Foreign suppliers to be blocked from building new nuclear submarine docks

Foreign companies are to be blocked from building new docks at Britain’s nuclear submarine base, John Healey will announce. The Chancellor will use his speech to Labour’s conference to promise “a new age of industrialisation” fuelled by defence projects. Mr Healey will unveil plans for three new floating docks at Faslane, in Scotland, to provide maintenance for the fleet of Trident submarines. He will announce that foreign firms will be blocked from bidding for contracts to build the docks over national security concerns. Last week, The Telegraph revealed that more than £30bn of UK defence contracts in the past five years had been awarded to foreign suppliers. Official data show thousands of contracts that ministers claimed were awarded in the UK were actually given to companies with headquarters offshore. Industry insiders have called the trend “Brit-washing” and demanded tighter rules and greater transparency on how taxpayers’ money is spent. Mr Healey is coming under growing pressure to set out a plan to increase defence spending substantially at next month’s Budget. He resigned as Sir Keir Starmer’s defence secretary over the former prime minister’s failure to commit to spending 3 per cent of GDP on the military, but since entering the Treasury has repeatedly refused to make that commitment himself. The Chancellor also needs to find an extra £4.7bn for the defence investment plan , which was left partially unfunded by Rachel Reeves, his predecessor. He said: “Britain has a proud shipbuilding heritage, and every pound of this strategic investment in a critical sector is backing British jobs on the Clyde and businesses across the UK, supporting growth in every postcode. “By backing British shipyards, we are not only boosting national security but also securing resilience in the industries that will drive growth today while building the capabilities the country needs for the future.” The docks will be used for maintenance, upgrades and repairs for the four-strong fleet of Vanguard submarines , which carry Britain’s nuclear deterrent. In future, they will service the Dreadnought-class submarines which are expected to replace the Vanguard vessels from the early 2030s. The exclusion of foreign bidders comes amid growing concerns about the use of components made in China in British military equipment. This summer, the Special Boat Service banned Chinese-made electric cars from its headquarters because of fears they could be used for spying. Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, said the project showed defence was “driving the reindustrialisation of Britain and strengthening our sovereign capability”. “Defence spending should make Britain stronger in every sense. That means backing British by buying British wherever our industry can deliver,” he said. Before his conference speech, Mr Healey also pledged at least £115m to fund a new marine research vessel to protect Britain’s seas. The new boat will be built at a British shipyard and come into service in the 2030s. It will be tasked with carrying out research into the state of the waters surrounding the UK, including ensuring that fishing is carried out sustainably. In his conference speech, the Chancellor is expected to say: “My politics were shaped by the industrial heartlands of South Yorkshire. Our coal mines are not coming back. But this is how Britain’s industrial past is being remade now for the modern world. This is the new age of industrialisation.”