan and Scotstoun. During a visit to Govan, Mr Fallon said: "Backed by Britain's rising defence budget, the Type 26 Programme will deliver a new generation of cutting-edge warships for our Royal Navy at best value for taxpayers.
Defence Minister Harriet Baldwin recently faced calls from SNP and Labour MPs to confirm a timeframe for cutting steel on the frigates. "The UK government's commitment today will secure hundreds of high-skilled shipbuilding jobs on the Clyde for at least two decades and hundreds more in the supply chain across Britain."
The defence secretary also announced a £100m contract with the consortium MBDA to deliver the Sea Ceptor missile defence system for the ships.
Gary Smith of the GMB union said it was "fantastic news" for the upper Clyde shipyards - though he said the UK government had not delivered on all its promises.
He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We were told there was to going to be a 'frigate factory' built on the Clyde that would allow us to deliver ships more efficiently.
"It would perhaps have given us the facility to build ships that could be exported.
"And Michael Fallon in truth was dragged kicking and screaming to this announcement today after we exposed the fact that his government did plan to move some of the work originally planned for the Clyde, down south.
"But cutting through it all great, news for the workforce and great news for the economy in greater Glasgow as well."
The promise of new Royal Navy orders to secure the Clyde shipbuilding industry was made before the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.
The number of planned new frigates was later scaled back from from 13 to eight in the Strategic Defence Review, with the MoD now planning to build five smaller Type 31 warships in addition to the Type 26 fleet.
The defence secretary said design work on the Type 31s was ongoing and he was unable to promise the work would come to the Clyde yards.
But he told Good Morning Scotland BAE systems would be in "poll position" to win the orders.
Defence Minister Harriet Baldwin recently faced calls from SNP and Labour MPs to confirm a timeframe for cutting steel on the Type 26 frigates.
But she said it would be "inappropriate" to do so as negotiations continued.But she said it would be "inappropriate" to do so as negotiations continued.
Work had originally been due to start this year but SNP defence spokesman Brendan O'Hara predicted during a Commons debate last month that construction of the ships would not start until at least the summer of 2017. Work on the frigates was originally due to start this year. Unions raised concerns in April that up to 800 jobs could be lost at the Clyde shipyards if there was any backsliding on commitments.
Unions raised concerns in April that up to 800 jobs could be lost at the Clyde shipyards if there was any backsliding on commitments.
The yards currently employ more than 2,500 people, though hundreds of jobs have been lost over the past two years as BAE has reduced shipbuilding capacity.The yards currently employ more than 2,500 people, though hundreds of jobs have been lost over the past two years as BAE has reduced shipbuilding capacity.
According to BAE, the Global Combat Ship will be a "highly capable and versatile multi-mission warship" designed to support anti-submarine warfare, air defence and general purpose operations anywhere on the world's oceans. According to BAE, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a "highly capable and versatile multi-mission warship" designed to support anti-submarine warfare, air defence and general purpose operations anywhere on the world's oceans.
The Type 26 will replace the UK's Type 23 frigates, with the first due to enter service in the early 2020s.The Type 26 will replace the UK's Type 23 frigates, with the first due to enter service in the early 2020s.
Each ship will carry a crew of 185, have a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 7,800 nautical miles.Each ship will carry a crew of 185, have a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 7,800 nautical miles.
Timeline: Type 26 frigates and the ClydeTimeline: Type 26 frigates and the Clyde
25 March 2010: BAE signs £127m contract to design Type 26 frigates for Royal Navy25 March 2010: BAE signs £127m contract to design Type 26 frigates for Royal Navy
11 October 2010: Sixth and last of the Royal Navy's new Type 45 Destroyers launched on the River Clyde11 October 2010: Sixth and last of the Royal Navy's new Type 45 Destroyers launched on the River Clyde
6 November 2013: Scottish Secretary warns that plans to build new Royal Navy vessels in Glasgow could be endangered by a Yes vote in independence referendum6 November 2013: Scottish Secretary warns that plans to build new Royal Navy vessels in Glasgow could be endangered by a Yes vote in independence referendum
1 December 2014: Defence Secretary Michael Fallon confirms the UK's new warships will be built on the Clyde1 December 2014: Defence Secretary Michael Fallon confirms the UK's new warships will be built on the Clyde
20 February 2015: Ministry of Defence signs £859m initial development deal on Type 26 Frigate. Manufacturing phase is expected to begin in 2016.20 February 2015: Ministry of Defence signs £859m initial development deal on Type 26 Frigate. Manufacturing phase is expected to begin in 2016.
23 November 2015: Prime Minister David Cameron announces in defence review that eight new Type 26 Global Combat Ships will be built on the Clyde, scaling back on initial plans for 13 warships23 November 2015: Prime Minister David Cameron announces in defence review that eight new Type 26 Global Combat Ships will be built on the Clyde, scaling back on initial plans for 13 warships
23 April 2016: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calls for "cast iron assurances" jobs will not be lost at Clyde shipyards because of contract delays23 April 2016: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calls for "cast iron assurances" jobs will not be lost at Clyde shipyards because of contract delays
27 June 2016: No deal to build new generation of Royal Navy warships will be signed until it offers "value for money", Mr Fallon says27 June 2016: No deal to build new generation of Royal Navy warships will be signed until it offers "value for money", Mr Fallon says
19 October 2016: UK government refuses to say when the next generation of Royal Navy warships will be built19 October 2016: UK government refuses to say when the next generation of Royal Navy warships will be built
4 November 2016: Defence secretary confirmed first steel on the new frigates will be cut in the summer of 2017 with contracts for two offshore patrol vessels to be announced shortly.