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| Work on Trident nuclear renewal to get go ahead | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The defence secretary is to give the go-ahead for initial work to begin on the replacement of Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent. | |
| In a statement later, Liam Fox will approve the first stage of research and design for replacing existing submarines. | |
| The issue has been the subject of tension within the coalition. | The issue has been the subject of tension within the coalition. |
| The Lib Dems, which support a cheaper alternative, want the final decision delayed until after the next election. | The Lib Dems, which support a cheaper alternative, want the final decision delayed until after the next election. |
| But most Tory MPs want the government to proceed immediately, urging a clear signal of the UK's determination to maintain an independent nuclear deterrent. | But most Tory MPs want the government to proceed immediately, urging a clear signal of the UK's determination to maintain an independent nuclear deterrent. |
| 'Insurance policy' | |
| The coalition had earlier indicated it would delay the "main gate" decision on replacing the UK's four Vanguard submarines until after May 2015 - a move widely seen as easing tensions with the Lib Dems. | The coalition had earlier indicated it would delay the "main gate" decision on replacing the UK's four Vanguard submarines until after May 2015 - a move widely seen as easing tensions with the Lib Dems. |
| But Dr Fox will give the green light to the "initial gate" phase, which will mean ordering the specialised steel to build the submarines and designing new nuclear reactors. | |
| The BBC understands that the "initial gate" decision will cost about £3bn - a significant proportion of the end cost of the submarines currently estimated at around £20bn. | The BBC understands that the "initial gate" decision will cost about £3bn - a significant proportion of the end cost of the submarines currently estimated at around £20bn. |
| Asked about the issue at Prime Minister's Questions by pro-nuclear Tory MP Julian Lewis, David Cameron said he backed renewal of Trident as it was the "ultimate insurance policy against blackmail or attacks by other countries". | |
| The prime minister said the government's policy on Trident was "absolutely clear". | |
| "We are committed to retaining an independent nuclear deterrent based on Trident," he said. | |
| 'Cross-party alliance' | |
| Dr Lewis, a frequent critic of the Lib Dems on Trident, urged Mr Cameron to build a cross-party "alliance" of Conservative and Labour MPs to make the case for nuclear deterrent renewal similar to that seen during the recent AV referendum - on which the Conservatives and Lib Dems were on different sides. | |
| Mr Cameron said he hoped to "elevate" the issue beyond party political debate and get the support of the opposition for the move, pointing out that the last Labour government had agreed to Trident renewal in 2007. | |
| "When we voted to go ahead with Trident, it was on the basis of a Labour motion that was supported by most Labour MPs and, I believe, all Conservative MPs." | |
| The BBC's Political Correspondent Iain Watson said Lib Dem MPs felt they had kicked Trident renewal into the long grass but were now having to come to terms with substantial spending on its replacement. | |
| However, Labour MP Paul Flynn said Trident was a "national virility symbol" and had not been used in any conflict for many years and was unlikely to be in future. |