John Redwood: (Wokingham) (Con):
I warmly welcome the announcement and the work that has gone into it. Can the Minister give the House any indication of the first phase of roll-out, and of how many submarines of the new type will be built? How many of those could be for the Royal Navy?
Alex Chalk, Minister for Defence Procurement:
We know, come what may, that the first of these submarines will be built in Barrow, and we have already begun the procurement of long-lead items for that initial batch. Precise numbers will emerge in due course, and that will depend on all sorts of things, including how quickly the Australian industrial base matures and so on. I reassure my right hon. Friend that the first boat will be built here in the UK, and work is being done to ensure that the necessary components for future builds are already being procured.
March 17, 2023
OFF TOPIC.
Boris Johnson has been reselected as the Conservative candidate for the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.
It follows speculation the former prime minister might seek a safer seat ahead of the next general election in 2025. Allies of Mr Johnson have always rejected this idea.
While Mr Johnson holds a 7,000-vote majority, his west London seat is seen as a realistic target for Labour at the next election.
Since leaving office in September, he has declared more than Ā£1m in speaking fees.
March 17, 2023
@Mickey Taking as a pun the Uxbridge and South Ruslip selection team are ‘Taking the Mick’ The man behind the mess the UK is in, with his own collective responsible individuals still ruling in Government – what a mess
March 17, 2023
Who do I vote for if I want low taxes and a small but more efficient public sector?
March 17, 2023
The Reform Party.
March 17, 2023
Goid for him
He was head and shoulders above the two pratts we have incharge at the moment. Even Truss was a conservative.
March 18, 2023
Whatever else he may or may not be, MT, Boris is an entertaining speaker. Who would pay even Ā£1 to hear Starmer speak?
March 18, 2023
well Ukraine promoted a comedian to the top job copying what we had done before.
March 18, 2023
BB, Are you a fan of Guy Debordās āThe Society of the Spectacleā?
March 17, 2023
Will there be any british steel to use by then or any reliable energy to use?
āEverything comes second to the socialist NHS
Itās a sign of the times: even Jeremy Hunt thinks the point of economic growth is to boost health spendingā Kate Andrews today.
The recent vast āhealthā expenditure vaccines, lockdowns, test and trace, hospital services closed downā¦ has done huge net harm to both peopleās health and to the economy.
March 18, 2023
@lifelogic
Stupid boy. The UK has not made the sort of steel that can withstand sea pressure at 500 fathoms since the 1970’s. The steel for these new submarines will come from Thyssenkrupp in Germany, as does all steel for RN ships
March 17, 2023
Questions on quantity, delivery dates etc should not be asked in public. Details of this contract come under national and international security, answers to which only help our enemies. I only hope for the sake of those who will operate these boats that there is the utmost vigilence into the hardware and anything else that is allowed onboard. One rogue chip, permanent or carried aboard could be disasterous. So ask such questions and comment in private.
March 17, 2023
Everything anybody needs to know is in the navy bible ‘Janes’
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/australia-to-operate-two-nuclear-submarine-types-under-aukus-arrangement
March 17, 2023
The UK roll out depends on the Australian industrial base?
March 17, 2023
Can the subs at Barrow be built with steel made in Britain or will we have to import it?
March 18, 2023
@miami.mode
A significant proportion of the steel for these new boats will have been reclaimed from the hundreds of coal-fired power stations that have been scrapped over the past 15 years, replaced by windfarms harvesting free energy
March 17, 2023
I hope this Aukus deal will enable the government to consider investing in the small nuclear reactors for our energy needs, as I read that Rolls Royce will be building the reactors to power these submarines. One assumes it is the same technology.
March 17, 2023
Good that they are at least thinking ahead, let us hope that technical changes in specification to the original are not needed through lack of initial foresight, which then leads to increased costs, financial penalties or extensive delays, has often been the case in the past..
March 18, 2023
I see it is being reported today that our latest/second Carrier broke down because it sailed with the knowledge of a damaged propellor, we now have a Ā£20 million bill due to such a decision and it has been out of service for some months.
Difficult to make it up given the first carrier had a similar type of problem, which had been highlighted during its trial’s (programme shown on TV)
We seem to take ages to learn the same lessons over and over again.
WHY ?
March 17, 2023
The Partnership might involve joint agreement controlling how each submarine is used and reacts to threat of risk. In such circumstance, which vessel belongs to whom may be less important.
March 17, 2023
The FIRST boat will be built in UK, is that political speech for ā all the rest will be built in Aussie land
It would not surprise me!
March 17, 2023
While I applaud the tri-pact deal with the USA, UK and Australia, Iād like to know the overall cost, how many submarines are we the UK acquiring, will they have USA nuclear weapons and strategically who are the targets
March 18, 2023
It will be nonsense and sabotage of our industrial capability to build only one boat. All the costs, design and production difficulties go into the first of everything.
The thought that we might build only one if Australia can get going would be more destruction of our manufacturing and it wouldn’t surprise me Sunak has agreed that we bear all the cost and risk.
We know that Sunak is intent that we should make nothing here if it is against his ‘green’ fanaticism. Please note no home coal yet, no ironstone. He’s wants to achieve 100% dangerous woke too.